The 11/11 Getting Happy and Well for Christmas

I decided to share some easy, daily lifestyle tips with you, as we arrive to Christmas, in just 11 days, and shortly after into 2015.  So that we may make this Christmas and New Year Season light, fun, and filled with life energy. 


Stress is among the top 5 things people mention they are experiencing most these days.  Most are simply stressed and stretched beyond limits.  They are drained, weak, lack energy, don't have time for anything.  Only thinking about adding another thing on top, makes them lose their marbles. What to do?
Move.

I know, you don't have the time.  Most people, including me, do not.  Especially not to exercise.  The only solution is prioritizing movement, putting it on the schedule.  Like you would a hair appointment, a doctor's appointment, kids' school play, and so on.  

11/11 is MOVE


Move your body.  Move the energy.  Transfer it from stuck to expended. 

Here are some ways I found worked to create time, and make it happen:

-Wake up 30 minutes earlier, before anything; just get it done
-Find a friend and commit together
-That treadmill or elliptical machine at home, dust it off, remove the clothes you piled on it (after all it is not a hamper-hanger), hop on for 15-30 minutes, first thing in the morning
-Instead of sitting at your work-desk, use a FitDesk, to make calls, Skype, etc, or when spending more time on the computer 
-Have a ton of calls to complete?  Bundle up, and do some of the call while walking outside for 10, 20 even 30 minutes
-Identify the time period in your days, when the stress tends to climb highest.  Schedule lunch, or a 15 min break, around it.  Enforce every day, twice every day even, if needed, and take it outside of your work environment. Go for a walk, go outside, get fresh air, move your body, air things out.  When you return, all the to-do's will be easier to complete
-Don't sit in traffic while commuting to and from work.  Leave earlier or stay later, find a yoga studio near the office, do a class, avoid traffic drive when it is easier to commute. Or take the train, and stand at least half way


In closing, remember.  While it is ideal to have a regular exercise regime, when life calls for pulling out all stops, it is time to get creative. If you are unhealthy, stagnant, your thoughts, emotions, body, will all work as such too.  In turn, this same is repeated in your choices, your entire life, relationships and even business.  It will all reflect this.

For more lifestyle tips follow to my portal, www.monikakovacs.com.

11/11 is MOVE

More ENERGY naturally instantly

We are used to see all the energy pills, drinks, coffees, teas, bars....anything you want promising you to rocket off the planet and become invincible.  Nobody mentions the post-effects of crash and burn :)

Is there an alternative?  What can make us high, energized, alert, vital and well?

Water.  Drink lots of water.  Daily, 2-4 liters.

How much water are you drinking?
Are you drinking enough?

Water can miraculously increase energy, reduce stress, detox, assimilate...  SO many things that WILL improve your life overall.  Being well-hydrated can shift you to a higher, and better place in your life, where you will naturally strive.

Cheers!!!!

www.monikakovacs.com

Loyalty is a Choice

The most destructive of weapons is not the spear or the siege cannon, which can wound a body and demolish a wall.
The most terrible of all weapons is the word, which can ruin a life without leaving a trace of blood, and whose wounds never heal.

Let us, then, be the masters of our tongue and not the slaves of our words.
Even if words are used against us, let us not enter a battle that cannot be won.
The moment we place ourselves on the same level as some vile adversary, we will be fighting in the dark, and the only winner will be the Lord of Darkness.

Loyalty is a pearl among grains of sand, and only those who really understand its meaning can see it.

Thus the Sower of Discord can pass the same spot a thousand times and never see the little jewel that keeps together those who need to remain united.

Loyalty can never be imposed by force, fear, insecurity or intimidation.
It is a choice that only strong spirits have the courage to make.

And because it is a choice, it will never tolerate betrayal, but will always be generous with mistakes.
And because it is a choice, it withstands time and passing conflicts.

 taken from Manuscript Found in Accra  |  Paulo Coelho http://bit.ly/maccra

Merry Christmas and Happy Holy-Days of every kind, Here's one way

If you feel drawn, let it enter your Being, releasing any old ideas of constriction or limitation and returning Your true essence as expansive, radiant Light.

"Divine Beloved, Change Me into someone
who can give with complete ease and abundance,
knowing You are the unlimited Source of All.

Let me be an easy open conduit for Your prosperity.
Let me trust that all of my own needs are
always met in amazing ways
and it is safe to give freely as my heart guides me.

And equally, please Change Me into someone
who can feel wildly open to receiving.
Let me know my own value, beauty and
worthiness without question.
Let me allow others the supreme pleasure of giving to me.
Let me feel worthy to receive in every possible way.

And let me extend kindness to all who need,
feeling compassion and understanding
in even the hardest situations.

Change me into One who can fully love, forgive
and accept myself... so I may carry your Light
without restriction.

Let everything that needs to go, go.
Let everything that needs to come, come.
I am utterly Your own.

You are Me.
I am You.
We are One.

All is well.

toshasilver©2013

How to Holiday Eat

This is my take on Holiday Eating. I see nothing wrong with eating with family, company and at the same table eating the same foods. I LOVE Holiday eating.  Every setting will have:

Turkey: pure meat
Veggies: prepped in different ways, I am sure you can get creative to keep it clean and lean
Starches (good ones): a small serving is good
Gravy: I hope I do not have to go there, we don't want it to come here....
Stuffing: I am sure we can live without it....who wants GMO and glue gunk in their intestines anyways....yukkkkk
Salad: of course

Pie, desserts etc: I am sure if you kept it clean a little treat after dinner, wait a while, don't stuff it all in at once, will NOT hinder your progress.  All assuming you have been sanely eating up to this feast.  If not, that is a whole different ballgame I get it. I am human too, learned the best way, on my own skin....through my own journey to and from the self.

The leftovers are great, again, treat it like real food, yourself with respect and love.

Remember when you love something, you care for it, you protect it.  Stuffing yourself sick, and eating fast is not love for food, nor treating yourself.
Enjoy what you Eat.

xo

Support, Refuse, or Trust.....

If you reject [supporting] someone's work, you cannot expect for these same persons to say 'yes,' to help spread your message, for them to support your work.
I've seen this a lot lately....sort of amusing, and frankly sad.

Will it be abundance or scarcity?

It cannot be both.

Choose to be supportive.  So YOU can have more !!!
It is an abundant Universe. You must know this.

Why I recommend TrueStar

TrueStar

by Monika Kovacs

Set up your personal profile here.

Your Fortune

I believe that our fortune is in our hearts,
It was placed there by God,
Sparked lit by our greatest Dreams,
Fuelled by our Passion, 
Willed into life, brought to completion, by Us.
Our Divine potential is a given,
What we choose to make of it, is left entirely up to Us.
Change your body, change your LIFE. 


www.truestar.tv




This is your life, what are you doing with it? 

HAPPINESS Instructions

Love mad
Laugh happily
Dream graciously
Reach for the #Stars
Move your Body
Stay aligned 
Stay active and moving all day, every day
Hold steady--your highest Vision for Your LIFE
Live Awake
Co-Create 
Be Friend and befriend
Stop Trying--Quit, or Do


Never look back!

If you love it, let it go, If it comes back …..

I am a Wellness Consultant with TRUESTAR Health, home of the Leading Online Healthy Lifestyle Resource, the #1 Ranked vitamins and natural supplements.  I first began with this company, working as a Personal Health Advisor, in 2006, when they operated within various retail locations.  I coached people through their journeys to better health, using the TRUESTAR system, combined with my own Personal Training services.  It was all I could ask for, and some.  I was doing what I loved.  I never worked a minute.  I simply got to spend time clients, sharing my knowledge, learn something new every day, and change lives.  It was amazing to have seen 100’s of committed individuals pushing through to weight-loss victories, amazing bodies, lives transformed.

There was especially one client I adored working with.  She was the Student every coach dreams of.   I will call her Kathy to respect her privacy.  I remember Kathy first coming in to our initial consultation, with all her 4’9, meaning business like I have never seen anyone before.  She signed up for my biggest packages in everything.  She was hungry.  She knew what she wanted; she was focused, open, willing, and ready to go.  Her and I had a 42-week contract.  She never missed a beat.  She never whined.  She was always grateful.  She was honest, and very open.  She shared her struggles, her joys; she shared what she could not shake, her fears and more.  She started to come alive.

Besides all the above, she worked HARD!!!!!  She showed up ready, she trusted.  She changed her life; she also lost 50 lbs.  My favorite part, as I am such a girl and stylist, I started to see her changing her outfits.  She started wearing skirts and more feminine pieces, not to mention her sweet smile of joy, and eyes of sparkle became permanent on her face.  There was so much gratitude, and the strength that can only come from KNOWING she had earned it.  As the fruits of her effort unfolded, she never stopped going for it.  This woman was unbelievable.

I had to I relocate, end that line of work, and leave my clientele behind.  My prime focus became my Private Personal Training business catering to high level performers and executives stay at home wives and mommies.  This transition, while exciting, made it difficult to part from my clients, and friendships.  I had no access to company database, hence I always wondered and missed many of my besties from the past :)

Fast Forward to 2012, February 25, 2012.  I am still a TRUESTAR Girl, and represent the best of the best, as a Wellness Consultant.  After the Saturday morning training + meeting, I had an inner push to call my mother and suggest a visit.  She wanted to meet with me mid-way, but something told me to drive out ‘to’ her farm.  It was a gorgeous Sunny winter afternoon, and I love visiting the country on a day like that.  It is like God was talking to me all while driving, I was listening to a book on audio, that seemed to have guided this entire drive and experience.

As a personal note, I am a book warm, I love to read and listen to books.  I love to learn and spend a ton of time on bettering myself, also to work on my command of the English language.  During my drive, I was listening to my latest and greatest find, which was really an almost divine slap on my face, as I was not getting the first gentle nudges, that tried to guide me to read it.  Enter SPIRIT JUNKIE--a hip new book, I was guided to get my hands on through audible.  I soaked it up ip in two days.  It was clearly ‘for me’ and for ‘a purpose’ unknown to me at the time of my purchase.  The book is based on A Course in Miracles (ACIM), a self-study curriculum that aims to assist its readers in achieving spiritual transformation.  I have been wishing to own a copy of ACIM for long, but could never put my hands on it.

As I arrived to the country, I was filled with peace.  The book I was listening to, SPIRIT JUNKIE, was really getting into those dark areas of my psyche that, needed to be opened. 

I am known to, what I call, ‘clever-task.’  I do not like sitting, not to mention, work, in one place.  Over time, I learned to get my work done wherever I happened to fancy positioning my yogic behind.  Since I am usually on the go, my tasks get done in creative ways. 

As I arrived to my mom’s farm, I had a couple of conference calls to attend to.  While waiting on these, and mom to get ready, I got online to see, if the local bookstore may have carried ACIM.  They did; I put it on hold.  As a side note, both ACIM and SPIRIT JUNKIE had been books I was nudged about, since I first learned of them.  I ignored all of these of course, until these nudges, and the circumstances of acquiring them, became too clear and inevitable.

When mom and I finally got back into the city, we had a plan where we would go first etc.  I wanted to pick up my book, ACIM, so that was first (seriously, can I be more of a child).  While at the store, I also wanted to pick up the current book I was listening to, in paperback (when I love a book a lot, I do this).  As I looked for my prey on the shelves, without success, I turned to walk towards the computers to do a search, and get myself properly allocated.  As I begin to make my way to the computer, I spotted a short lady, in store uniform.  I recognized the face, the glasses.  I knew her, but have not yet registered the identity.  Then it was clear, it was she; the one I never forgot, the face I have missed for 5 years.  The client I always remembered with so much gratitude, Kathy!!!  I could not believe my eyes.  We got excited, caught up.  She also met my mom, told her about our amazing journey together (FYI, my mom still thinks I do a cross between aerobics in pastel spandex, Jane Fonda style, mixed with some yogic moves). 

Kathy briefly shared her personal struggle and frustration since we parted ways.  I.e. how she did not find inspiration, nor support in the people who came after me.  Her body also took another downward spiral.  We re-established contact, and became beyond eager to reconnect and embark once again on a new journey to self-love, and multi-dimensional transformation.  Just before we parted, after all she was at work…oups, I asked her to assist me finding the book I wanted to get, SPIRIT JUNKIE, one of the ‘reasons’ I went in there.  Kathy, also felt the same book calling to her, and she put a copy aside for herself as well.

As mom and I left the bookstore, I had an uneasy pinch of the minus 14-Celsius outside. I suggested a coffee break.  While in line at the cafe, a lady, who stood in line, overheard our admiration of the gorgeous cakes and desserts.  We started talking and instantly clicked.  A short conversation of caloric-guilt, quickly lead to an exchange on weight loss, what I do, and of course TRUESTAR Health.  My new friend, Amy, emphasized that, ‘her ways’ were different from the conventional.  I.e. she saw body transformation as having a strong spiritual basis.  I pointed at the blue book in my hand.  We locked eyes; we both knew we were ‘meant to meet.’  Amy left to sit with her cupcake, we also took our spot.  In a few minutes, Amy tapped my shoulder.  She came over on her way out, to ensure she’d given me her name, also, affirming that, she would look forward to reconnecting and embarking on a quest of working on her spirit and body with me.

Mom and I continued our afternoon, and ended up at a COSTCO.  Of course no Saturday afternoon with mom would be complete without COSTCO :)   As we filled our cart, another TRUESTAR blast from the past, another Monika + Past client Reunion, praising the fruitful work of the past, to mom, who at this point was beaming like a light ball, still picturing her daughter in pastel purple spandex doing the grape-wine, popping the TRUESTAR vitamins. 

It was an unplanned day filled with miracles; or was it?  Were the events shared really miracles, or merely life’s summoning of itself into existence, uninterrupted? i.e. as it happens, when we step out of our own way?  I finished listening to SPIRIT JUNKIE by the time I made it home that evening.  Looking back, it was so clear to me, based on the story the author shared that, everything that, I had experienced, beyond TRUESTAR, SPIRIT JUNKIE, ACIM, have been life’s ways, to get me to where I had been heading all these years.  The lessons, the struggles, the nudges, the slaps, the joys, the sorrows, the losses, the rebirths have all served a purpose to, and of, this point.  It all began many years ago, when I was an over-weight teenager...

The body is a journey of mysteries.  What you do with it is up to you; accept assistance on your way from spirit, a coach, who can easily become a close friend and mentor you will guide you on this journey, and so much more…

PS – always leave room for miracles…..

Has God Gained Weight Lately?

I had a life-changing experience yesterday.  It is too complex to share right now.  I will at some point :)  For now, the jest of it IS this: when you are WILL-ing to be and act from where you are most vulnerable, and you are WILL-ing to surrender to your experience of this truth, you WILL be heard by the Universe in full.  The right people, forces, influences, energies WILL align for you; along with all that you need, at the exact time, to propel you forth in the RIGHT direction, for your greatest good, that will also serve the Universe at the highest level.

The only condition is that, you must remain attached to your desired experience, that, which feels RIGHT at your core--all while remaining completely DEtached from what the outcome would look like.  Such Magic occurred yesterday.   Instead of the tides, circumstances, I have been seemingly fighting against, that really wore me out, put me out of my element, and only increased my insecurities and fears, I surrendered, and went with a decision, completely unlikely of the former, and I found open doors.  I found kindness, light, and open arms of support in my purpose.  What is more, the first thing this morning, I opened my eyes to an email, in response to all this.  So many details paving me a new path to step on and follow

I let go, I let God.  I opened without, even realizing at the time, to something that was unknown, subtle, gentle, yet powerful and beautiful; and it answered.

As I contemplated this morning, I could not help but burst out laughing, wondering if God had gained weight lately?  You can tell I am a living example of what I teach at the physical realms.  I pictured God with slight love handles.  I.e. when we watch great movies, we are likely snacking on something comforting at the same time.  If we do this too much, too often, without counter balancing the habit, we can, and likely will, gain a little extra weight.  I imagined God watching our human movies, while snacking, and being amused.  The 'independent' busy-bees, wanting to make it all happen on our own, working hard to prove it to the world, and to every one else, that we can, and WIL do it alone...on our own; needing nothing or no one.  I also think it is funny; we all do it.

Take with you this from my above ramble: TRUST that in your heart, in your purest, most sincere connection to what your own definition is of God, it is there with you, it is One with you.  You are One with the greatest Perfection and most lively force of your existence.  Let this be.  Marry this force.  Marry the best in you, so you can and are ONE, with it all.   Let this beautiful force drive you up every day to the best you can be, do, and have, and experience.

*ALL OR NOTHING*

*ALL OR NOTHING* thinking IS your GREATEST enemy wrt your diet/indulgences  during this 'week before Christmas.'   You know, the "I will not have lunch, so I can have dessert, and wine at the office party."  Or the, I will skip breakfast, to "save room for dessert,"  and there are many creative ways we can come up with to mess up our hormonal balance, and physiological responses.

To really have a good time, which you should, and don't worry about 2012 for now either, just REALLY be HERE in the NOW, here are a few simple things to help you:
*Eat breakfast + take your VITAMINS every morning
*Keep eating small meals every few hours, that are balanced with CARB/PRO/FAT in each of them
*Drink 2-4 L of water every day

This way you take charge of your hormones, your cravings, and how you feel.  In turn, your experiences ARE going to be [much more] enjoyable, and full of awareness in, and of the season, as it should be :)

To leave you on a positive note wrt the idea of  *ALL OR NOTHING* , check out this video, one of my fav's:

84 /90 Mission 'YOUR 2011 Christmas Six-Pack'

‎84 /90  of  Mission 'YOUR 2011 Christmas Six-Pack'

One last week, I can’t believe we came THIS far, all together, almost 13 full weeks!!!!!  I am so grateful for you, my role models and inspirations and followers and friends.... my first group of contenders.  I want this week to really go WELL for you.  First things first; if you have not already done so, sign up for a FREE profile on TRUESTAR: http://TRUESTAR.TV where I want you to create your own customized NUTRITION plan or DIET for this week.  

This is important to ensure you get to Christmas feeling GREAT, so that you CAN and WILL enjoy your dinners, brunches etc, together with friends, family, loved ones etc.  All while not stressing about calories, not feeling guilty, nothing like that; only pure enjoyment. This is how it will work.

When you sign up for your FREE profile on http://TRUESTAR.TV  and create your own customized NUTRITION plan or DIET for this week, you will see that there will be dozens of options for fast, nutritious, perfectly balanced breakfast options. I want you to ZONE in on these. You know this by now that the stronger the start to your day the stronger the finish, and the stronger each following day WILL be.   Make sure this week, besides waking up 30 minutes earlier for that power workout, you have breakfast.  This will balance out your energy and blood sugar level, and when you get to face the cookies and other festive temptations you will be able to say ‘no’ to them, or simply have just a bite or few, to taste, not to over indulge.  Hormonally balanced meals ARE the key to success in the body game….  More next year, we are not stopping here.

Beat the week, before it beats you.  You have all you need.  Enjoy this week!!

Love love love…..

Monika

Day 50/90 Mission 'YOUR 2011 Christmas Six-Pack'

50/90  of the Mission 'YOUR 2011 Christmas Six-Pack'

Sugars

With the weather cooling down, we are naturally more drawn to sugary foods for comfort and quick energy.  Which, is most cases, is not so smart.  In addition to causing weight gain, refined flours and sugars can suppress immune-system function. Ie. with flus and colds being more frequent in the air, indulging in more white sugar (cookies, pop, candy, etc.), you're creating the perfect environment for illness to strike.  

Turn to naturally occurring sugars found in fruit for some sweetness.  If you crave chocolate, go for dark chocolate(minimum 70 per cent cocoa), which contains plant phenols that have been shown to lower blood pressure. Cut up squares and store them in your freezer.  Grab one or two when you need a sweet treat.

Even better, try TRUELean Extreme, the Multi Vitamin & Mineral formula, that also supports weight & fat-loss, controls cravings, supports metabolism, so you are *armed* in the face of all temptations-with an edge :)

xo

Monika

Day 45/90 Mission 'YOUR 2011 Christmas Six-Pack'

45/90  of the Mission 'YOUR 2011 Christmas Six-Pack'

‎This is the 45th day, and we are officially at the mid-point. How is it going so far?  Are you on track, ahead, behind, where you want to be?

This is the perfect time to reassess where you are right now, refine, or redefine the goal at the end point, and see what the steps need to be taken, to get from NOW to day 90, and achieve the goals you set for yourself.  

Please make great use of the World's #1 ranked Fitness and Healthy Lifestyle website, Truestar Health, and create customized meal, exercise, supplement, even attitude, and sleep plans, to ensure you will be completely set on the next 6 weeks. 

Are you still in it to win it? I sure hope so. Because...
nothing has changed.....

xo

Monika

Food A B U S E

Food abuse, this is a new almost trend we see daily, almost every piece of media will cover it in one form or another. What is it?  Well, any and all for of MISUSE of food-as the term is used nowadays.

As usual, let me come in a little stronger and louder.  Do you know WHO initiated the misuse of foods in the first place, who help us create our own forms of FOOD abuse?  The FOOD companies, the same people we trust to make our foods.  Want proof?  Open your refrigerator, look at the cereal box/bag, pull out the frozen dinner, even the 'ready to eat, frozen oatmeal breakfast' counts.  Look at the ingredient list.  How many of those items can you actually comprehend?  Let alone those you can pronounce and relate to, as to where those may be coming from? Not many.

While food manufacturers control what you will to be putting on your table to a large part, you are the one who actually makes the final decision.  Only purchase from manufacturers you ca trust.  Support your local farmers, and agricultures.  Visit sites, research to ensure even these people take pride and stand behind their products and produce.  Support life, put an end to food abuse. It is your job, it is mine, it is  OUR job.  Stop eating yourself to illness and old age.  Start eating for real, start eating for life, for wellness.  Eat mindfully, eat fresh, and wholesome, and abuse-free foods.  Eat for Life!

xo
Monika

Exercise + Diet

Exercise + Diet = Happiness + Wellness

What if, you substituted the word Exercise for Movement, and Diet for Eating.  It feels so much more attainable, and doable, doesn't it?  It is our nature to do both.  Take the pressure off, daily commit to:

-Movement, and, get up daily, and do a little more than you think you should

-Eating, choose a little wiser than you KNOW you DO.

That is it.

We need to do both, it is our nature--with better quality choices !

52 weeks of bodily bliss, week 30: its a G thing

I love water. I love ice cold filtered water. I make ice cubes out of filtered water too. Hence it is an intrigue to make water interesting and even more healthy than it is...


One of my newest finds to spice up water,is ginger. It definitely is a new obsession :) The G-Goodness goes even further than to spice up water. 


Not only is ginger rich in potassium, magnesium, copper, manganese and vitamin B6. Ginger is also known to be a great GI remedy, a potent anti cancer and anti inflammatory aid, and a very powerful antioxidant.


A simple and delicious way to enjoy ginger: ginger tea. Buy fresh organic roots for this of course. After washing the roots, peel if preferred, slice them or cut them to large pieces. In a large pot of water bring to boil and allow for the tea to cool. Move the tea into a nice glass pitcher or other water container, place to the fridge over night. Enjoy in place of water, or as a replacement to lemonade on the hot summer days.

Cheers!

xo
Monika

52 weeks of bodily bliss, week 28: jUST wALK aWAY

A very simple tool to use to help gauge what goes into your body is through portion control. In North America, we have a very distorted idea of what a serving of starch, protein, not to mention fat would be. For example, when we hear a handful of almonds for snack, how big of a handful are we just talking about? Believe me, it is not a very big one ...


Eating is a numbers game:calories - beyond the taste and nutritional make up. Hence, it can be a varying learning curve, person to person, to get comfortable with it, and be able to use it 'for' us...not against.


My recommendation is to get a great book as a reference tool. Or, work with a professional over a few sessions of basic nutritional counseling, to build the proper foundation of nutrition, and build your castle of physical perfection, from there. For starters that anyone can adopt right now is getting used to walking away from our plates while there is still food on it. This way, it is a definite step towards scraping off excess calories, that would otherwise end up stored. And lets face it even the smartest SPANX designs cant hide the unwanted inches as well as not wearing them in the first place.
Walk away from your plate knowing you are doing that much more for you and celebrate your wellness all around.
xo
Monika

52 weeks of bodily bliss, week 26: quicky on salads

Most people believe that ALL salads are healthy meals.
NOT so fast !!!!

Use caution when choosing your salad.  Adding croutons, cheese, eggs, nuts, fried meat and high calorie/creamy/oily dressing will transform a salad from a healthy meal, to a high fat, high calorie, unhealthy, FAST-FOOD-like, meal.