Firstly, what’s a mentor? A mentor is a person who provides you with the tools, guidance, support, and feedback you need to thrive in your career.

Being surrounded by people who will help you to move forward when feeling stuck, who will encourage you and hold you accountable, is a key choice for your success. They can somewhat upgrade your thinking and take you to a higher level in a much faster way than you would do on your own. How do I know? Because I have been there, I have experienced that, I speak from my own experience both as a mentee and as a mentor.

I define mentoring as a professional relationship in which an experienced person (the mentor) assists a less-experienced person (the mentee) in transforming on a personal and professional level. A mentor is someone who has been there and done it. They have experience in the area you are looking to grow in and have previously solved the challenge you want to solve.

If you asked me who my mentor is, I could name at least 10 people who transformed my thinking with their stories, ideas, careers, and actions. But if I had to choose only one mentor in life, I would choose a book. I am still fascinated by how much you can change by reading a book. People who might have been the best mentors in the world are not among us anymore, books carry decades and centuries of knowledge and wisdom. For example, Socrates said, “Employ your time in improving yourself by other men’s writings so that you shall come easily by what others have laboured hard for.”

Here are some best books, in my opinion, for those who want to grow personally as well as professionally. The most influential mentors in my life include Tony Robbins – Awaken the Giant Within, Marisa Peer – I Am Enough, Dale Carnegie – How to Win Friends and Influence People, Louise Hay – You Can Heal Your Life, and Chris and Karene Lambert-Gorwyn – Grow Your Heart Centered Business. These mentors have taught me how to get crystal clear on what I want in my life.

Invest in yourself! How?

Dedicate at least 30 minutes a day for reading. I prefer to read right after waking up for 30 minutes just because it allows me to get creative into the thinking, after reading I get a sense of achievement and inspiration.

You can tell me smart is not sexy but talking to an attractive person who is also smart and knowledgeable, curious and willing to learn, is very sexy, isn’t it? Knowledge breeds confidence, and it is probably the most important difference between successful and unsuccessful people.

If you read about successful people, you become smarter and ready to grow more.

In conclusion, books allow us to receive information through the lenses of the author and compare that mindset to our personal experiences. Reading expands our viewpoints, our beliefs, and our knowledge. It allows us to sample a variety of topics and tailor learning to our unique circumstances and style.

A book is the wisest investment in yourself, it opens your mind, widens your perspective, and inspires you to take action. Just a single idea in that book can change your life.

The post Can a Book Be a Mentor? appeared first on Lenka Pagan.

Let’s look at two of these patterns that control and can immediately shift our level of joy, happiness, frustration, anger, stress, or fulfillment.

The first question is: Which do you tend to focus on more – what you have or what’s missing from your life? Rather than focusing on what we don’t have we should acknowledge that there is so much to be grateful for in our lives that has nothing to do with money.

We can be grateful for our health, our friends, our opportunities, our minds, and the fact that we are alive. Where do you tend to put your focus? On what you have or on what is missing? A pattern of appreciating what you have will create a new level of emotional well-being and wealth. Do you take time to deeply feel grateful in your mind, body, heart, and soul? That’s where the joy and the gifts will be found.

Here is the second pattern of focus that impacts the quality of your life. Do you tend to focus more on what you can control or what you can’t control? What do you tend to do more of? Be honest. If you focus on what you can’t control, there is no question you are going to have more stress in your life. Yes, we can influence many things, but we can’t control them. The more we feel out of control, the more frustrated we become. In fact, self-esteem can be measured by how much we feel we control the events in our life versus feeling that life’s events are controlling us.

Did you know that questions control your focus? The questions you ask yourself control what you focus on. But often people ask wrong questions like “What’s wrong with me? Or why is this happening to me? Why me? “If you ask a lousy question, you get a lousy answer. Rather ask: “How can I get it right? How can I resolve it? How can I make the world a better place?”

Questions are the controlling force of your thinking, and your thinking directs what you focus on. And what you focus on, you feel. So, whatever you focus on, you will receive.

Take control of your life. Choose consciously and wisely. Find the empowering meaning, and wealth in its deepest sense will be yours today!

The post WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO FOCUS ON? appeared first on Lenka Pagan.

I want you to open your mouth and take a nice slow breath in. Do you feel how drying that is? Doesn’t it make you cough? Now, close your mouth and take a breath in through your nose. You see, no dryness!

People often think that if they get a ton of air into their body that will somehow make them great communicators. But it’s not the case! You can get all the air you want into your lungs, but that doesn’t make you a great communicator. What is more important to learn how to send air out of your mouth. So let me show you how to do that. It is called DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATHING or also named deep breathing or simply just belly breathing.

There are many advantages to learning diaphragmatic breathing.

The technique:

• Lowers heart rate and blood pressure.
• Decreases muscle tension.
• Increases blood oxygenation.
• Brings warmth to the hands and feet.
• Increases energy and motivation.
• Improves concentration.
• Strengthens the immune system.
• Reduces stress hormones.
• Activates the body’s relaxation response (and reverses the stress response)
• Can be easily implemented, requiring no medication or cost.

How brilliant is that! By the way, posture matters, because we live in a world where people are just slumping over all the time. And when you round over your shoulders you are blocking air into the lungs because your ribcage is in the way! So, please sit up straight in your chair, chest up and shoulders back and down.

Now, I want you to learn to breathe in through your nose and pretend that you have a balloon in your abdomen. In and out…Breathe in and say “Lenka only wants me to speak when my abdomen is coming back in!” Now do it again. Breathe in through your nose and pretend you have a balloon and say “Lenka only wants me to speak when my abdomen is coming back in!”

If you did that, you would be sending the perfect amount of air out of your lungs to the vocal cords and then out of your body, and it really would be a gift. But most people are holding their stomach tight and then they are basically holding their breath and tension and will not get the right projection!

The breath is the basis for everything that happens in your life. Without breath we are dead. Yet many people never know how to breathe while they are alive. Not you! You now know!

Just go back to the way you were born! Breathe in through your nose into your belly and you will never lose your voice again! :-}

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The Brynmawr farm is located in beautiful and very peaceful countryside near the Welch border up in Shropshire. The nearest town was Newtown in Wales, and it takes about half an hour to get there by car. There was no bus connection and no shops around the farm. And when walking away from the farm, there was no vehicle passing by for 30 minutes or more, so imagine how quiet it was there.

This is the first time I experienced working on a large commercial animal farm with over 200 sheep and over 200 lambs and lots of cows. I was responsible for bringing the ewes with their newborns into the pens, bottle-feeding lambs, and feeding ewes in the “maternity ward”. It was a great experience to watch lambing and assist if needed, but sometimes I found it very emotional when some lambs got ill, or even died.

I was also responsible for feeding, letting out, and closing hens, and feeding cattle, cows, a dog, and a cat. I also enjoyed some gardening outside and in the polytunnel. I loved the fresh organic produce we could help ourselves to pick for our nutritious organic meals every day.

My 13-year-old son Lucas joined me to stay on the farm for the second week and did some gardening with me and helped the farmers Trevor and Paul with fence laying as well as other farm duties. We were accommodated in a lovely eco-house made of straws and clay and I must say this was the nicest and cleanest farm accommodation we ever stayed in! I also enjoyed chatting with new guests who stayed in eco holiday lets on the farm.

Trevor, the farmer, and the host, is a kind, friendly, and very active man for his age, over seventy. His son Paul, his daughters, and Trevor’s grandchildren are all very knowledgeable and skillful when it comes to farm life. Lucas and I learned a lot from them all.

In conclusion, this was our fourth working experience on an organic farm. We went with the intention of learning about animal care, gardening, spending time outside and also taking a break from the online world.

Working and living on an organic farm is a great opportunity for yourself, and your family to have an adventurous holiday where you make great memories. We certainly enjoyed it and already have booked another adventure in Devon.

I can highly recommend it to you too! If you want to get a digital detox, meet like-minded people, and gain knowledge of organic gardening and animal care then why not try this adventure as your next holiday? Ask me, if you need more info, I am happy to advise and recommend some farms for you.

The post Working holiday on organic farm appeared first on Lenka Pagan.

Here are some things that you might not know yet, for example, your voice was not designed for you! Here is an example. If I want to talk to myself, I don’t have to open my mouth. I don’t have to let sound come out! I am going to tell myself a joke right now! Ha, ha, that was a funny joke! But when you do open your mouth, sound travels away from you in the form of invisible sound waves. And when the sound waves reach people that are listening, their brains interpret those sound waves into thoughts, emotions, and memories.

The pitch, tone, pace, volume, and what you are doing with your body while you are making those sounds are far more important than words! You can have all the perfect words, but most people won’t remember what you said, but what they might remember is how you made them feel.

A lot of people speak on the same note, over and over, this is called monotone. And you are saying, “Lenka, I would never do that. I never speak on the same note over and over”. But when you do, the listeners think they know what you are going to say and that you are boring, and they simply disconnect from you. You have to mix it up with some melody!

It is really simple! There are only 3 directions you can go. I can be walking up the stairs, from a low note to a higher note, then I am going to walk down the stairs and now I am going to stay on the landing. Most people are really good at standing on the landing! When you go from a low note to a high note, that is called an ascending scale, and it makes people happy!

Now, try this little exercise to vary your pitch and say it with a smile, higher pitch, and using gestures, “I really love yoga!” As opposed to “I really love yoga”, which you say with a lower pitch, no smile, no gestures… And the same here again, “I love you so much!”, and here again as opposed to “I love you so much” Can you feel, hear and see the difference? The same words, yet a different result.

Spend more time walking up the steps because it makes people happy! And spend less time walking down the steps because it makes people sad. And spend far less time standing on the landing!

The conclusion is, you know now that your voice is the most powerful communication tool that you possess. You need to think about it and use it differently. Remember, the pitch, tone, volume, pace, and what you are doing with your body are very, very important when communicating and it also makes you more interesting to listen to.

The post YOUR VOICE IS YOUR PERSONAL BRAND appeared first on Lenka Pagan.

Why did I join TMs? Probably, just like most of the members, to gain confidence and effective communication skills in public, learn how to craft a speech, and also increase my listening skills. I had fun taking part in nearly all club roles. I enjoy evaluating speakers, impromptu speaking in Table Topics and even taking a Toastmaster for the day role. However, I did not enjoy much timekeeper and grammarian roles.

My first year in the club was passive, super slow progress as our meetings were only delivered online on Zoom due to the Pandemic, and to be honest I did not enjoy Zoom meetings as much as I do now in person. Why? My listening skills were bad at that time, and I did not pay attention to speeches online and there were some occasions I had my camera off in meetings as I was cooking, writing emails, or doing other things instead.

Then, after the lockdown was over, I attended meetings at Burlington hotel in Worthing and things started to go so much faster for me …I have taken various club roles and delivered speeches every month as I simply wanted to wake up from the passive mode and make the best out of my membership. My listening skills developed to the point that I now listen to all speeches and pay attention to others in meetings.

I also took a part in club competitions 3x times. Last year in Table Topics, and the year before in International Speech, and just recently in Evaluation. I did not win yet but it was a good experience. I have also tried various international online clubs in Las Vegas, USA – Sydney, Australia – Dublin, Ireland – Prague, Czech Republic, and Budapest, Hungary. The Las Vegas club I attended for a couple of months as I found it very helpful.

In our club, listening to the evaluation of other speakers was incredibly informative. I personally, enjoy receiving feedback/evaluation from club members after I deliver a speech and I keep all the received feedback slips. All the feedback I have received was suggestions of things to improve. So, I listened and hopefully improved them such as gestures, eye contact, pausing, speech structure, stronger opening, and conclusion…Impromptu speaking was something I was so fearful of, but no more now I actually like it now.

I have learned a lot from the online Pathways programme, there is some useful information that can help you not only with the speech for that stage, but the information is also transferable to your life outside of Toastmasters.

My Mentor is lovely Cecily B., and she has been a real help on my journey, she supported me not only in the club but also outside of the club either as my evaluator or simply as a supporter or observer in my speech delivery. Cecily, thank you, for all your wonderful advice and guidance.

What would I suggest to new Toastmasters? Do speeches, try various club roles, enter competitions, visit other clubs and, of course, the more you do the better you become at it. The more you expose yourself, the more your confidence increases. Everyone gets stage fright. Embrace it and make it work for you or it will work against you.

In conclusion, I changed so much since I joined Toastmasters, and in so many ways that I could never imagine. I certainly gained more confidence, and now I am able to speak in front of people without being too nervous or sweating too much like I used to do before.

Delivering speech after speech, I realized I needed less training and preparation. And when you have confidence in yourself, then everything in life looks easier. My overall perception of my growth as a Public Speaker and a Leader in my own business has definitely changed in 2 years. I may not be there yet, but I am certainly closer than I was yesterday.

I couldn’t have done it without my club’s wonderful support, understanding, and friendship! I highly recommend Toastmasters club to anyone seeking to improve their speaking/listening skills as you can gain those and so much more!

The post Sharing my Toastmaster’s journey appeared first on Lenka Pagan.

Eye Problems

Two of the most complex organs of the body, the eyes, provide us with instantaneous visual feedback of the world around us.

Eye disturbances can be a symptom of disease elsewhere in the body. Watery eyes, for example, can be a symptom of the common cold. A thyroid problem may be indicated by protruding or bulging eyes and reading difficulties. Dark circles under the eyes and eyes that are red, swollen and/or watery may indicate allergies. Yellowing of the eyes from jaundice can be a sign of hepatitis, gallbladder disease or gallstone blockage. Droopy eyes are often an early sign of myasthenia gravis, a disorder in which the eye muscles weaken. A drastic difference in the sizes of the pupils can indicate a tumour somewhere in the body, whereas high blood pressure and diabetes may manifest themselves in periodic blurring of vision.

Recommendations

• Drink fresh carrot juice. This can help to prevent or alleviate some eye problems.
• Eliminate refined/white sugar and white flour from your diet.
• Herbs such as bilberry extract has been shown to improve both normal and night vision. Bayberry bark, cayenne (capsicum), and red raspberry leaves, taken by mouth, are beneficial.
• If you wear glasses, wear clear spectacles that have been treated to keep out ultraviolet rays. This will help protect against damage from ultraviolet exposure. Avoid wearing tinted eyeglasses for this purpose, especially on a regular basis as dark glasses prevent needed light from entering the eyes. The functioning of the pineal gland, which plays an important role in the regulation of metabolism, behaviour, and physiological functions, is largely governed by sunlight.
• Be careful when using drugs, whether prescription or over the counter. Some may cause eye problems. Drugs that can cause damage to the optic nerve, retina, or other vital parts of the eye include the following: Aspirin, Corticosteroids, Marihuana, Nicotinic acid (niacin) if used for long periods, Diuretics, Antihistamines, and digitals preparations can cause disturbances in colour distinction.

Considerations

• The combination of nicotine, sugar, and caffeine may temporarily affect vision.
• According to ophthalmologist (medical doctor, eye specialist) and author Dr Gary Price Todd use of margarine and vegetable shortening is dangerous for those with certain eye disorders.
• People who work at computers every day are at risk for eyestrain, headaches, blurred vision, dry or irritated eyes, sensitivity to light, double vision and after images.
• Zinc may help reduce vision loss because it is a factor in the metabolic functioning of several enzymes in the chorioretinal complex. Never take more than 100 milligrams daily.
• People who wear contact lenses need to take precautions against eye damage because of the increased risk of injury and infection associated with them.

Many cases of eye damage and vision loss are linked to underlying diseases of one type or another. High blood pressure produces a gradual thickening of the blood vessels inside the eyes that can result in visual impairment and even blindness. Early cataracts may be related to diabetes. Other factors linked to declining eyesight include too much sun exposure, poor nutrition, exposure to tobacco smoke or other pollutants, and dehydration.

Eyestrain

Eyestrain causes a dull, aching sensation around and behind the eyes that can expand into a generalized headache. It may feel painful or fatiguing to focus your eyes. Eyestrain is commonly a result of overuse of the eyes for activities requiring close, precise focus, such as reading or computer work.

Recommendations

• Lie down, close your eyes, and place a cold compress over your eyes. Relax for 10 minutes or longer, replacing the compress with a fresh one as necessary. This often helps to alleviate discomfort. You can also try using a wet tea bag or cold cucumber slices. The cold shrinks the swollen blood vessels.
• Take measures to avoid eyestrain. Try to vary your tasks so that your eyes change focusing distance every so often. When doing close work for prolonged periods take periodic focus breaks. Every 20 minutes or so, look away from your work and focus your eyes on something in the distance for a minute or two.
• If you work with computers for long periods of time, take a 5- or 10-minute break every hour. Focus on distant objects as often as possible.
• Get sufficient sleep. Fatigue promotes eyestrain.
• Take quality supplements vitamin A and lutein (needed for all eye disorders) and vitamin B complex (helps to alleviate eye fatigue).

Like all other parts of the body, the eyes need to be nourished properly. Proper eye care includes a healthy diet containing the proper amounts of vitamins A, B, C, E and the minerals selenium and zinc. Fresh fruits and vegetables are good sources of these vitamins and minerals, especially yellow and yellow-orange foods such as carrots, yams, sweet potatoes, squash, pumpkin, cantaloupe and also cauliflower, broccoli, raw cabbage, sunflower seeds, and watercress. A well-balanced diet with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables can help keep your eyes healthy.

Source: Prescription for Nutritional Healing by Phyllis A. Balch, CNC

The post How to Improve Eyesight Naturally appeared first on Lenka Pagan.

Eyesight Problems – Hazy vision, difficulty in reading, tired eyes, and headaches are all types of eyesight problems. They may be the result of vision problems, high blood pressure, and eyestrain, among other factors.

Treatment – Yoga Candle Gazing – is a beneficial yoga exercise for eyestrain.

Homeopathy – Consult a qualified practitioner/therapist – specific remedies to be taken for eyestrain include: Arnica when the muscles are tired.

The Bates Method – This is designed to strengthen the eye muscles and rectify vision problems as a natural alternative to wearing glasses. The Bates Method is a combination of relaxation and exercises to strengthen naturally the muscles that control each eye. It was devised by William Horatio Bates. Find out more in his book Better Eyesight Without Glasses.

Basic Bates Exercises –

• Splash the eyes alternatively with warm and cold water twice a day.
• Avoid staring and shift your sight constantly.
• Blink every ten seconds to lubricate the eye.
• Practice focusing on objects far and near.
• Stand and swing your body gently, letting the eyes move with the body.
• Remember particular objects. Bates believed that seeing objects in the mind’s eye helped the eyes to see the objects in reality.

Eye Muscle Exercises Help Save Sight

Most people do not realize the amount of influence they have over their eyesight. The ability to see is greatly dependent on how one uses and exercises their eyes. Like all the muscles in the body, the ones that control eyesight must be exercised in order to keep them supple and strong. Call it “vision maintenance.”

Modern life requires using the eyes in ways very different from those under which we evolved. Now we must make special choices in order to protect and maintain our natural vision.

The main reason we lose our vision, believe it or not, is literacy. Reading and writing are new skills in the scope of human evolution. During most of human evolution, our eyes were primarily used to gaze afar – to locate food, shelter, and threats to safety. When focusing off at a distance, the muscles that control the shape of the eye and the shape of the lens remain in a relatively natural and relaxed state.

However, in order to focus on something close, such as a book or a computer screen, the muscles that control the shape of the lens and the eye must contract. For brief periods of time, this reshaping of the eye tissues does not pose a problem. However, we now spend most of our time focusing on nearby objects such as books, papers, televisions, and computer screens. We place our eye muscles under constant tension for hours every day, causing a permanent distortion of the lens and the eyeball itself. Thus, vision deteriorates. To maintain or improve your natural vision, corrective lenses are not the answer as they cause damage to eye tissues.

By contrast, vision improvement techniques address the causes of vision problems. Losing your vision and wearing corrective lenses can often be avoided. You can learn eye exercises that prevent vision loss and improve vision after it is impaired also is possible. Vision maintenance techniques enhance the strength and flexibility of the muscles and tissues of the eye, improving focus and clarity of vision at any distance:

• When reading or working at a computer, occasionally take a minute to look out the window at a distant object, studying the details of that object. This activity allows the eye muscles to relax. (Blankly gazing out the window does not make eye tissues return to their natural shape, whereas focusing on distant details does.) Do this once every thirty minutes or so for about a minute at a time. The exercise takes very little effort and helps to preserve your vision.

• If you wear corrective lenses, be sure to take them off whenever they are not needed, thus giving your eyes an opportunity to work naturally, especially when you are outdoors where the eyes can also receive full-spectrum light.

Eyesight can be improved using natural vision improvement exercises. By regularly performing a series of simple exercises, most people can throw their glasses away. Meir Schneider’s Yoga for Your Eyes offers a complete program including a booklet, eye exercise chart, and a video teaching you how to improve your vision naturally. Meir Schneider was born without sight. He developed his own total approach to self-healing and used it to reverse his own blindness.

Source:

The Complete Family Guide to Alternative Medicine by C. Norman Shealy M.D. PhD

Never Be Sick Again by Raymond Francis, M.Sc.

The post How to improve our eyes naturally appeared first on Lenka Pagan.

In addition, to health problems, there are also ethical issues in the dairy industry. Not many people are aware that cows are continuously inseminated in order to produce milk and their babies are traumatically removed the next day after they are born.

What happens next to those scared baby calves?

If they are ‘lucky’, they are either castrated without anaesthetic and get to ‘live’ or in most cases, they are slaughtered.

What happens to the mother cow? 

She is slaughtered after just four pregnancies at the age of five when she would naturally live to around 25 years old! It’s sad, isn’t it? Can you imagine such horror? I cannot picture having four continuous pregnancies, each time having my baby taken away the day after it was born. How do you think it would feel to experience this four times in a row? We would be unlikely to perform well, both mentally and physically. Just writing this paragraph gives me goosebumps. I am so glad I do not eat dairy anymore due to those ethical and health reasons.

So, what do you drink instead of dairy?

There are plant-based kinds of milk made of rice, soya, almonds, hazelnuts, and hemp… In the past, I used it either for myself or as a follow-up milk for my son, packaged organic rice milk. I used it quite a lot as it is a healthier alternative to dairy milk, however, do not forget the fact that all boxed/packaged beverages are pasteurized/heated. The pasteurization process is based on the use of one of the following time and temperature relationships – High-Temperature Short-Time Treatment (HTST). This process uses higher heat for less time to kill pathogenic bacteria. For example, milk and juices are pasteurized at 161°F (72°C) for 15 seconds.

So, what is healthy milk?

The best choice is freshly made milk using raw (not salted, not roasted!) pre-soaked nuts or seeds as it contains high levels of vitamin E, calcium, protein, magnesium, potassium, iron, amino acids, zinc, essential fatty acids, and more. So it’s highly nutritious and tastes delicious!

What is the reason for pre-soaking nuts and seeds?

The reason for pre-soaking is to remove the enzyme inhibitors. What are they? The enzyme inhibitors prevent the nut/seed from breaking down before germinating in the soil.

They are difficult to digest by our bodies and cause us to feel bloated). Pre-soaking time of most nuts and seeds is about 6-8 hours to increase their nutritional value, you can also sprout them for an additional 12 or even 24 hours. Just make sure that you soak the nuts/seeds in water, rinse 2 times daily and discard the soaked water.

How do you get the milk out of the nuts?

All you need is a good blender and a strainer in a form of a nut milk bag or even a cheesecloth will work too. I now use Vitamix and I love it and cannot believe I lived so long without it! My big regret is that I did not get it much sooner. Especially at a time when my son was a baby/toddler as I could have made fresh nut milk and smoothies then, instead of buying packaged/boxed rice/soya milk.

If you can, please try to aim for quality, organically grown nuts and seeds as they are grown without pesticides and therefore have a higher nutritional content.

What is actually plant-based milk?

• Plant-based milk is so-called for its white dairy-like appearance and its similarity in taste and uses to cow’s milk.

• Plant-based milk freshly made is not the same (nutrition- and taste-wise) as pasteurized packaged milk.

• Plant-based milk is a great alternative to cow’s milk.

• Nut milk is made mainly from almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, and/or coconuts.

• Seed milk is a great replacement for people with nut allergies.

• Seed milk is made from hemp, sesame, or sunflower seeds.

• Nut milk makes a great base for ice cream.

• Freshly made nut milk, without anything added to them, is purely made from nuts and water. Likewise, seed milk only contains seeds and water. Nothing else. They are delicious drunk in this way, or you could add natural sweeteners or flavorings.

• Plant-based milk is very nutritious, filling, and delicious.

• Pure nut milk will keep for a few days in the fridge. Those with added fruit will go off quite quickly.

• Plant-based milk can be drunk on its own or by adding fruits. When doing so, as far as food combining goes – if you eat nuts and fruits together, they ferment in the stomach which can lead to you feeling bloated and gassy. Because the fiber is removed through a nut milk bag and the nuts are not whole but in a milk form, this is less likely to happen, or at least not as intensely. As well as nut and seed milk, you can also make milk from oats, rice, soya, and/or quinoa.

So, now you know why I don’t drink cow’s milk. After removing dairy completely from my diet, my health improved (better digestion, skin, and higher energy…). I hope you found this article helpful and perhaps inspiring. And if you are considering replacing dairy from your diet and do not know how to go about it, reach out, I am happy to advise.

Lenka

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The speech is called Social Speech – Praise an Individual.

“Tonight, I am going to talk about somebody who I feel should be praised. That somebody is a special person to me. Her name is Anita. Why am I praising her? Because she made the biggest impact in my life – she transformed my life and thanks to her, I am here.

When I met her, I was very ill and diagnosed with an incurable illness. Anita showed me another perspective on life, she offered a different solution to my health problems.

Through her knowledge, I gained clarity! She was confident that I will get well again after changing my diet and stopping using painkillers and toxic products for my body and my household.

I applied all her advice to my life and you know what – it worked! I recovered from my illness in just a few months and have not been ill since!

What my doctors and I thought was impossible to achieve before I met Anita – became possible and that was a huge realisation for me! I can’t be grateful enough to Anita for her invaluable advice, and for guiding me on my journey to great health. I am so grateful to her for transforming my health, my mindset, and my life.

This wonderful lady inspired me so much that I changed my entire career! I went to study management in Florida and wanted to work for a corporate company but instead, my passion became my profession where I inspire and motivate people, just like Anita. And I also believe that our health is the biggest wealth and to gain it, we need to protect it and look after it well.

So, I truly believe that people with – such a gift to humanity – deserve to be awarded, don’t you think?”

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Here are the ingredients:

1 package of firm tofu

50 -100 g natural sweetener of your choice

2 cm vanilla pod, scraped seeds or 2 tsp vanilla extract, optional

3 tbsp flour. Use buckwheat for the gluten-free version but otherwise, I like to use spelt, oat or wholewheat flour.

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1tsp grated lemon zest

Organic ingredients are always recommended.

Method:

Blend all cake ingredients until smooth in Vita-Mix, blender or food processor. Then pour into greased (I use coconut oil) cake form and bake in a preheated oven 180C for about 20-30 mins or until set. When baked, cool and refrigerate. You can serve it plain or with the following topping.

Topping:

200 g fresh fruit (I used raspberries), washed and green parts removed

1 tbsp agar flakes (sea vegetable gelling agent)

2 tbsp water

2 tbsp maple syrup or any natural sweetener.

Blend all topping ingredients until smooth in Vita-Mix, blender or food processor. Pour into a saucepan and cook until the mixture has thickened (about 5-10 mins). Taste for sweetness and add more maple syrup if needed. Pour the mixture over the cake and return it to the fridge to cool and let the topping set firmly before serving.

Enjoy and let me know how did it go! 

The post Berry Tofu Cheese Cake (vegan and gluten-free) appeared first on Lenka Pagan.

OK, firstly, let me introduce myself to you. My name is Lenka Pagan and I typically work with women in their 40s who have a bad relationship with food and can’t bear to look in the mirror. I transform their relationship with food and help them feel great, look amazing and sexy in a cocktail dress.

So, this was my elevator speech or also called Audio Logo which I use in networking. This is how networking works – you briefly introduce yourself by saying something about what you do and how you help people. And then you ask what the other person does, taking turns in communication and hopefully building a rapport and connections.

What are the personal benefits of networking?

Does anyone go to networking events or has been in the past? So, you probably experienced that networking improves interpersonal communication skills, increases confidence, and strengthens relationships, right?

Now, I would like to share with you a recent 2-day networking event called Speak and Shine I attended in the Millennium hotel in London. This was a special face-to-face event where I met over 40 health practitioners.

Can you imagine being in one room with like-minded people from all over the UK? I absolutely loved it; – I WAS IN HEAVEN! There were all self-employed health practitioners just like me such as nutritional therapists, yoga teachers, health coaches, osteopaths, physio, and massage therapists, to name just a few.

We did some skill swapping where I received a lovely back and foot treatment, and I gave some yoga and relaxation advice …again I really loved this part, loved this networking! I had some great conversations with people I have seen online but never met in person before and met new people.

We also learned how to present ourselves when networking. The posture and tone of your voice are super important. Do you agree?

Being successful at networking is a skill and also a powerful tool not just for business but it can be used in your social life too.

What is the takeaway? Breathe, chin up, stand straight, smile, don’t look at the phone, and network with a passion for what you do and who you are like a pro. And don’t forget to follow up because the fortune is in the follow-up!

Like everything else, it is all about the practice, the more you do it, the better you become.

I wish you to make amazing connections through networking!

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Here are 4 steps (out of many more) on how to go about it:

1. Fizzy drink is a liquid Satan, it is the devil! There is nothing in the fizzy drink that should be put into your body. For starters, fizzy drinks’ high levels of phosphorous can increase calcium loss from the body, as can its sodium and caffeine. You know what this means – bone loss, which may lead to osteoporosis. And the fizzy drink is loaded with sugar! No, don’t go patting yourself on the back if you drink only diet fizzy drinks. That stuff is even worse. Aspartame (an ingredient commonly found in diet fizzy drinks and other sugar-free foods) has been blamed for arthritis, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and multiple sclerosis – that was my diagnosis thanks to drinking fizzy drinks in the past.

2. Unless you are from Mars, you have heard about the “eight glasses of water a day”, haven’t you? Water is vital for keeping your body clean and detoxified. It literally flushes out all the crap and toxins your body stores from your horrendous diet. Drinking lots of water can help with the elimination process. If the taste of water bores you, try squeezing some lemon, lime, or some fruits such as strawberries or raspberries. Say goodbye to fizzy drinks and hello to a healthy body.

3. “Don’t talk to me until I have had my morning coffee.” Uhm, think how widely accepted it has become that people need coffee to wake up. If you can’t wake up without it, it’s because you are either addicted to caffeine, sleep-deprived, or a generally unhealthy slob. Caffeine is not heroin, and you will learn to live without it. Caffeine raises stress hormone levels, also it can cause headaches, digestive problems, constipation, fatigue, and more. But don’t go grabbing for the decaf. Coffee, whether regular or decaf, is highly acidic. Acidic foods cause your body to produce fat cells, in order to keep the acid away from your organs. If you enjoy an occasional cup of coffee, fine, but if you need it, give it up! A much better way to start the day is with a cup of caffeine-free herbal tea – organic, of course, just like I do. Or get a freshly squeezed organic juice for an instant jumpstart. Once you are off your caffeine addiction, you will get totally high from freshly squeezed juice.

4. Give up the idea that you can be sedentary and still lose weight. You need to exercise! Eating properly will dramatically improve your health, body and all aspects of your life. But you still have to move your ass! Exercise burns fat and calories, improves circulation, regulates pooping, builds strength, and detoxifies the body through sweating. Plus, working out tends to keep our junk food cravings and elephant appetites at bay.

This is not a diet. This is a way of life. Use your head, read labels and take excellent care of yourself. It is time to get healthy and skinny bitch! I love this book! It is such an eye-opener, I can highly recommend it to you.

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What is WWOOF? Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms. It is a worldwide movement with organic farmers who promote a cultural and educational exchange and build a global community conscious of ecological farming and sustainability practices.

WWOOF started 50 years ago and has grown from a small group in the 1970s to a worldwide community of hundreds of thousands of people today.

As a WWOOFer, you will participate in the daily life of your host, help on the farm, learn about sustainability, experience a new culture, meet new people, and receive free room and board during your stay.

WWOOFers spend their days living with the host family and learning about agro-ecological and sustainable farming methods through first-hand experience, with no money exchanged between hosts and WWOOFers.

As a member of WWOOF UK, you will be able to contact host farms in the UK and arrange WWOOF stays anywhere from a day, a weekend to a year if you like. Membership is valid for one year from the day you join. You can find more info here: https://wwoof.net/

So, now you have an idea what WWOOFing means, don’t you?

I travelled to the farm called Berrington Hall near Shrewsbury with my son Lucas and our bunny Louige this past Easter holiday and stayed two weeks. Although the journey was about 5 hours long and with some delays, combination of bus/train/underground – we managed it well!

This was our third WWOOFing experience. We went with the intention of learning gardening and foraging skills, spending time outside and also taking a break from the online world.

There was a variety of jobs to do depending on our skills and what we enjoyed doing. We did some seed planting, weeding, watering plants, preparing compost, digging, harvesting, cooking, washing dishes and even willow coppicing.  Usually, two people got together and cooked dinner on a wood-burning stove.

Everything from the beautiful setting, the house members, and their pantry was great! I have never seen a pantry like that before! It was like a health food shop. I loved it!

The tasks set were not overwhelming, and we had time to exe

rcise every morning and go for walks in the abundant gardens. Also, we took a bus trip to a nearby town of Shrewsbury and borrowed bikes to cycle in the countryside.

Spending a day, a week or more on a farm will change the way you see food. Food becomes a reward, not just something that comes from a supermarket. You can see here how daily care for plants is essential for producing a quality, healthy and delicious product. You might more likely waste less and eat a greater variety of foods.

WWOOFing is a great opportunity for yourself, your partner or your children to have an adventurous and free holiday where you make great memories. We certainly did and already have booked another adventure at the end of this month.

I can highly recommend it to you too! If you want to get a digital detox, meet like-minded people and gain knowledge of organic gardening then why not try WWOOFing as your next holiday!

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I define mentoring as a professional relationship in which an experienced person (the mentor) assists a less-experienced person (the mentee) in transforming on a personal and professional level. A mentor is someone who has been there and done it. They have experience in the area you are looking to grow in and have previously solved the challenge you are wanting to solve.

Not everything in my life has gone always smoothly but I have been fortunate enough to have great mentors who were willing to take me on and provide meaningful opportunities for growth. These mentors have taught me about what is important in my life.

Now, let me introduce to you one of them – my wonderful mentor Anita Koch who made the biggest impact in my life. She is a holistic health coach, successfully runs a Lifestyle Centre in North Carolina and has transformed the lives of thousands of people from all over the world. I can still recall the first meeting with Anita very clearly. It was at a chiropractic clinic in Florida, where we both lived many years ago, and where she was running health programmes.

At that time, I was very ill, desperate to get well and so confused about my illness and what I should or shouldn’t do. I believe that as a mentee you need to listen and trust your mentor and put things into action. I decided to join Anita’s programme and things started to change rapidly on weekly bases.

I also had the honour of meeting some of her other mentees who succeeded in a battle with illness, and I was totally blown away to hear such inspirational stories and that assured me that I was in good hands. I wanted to get well too and therefore I took all her advice seriously. I trusted her because I could see my progress from the early days.

Anita showed me another perspective on life, she offered a different solution to my health problems. Through her knowledge, I gained clarity. She also showed me how to live and keep a healthy lifestyle. She lent me some wonderful books about alternative health.

At that time many years ago, it was a new thing. She was confident that I will get well again after changing my diet and quitting some bad habits, such as taking painkillers and using harmful products.

She advised me on how to read food labels, how to identify good ingredients from the bad ones and how to prepare nourishing meals from scratch. I followed her advice, reorganized my kitchen, bought ethical products and applied all her teachings to my life. And I never looked back. I recovered from my illness in 3 months and have not been ill since.

Anita’s message “You don’t have to be sick!” had inspired me so much that I wanted to pass it on and transform people’s lives too. I arrived at Florida to study management and left a few years later as a completely new person and excited to further study health, nutrition and yoga.

You can imagine how much I am grateful to have met this wonderful person, my mentor Anita, who completely changed my life.

I suggest that all of you, lovely people, explore what area of your life could do with a mentor and work with him or her.

Enjoy the journey!

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Nothing is more frustrating than having a conversation with someone who doesn’t understand what you are saying! And believe me, as a foreigner, I went through this a lot! And it is even more frustrating when you speak the same language and yet you can’t understand each other! When you know someone longer, you adapt to their style, but what do you do when you meet someone for the first time?

As a therapist, I need to quickly identify who my clients are, what they need, and how I can help them create a programme that fits their needs. If I cannot quickly identify their communication style it would be very challenging for me to get through the consultation.

To better understand how we communicate and how we can be more effective with others, it would be useful to find out what our communication style is. Therefore, I want to introduce to you what are the 4 styles of communication. Please note, you are a combination of all 4 styles, but usually have one dominant one. See which style you think resonates with you.

1. Initiative communicators are energetic and enthusiastic. They like to meet new people and share stories. I would think that motivational speakers are more of this kind. They come across as very engaging and fun but are perceived to talk more than they listen.

2. Supportive communicators are seen as quite the opposite of the initiative type. They are calm and they listen more than they talk. They often engage the audience to listen to their views to receive feedback. The environment is generally more relaxed and personal. I have seen such speakers in health talks where they need to elicit some personal stories from the audience so that they can advise.

3. Direct communicators prefer clear information without any “fluff”. They are result-oriented and focused and can often dominate a conversation. They tend to get straight to the point to achieve their goals and are typically known as being aggressive or assertive in the way they communicate with others.

4. Analytical communicators like hard data and real numbers. They are precise and cautious, what they say is often backed by evidence. They may come across as too serious and often have little patience for lots of feelings and emotional words in communication. Too much analysis lead to paralysis and too many analytical reports lose the audience.

Now when you have an idea of what your style is, what are the styles of other people? Your family, friends, or co-workers? Can you modify your style to fit the situation?

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Well, the truth is if we hold our breath for another 2 and a half mins. to 3 mins. Most of us, unfortunately, would be dead! Did you know that the human body can go up to 3 weeks without food, 3 days without water, and only 3 mins without air!

When we try to improve our health, as most people do, we go first with that thing we can go the longest without! The food! Please, don’t get me wrong, changing your diet is a good thing, hydrating enough is good too, in fact, I have been advising people for years on how to improve them. But what I have learned, a few years ago, is that breathing the correct way along with the breathing exercises I teach in my yoga sessions give my clients and myself excellent results! Therefore, the correct way of breathing is something I recommend starting first with when improving people’s lives.

The benefits of correct breathing are huge: detoxify your body, deliver more nutrition to your cells, boost your digestion, improve your sleep and immunity, improve your heart health, mental clarity, reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and much more.

Do you know what Pranayama means? Prana means ‘life force’ or ‘energy source’ and Yama means ‘control’. Pranayama means breath control and that word comes from Sanskrit. It is well-known as one of the most effective stressbusters in the Universe. By taking a few long deep breaths, focussing attention on the inhalation and the exhalation, the breath settles down naturally and becomes regular, and we begin to feel calmer and more centered. Did you know that around 70% of your body’s elimination occurs through the lungs?

Now, let’s do a bit of deep breathing. Close your eyes and breathe in through your nose and breathe out through your nose or mouth. When you inhale, your belly expands. When you exhale, your belly flattens. Please focus your mind on the belly movement, breathing in the energy, breathing out the toxins. Focus on the breathing rhythm for about 2-3 minutes.

Then open your eyes and notice how you feel. Is your mind quieter, is your breath more smooth? Do you feel peace and calm within yourself? Do you feel refreshed, rejuvenated?

Can you imagine if you did this every day? Smokers take a cigarette break; you can take a breathing break. Make this your new daily habit and it will enhance your well-being both mentally & physically!

If you would like to practice more breathwork come and join my online Yoga class, it will be the best gift you could give to your body. Look forward to hearing from you soon!

Resources:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Lb5L-VEm34

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bczm0RsIZUM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QTJOAI0UoU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFcQpNr_KA4

https://www.anahana.com/en/breathing-exercise/box-breathing

https://www.ekhartyoga.com/articles/practice/defining-pranayama-breath-and-prana

A book: The Spirit of Meditation by Erica Brealey

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What are affirmations?

Affirmations are positive statements that can help you to challenge and overcome self-sabotaging patterns and negative thoughts. When you repeat them often and believe in them, you can start to make positive changes. Whatever you feed your mind with every day is what determines your reality. The life you want to live in 5 years’ time is created by what you feed your mind with today! By creating a different reality inside your head, in time, your external reality changes to match it.

Every single thought we have and every sentence we speak is an affirmation. It is either positive or negative. Positive affirmations create positive experiences and negative affirmations create negative ones. If we continually repeat negative statements about ourselves or about our life, we only keep creating more negative experiences.

I used to be negative about myself, my life, and the people around me. Things didn’t go well for me at that time. Luckily, I learned about positive thinking and affirmations and since then I have been seeing life in a much positive way. Negative thinking can cause severe health problems and, in extreme cases, death. So, stay away from negative people as they have a problem for every solution!

Here are some examples of negative affirmations:

“I suck at public speaking!”

“I am not good enough!”

“I can’t do it!”

Many of us have negative thoughts like these, sometimes frequently. When we think like this, our confidence, mood, and outlook can become negative, too. There’s this great quote from Henry Ford that captures this idea well: “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t – you’re right.” Here’s where positive affirmations come in, as they’re the ideal tool to train your mind and reverse the negative beliefs and self-talk. And what happens if we do the opposite and use positive thoughts about ourselves? The effect can be just as powerful but far more helpful!

Practicing positive affirmation every day has the following benefits:

• Decrease stress levels and depression.
• Increase confidence and self-esteem.
• Motivate to achieve fitness goals and eat healthier.

Positive affirmations are more than just wishful thinking–there is a fair bit of science behind them. Repeating an affirmation can help boost your motivation, confidence, resilience to stress, and general outlook on life, to name just a few of the benefits. They can lift you up when you are feeling down.

When you say your affirmations out aloud it will increase their effectiveness. Using “Power Poses” (for example superman’s pose, arms outstretched pose) will increase your testosterone and power by as much as 20%. So, combining this with your affirmations massively increases their effectiveness! Along with Power Poses, MOVEMENT during your affirmation is critical!

Try saying your affirmations while bouncing, skipping the rope, or even practising yoga as I do! The more times you repeat the affirmation, the more it becomes part of you! And the more intensively you say it, the more you start to reflect it!

Here are some useful guidelines on creating effective positive affirmations:

• Begin with the words “I am” as they are extremely powerful.
• Do not talk or think about what you don’t want.
• Keep it positive and simple.
• The best times for affirmations are in the morning, before going to bed, and during stressful or negative situations. It may take some time before you notice any changes, so stick with your practice!

Please note, that affirmations can only be positively worded! Negatives are not recognized by the Universe or our subconscious minds. For example, “I don’t want to be…!” The Universe and subconscious mind will only hear that you want to be overweight! Instead, say it positively like “I want to be…!” Staying focused on what you need to do to achieve your goal, is the key to creating the future you want. This process will transform how quickly you achieve whatever you want in life!

So, remember, create positive thoughts, repeat your positive affirmations daily and believe in them!

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Whenever we are doing something new and need a new skill, or want to take something to the next level, we find someone who has done it before. Someone who has failed got up and kept going by creating success so we can learn a shortcut based on their experience.

The book authors Chris and Karene Lambert-Gorwyn have become my mentors #1. Who are mentors? Mentors are a key aspect of any success! If you want to succeed more quickly in anything, find an expert in that area who has a system to teach you so you can learn from their mistakes. Mentors also need to have failed in the past, otherwise, they have no appreciation for how hard it can be. A mentor is someone who has been there and done it. They have experience in the area you are looking to grow in and have previously solved the challenge you are wanting to solve. They also have a system with which to apply it to others.

Chris and Karene Lambert-Gorwyn will change your financial setpoints much faster and easier than you will be able to do it alone! You still have to put the work in but you can learn from their experience and put your effort in the right place to get the best results.

“Expect the best. Prepare for the worst. Capitalise on what comes.” – Zig Ziglar

This book is divided into 8 chapters:

1. There’s a business & there’s Heart-Centred Business
2. The 5 Biggest Challenges
3. Attraction Marketing
4. Heart-Centred Sales
5. Money Mindset
6. Confidence
7. Sexy Systems
8. What’s the Plan?

BONUS CHAPTER: 100 ways to get more clients.

I loved all the chapters in this book but particularly chapter 5, Money Mindset, which opened my eyes so much! Here are a few things to share with you what I learnt. What we think creates our reality. As Henry Ford said, whether you think you can or think you can’t, you are right! When it comes to money in particular, we have an internal mindset or belief pattern, reflected in our physical or external reality. Whatever you think and feel about money is reflected in the amount of money you have as your income and what you have in your bank account. We have money in our life when we stop resisting it. We are the block that creates a lack of money through our mindset.

I realized that I had a money block and after doing those exercises in the book, I resolved my self-sabotaging money mindset. What a wonderful step forward I made!

Furthermore, in this book, you will find many action steps and questions, chapter highlights, inspiring case studies of their clients and many more. This book is a masterpiece that both authors wrote in just 3 weeks! Incredible! I so much enjoyed reading this wonderful book and can highly recommend it to all of you who are ready to move forward and want your dreams to come true.

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Do you believe in Magic? “Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.” – Ronald Dahl, writer

What are your dreams?

Many of the magical practices in this book are designed to help you achieve your dreams. Therefore, you need to get clear about what you really want. When you get clear about the things you want, you are giving a definite direction to the way you want gratitude’s magical power to change your life, and you are ready to begin the most exciting and thrilling adventure you have ever been on!

When you are grateful for the things you have, no matter how small they may be, you will see those things instantly increase. If you are grateful for the money you have, however little, you will see your money magically grow. If you are grateful for a relationship, even if it’s not perfect, you will see it miraculously get even better.

The scientists, philosophers, inventors, discoverers, and prophets who practiced gratitude reaped its results, and most were aware of its inherent power. Yet still gratitude’s power is unknown to most people today because to experience the magic of gratitude in your life you must practice it! Albert Einstein practiced gratitude every single day of his life, and in return he received many forms of abundance.

Gratitude is the answer.

Gratitude is the cure for broken of difficult relationships, for lack of health or money, and for unhappiness. Gratitude eliminates fear, worry, grief, and depression, and brings happiness, clarity, patience, kindness, compassion, understanding, and peace of mind. Gratitude brings solutions to problems, and the opportunities and wherewithal to realize your dreams. Gratitude is behind every success. Say the magic words, thank you. Say them out loud…say them in your mind, or feel them in your heart, but wherever you go from this day forward, take gratitude and its magical power with you.

To receive you have to give. It’s the law. Gratitude is giving thanks, and without it you cut yourself off from the magic and from receiving everything you want in life. Gratitude is a feeling. If you practice gratitude a little, your life will change a little. If you practice gratitude a lot every day, your life will change dramatically and in ways that you can hardly imagine.

One word changes everything.

I didn’t know what being grateful really meant, and just saying the words thank you on the odd occasion certainly didn’t make me a grateful person. Since I read this brilliant book, I practice gratitude every day because I can see it really works. I totally love this book and I can highly recommend it to you too!

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