Inner approval, as opposed to getting external approval or permission from others, can be one of the most radically empowering strategies one can make. Instead of wishing for them to understand you, love you, appreciate you, see how good you are, or see your value, why not do this for yourself? This, in a way, is the world of affirmations and positive thinking. What is the message that you long to hear from another? Is there someone in your life, or was there someone in your life, that you wished had said, “I love you,” or “I’m so proud of you,” or “You can be whatever you want to be. I believe in you” ? What if you started saying this to yourself? On a daily basis. Whenever you felt you needed to hear it. As often as you like.

Being willing to do this requires that we let go of controlling another person and needing somebody else to show up a certain way in order for us to be okay. We take back our power this way. And the good news is that we can realize, through doing this simple activity, that we really are in charge of how we feel. One of the biggest obstacles that people face when they make changes in their lives is the worry about what others might think or that they might be judged or rejected in some way. And this does and can happen. But if we are no longer tied to another’s approval, because we are consistently giving that to ourselves, then we are more free to move towards our own dreams regardless of what others think.

Sometimes making diet changes can feel this overwhelming. Especially if you live with a family that is used to a certain way of eating and your changes will automatically affect them and be seen by others. Privacy is a luxury, and rarely the case with food. Eating is a social experience and when we say “no” to certain foods that are prevalent in our culture and community it can feel like we are saying “no” to the person who made that food, or bought that food, or isn’t ready themselves to think about their own health changes they could make.

We don’t have to broadcast our decisions to the world, but we don’t have to ignore our own needs because some parts of the world will be uncomfortable with our decisions. As human beings we are hard-wired to maintain the status quo, and as evolutionary beings, we are hard-wired to change and grow and learn. Sustainable changes are based in compassion and love for ourselves. And when we give ourselves the inner approval we need to make our changes, then it becomes easier to allow others their reactions. Becoming more conscious and awake to our own patterns and choices does disturb the community. This can be why it feels so challenging to make changes, even though we know those changes would benefit us.

That disturbance to the system we are in (whether a family, a relationship, a work environment, a peer group, or otherwise) is uncomfortable. It just is. Altering the status quo disrupts things and that disruption is always an invitation for all involved to let go wherever they need to let go. Wherever we are gripping onto a person or a way of life, or what we have decided brings us security, we have the opportunity to let go of this internal gripping when we feel disturbed or discontent. This is a state of mind. We are always getting opportunities to move from a state of mind of control, to a state of mind of allowing. Giving ourselves the messages we long for about who we are and what we are capable of, is the road to allowing. Allowing ourselves to grow and change as we already know we need to, and allowing others to be exactly where they are on their own journey is freedom.

Change is exciting and new and it is also about letting go and moving onward. We don’t have to have this all figured out. We only need to listen to ourselves and be our own best friend, give ourselves the encouragement and support we truly want and need. As we do this, we gain momentum and clarity and purpose. These are the cornerstones of empowerment. And the beginning of leadership. So, lead the way. You know where to go, I know you do.

Francie was recently quoted in this article by Deborah Busemeyer that appeared in the Healthy Living Magazine of the Santa Fe New Mexican.

Feeling like you have more control in today’s overwhelming world can bring more ease according to Francie Healey, a health and wellness expert and clinical counselor in Santa Fe. In her Conscious Wellness practice, she helps clients develop a deeper awareness of how their lifestyle and nutrition choices make their bodies feel. The next step is regaining a sense of control over those choices. “We want to do it in a way that doesn’t involve diets or deprivations but in a way that empowers someone to stay curious about how they feel,” Healey said. “It’s important to allow the desire to feel good to be the driver, rather than from the place of using willpower. It’s really about tapping into that place that feels worthy of feeling good. It’s a kind approach.”

I had a lovely chat with Jedlie on the Reading with Your Kids podcast. We discussed this recipe, which is a great introduction to cooking with your kids. Cooking is a perfect time to start talking about health and choices around food. Listen here.

In my book, Eat to Beat Alzheimer’s, I write about the final months of my stepfather’s life and our conversation about my passion for healing with foods. He is actually the one that suggested to me to focus on Alzheimer’s disease. At that time in my life I had a strong intention to write my own cookbook, but was still unclear about the focus. For my stepfather to suggest this to me was a blessing in two ways. One, it was a practical step for me to ground my research and intention in an area that was desperately needed in the world. And second, more personally, it was a moment of being seen and heard by a man that had truly been my father, and with his encouragement and acknowledgment I felt something fall into place within me; perhaps the last bit of courage and confidence I needed in order to follow through with my dream of becoming an author.

So from the beginning, the topic of Alzheimer’s held rich meaning and metaphor for me. This is a disease that is in large part a result of inflammation and toxicity in the body. Furthermore, it directly affects the brain and alters just about everything: basic body planning and control, memory, thinking, mood. I had always intuitively known that the food I ate directly affected the way I felt, mentally, emotionally and physically. As I dove into the research and looked more closely at the science emerging in this area, I found evidence in the literature of how nutrition and brain health were intimately connected. I felt inspired by this, and deeply motivated to share the information. I feel that not having this basic information is an injustice to people, who can take charge of their health, if they know the ins and outs of how to do so correctly.

Unfortunately there is still a lot of outdated nutrition advice out there, and I’m the first to admit that this is extremely confusing for an individual who is trying to do the right thing. I myself went down multiple avenues of dieting and through experience and research found my way back to greater health. I think that there are many people out there who are trying really hard and not getting the results they want, and I’d like to be a part of that process by offering solid, evidence-based information that is reliable. In addition to well-researched information, I also try and send the message to readers and clients that developing an inner sensory awareness is just as critical for lasting wellness. In other words, we seem to be living in a time of constant contradictions and conflicting messages.

Good quality research is reliable yet always evolving, so the best way to discern information as it is coming in (through media, books, programs, and people) is to have a strong sense of self. Knowing what you need, and what your own personal feedback systems provide is essential for navigating the path towards health. We really don’t have the luxury anymore of following the fad diets, because as we are discovering more and more, what works for one person will not necessarily work for another. And while I have felt deeply inspired to share knowledge and recipes in my book, I feel equally inspired to invite readers to integrate the information through their own self-knowledge and intuition. Addressing challenges like dementia and other brain and health issues is an opportunity to make concrete changes on the physical level and really awaken into greater self-awareness and self-advocacy. I believe this is the opportunity, or gift, inherent in this particular challenge; that right now in our lives we have the choice to commit to our wellness and do so through our actions regardless of any symptoms or fixing of problems, but merely and mostly, because we are worth it.

Alzheimer’s is such a frightening illness and it is on the rise. Much of the research points to the standard American diet, rich in highly inflammatory ingredients, as the main culprit for this. Modern medicine has been working and trying to come up with treatments, most of which have had little to no success. Putting nutrition on the table (pun intended) brings us into the arena of prevention, where we shift from medication after the fact to creating healthy habits now. We really can’t get away with treating our bodies without consideration, respect, or consciousness and then waiting for the medical community to swoop in and save us when things start to fail. For one thing, modern medicine does not have the answers. But nutritional science is starting to come up with many answers. This does require us to change our mindset about our own health and consider, and thus claim, that we really do have a lot of power to alter our trajectories with the choices we make with our food.

So Alzheimer’s’ and dementia really sets the stage for a very deep dialogue, and I think that is what ultimately draws me into this discussion. We have the opportunity to discuss the implications of our actions on our health, our genetic expressions if we have the genes for Alzheimer’s, and on our quality of life. I think our overall health and wellness directly correlates with our willingness to become proactive and engaged with our own physiology and personal needs for healing. And in general, bringing down inflammation in the body, for which there are many causes in our current diet and environment, is the most significant thing we can do for our health now and in the long run.

This article originally appeared on Hott Books.

This article originally appeared on Ava Louise.

Completion is an ambiguous arena to navigate. Creative projects rarely feel done. Eat to Beat Alzheimer’s, a fairly small book, tapped into a place inside of me that had so much to say! It was while working on Eat to Beat that I realized this book was a beginning for me, not the whole. I couldn’t burden one book with all that I had to share. It was important to stay clear on what this cookbook was meant to be: an educational text for learning about nutrition and brain health with recipes to put that learning into action!

Diving into the research was both fascinating and overwhelming. I had to bracket off areas of interest that from the creative mind were relevant, but would have been too much for this book.  The writing process, for me, has been about traversing this interior landscape of desire, passion, mission and drive. What is relevant right now? What continues to bring this book alive? Building skills for attuning at this subtle level is creative learning. While the writing moves along, the end point is always waiting in the distance. Are we on track with it? Have we veered off course?
Arriving at the end point isn’t as obvious as it might seem. It looks obvious from a distance. I know where I am headed. But getting closer to it, it’s harder in some ways to see. One has to let go of peering into the dark, and feel for the endpoint instead. Is this it? Are we at the end of the road?
The end can appear dark. I think it appears dark because it requires us to look in a different way than we are used to. Creativity, for me, is not about shining a flashlight under a rock and seeing it all at once. It is about traveling along a path. I think I know where it is going, but really can only see a short distance in front of me. So we must trust the path we are on, and trust that we will know when we are complete.

This article originally appeared on Linda Appleman Shapiro's blog.

Baby boomers are the generation born between 1946 and 1964.  This puts them in an age range of 52 – 70 years old in 2016.  While standards of aging are changing for the better and in general, people are able to live longer, healthier lives, baby boomers do have a unique set of health challenges.

Baby boomers are the generation that transitioned our culture from one of whole food products, to more processed foods that promoted an agenda for health, but was primarily for profit.  Beginning with the popularization of margarine, trans fats, and other fat-free products such as diet sodas in an effort to stave off obesity, and other health issues, the baby boomers were an experiment in processed foods.  The result of these products, across the population, have been an increase in chronic disease, specifically metabolic disorders, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, neurodegenerative disease and autoimmune conditions.

Over the decades we have become more concerned with health and healthy eating and to this day, research continues to bust myths that were set in place as baby boomers were coming of age, raising families and investing in their own personal well being.

Today, we do have some repair to do, and a large part of that comes to education and dismantling messages that we have come to take for granted as healthy.  Before we address those myths though, there is one giant adversary to the health and fitness of baby boomers and that is, hopelessness.  Modern medicine is failing us because they are still looking for the one pill to cure what we now understand are multi-layered complex situations. 

Energy levels, which is really brain health, have roots in multiple areas of metabolism, insulin and cortisol production, gut health, diet and lifestyle factors.  Many of these areas are directly in the hands of the patient to address, and will not be solved by pharmaceutical means.  Hopelessness is perpetuated when we fail to see the power we all have, today, to take actions that will change our biochemistry for the better.  Diet and lifestyle provides a place for action right now, because now is the time to take care of your present and your future self.

First of all, fat is your friend, not your enemy.  Certain fats are considered healthy and essential for our health.  In fact, fat is not only healthy but critical for the health of our brains.  When we ingest good fats, like avocados, wild Alaskan salmon, coconut oil, pastured butter and extra virgin olive oil then we nourish the brain.  If fatigue is present, either physically or mentally (can’t focus, remember, stay on task) then fat is a number one priority for health and bringing the brain back up to its functioning ability.

Second, bread and pastas are not healthy and can actually cause a lot of metabolic damage, which in turn drastically affects brain functioning.  Breads, pastas, bagels, pretzels, and baked goods are all processed flour which is processed in the body as sugar.  High blood glucose, or blood sugar levels, create inflammation in the brain and interrupt hormone balance which will cause mood swings, irritability, impatience, low energy, fatigue, depression and anxiety to name only a few repercussions of a high sugar diet.  Obviously, high sugar foods such as sodas, candy, fruit juice, and even packaged yogurts contain exceedingly high levels of sugar and should be avoided. 

Noting the way processed grains are experienced in the body as sugar is an important addition for the baby boomer seeking to feel energized.  Another important distinction regarding weight gain is this: it is excess sugar that is stored as fat in the body.  Fat itself does not make you fat.  Aim for healthy fats to make up about 20% of your daily intake of fuel, more if you are experiencing any form of mild cognitive impairment. Aim for sugar to be less than 5% and to come from whole sources such as: fruit, raw honey, molasses, or maple syrup.

Complex carbohydrates are important for healthy endocrine systems and organ health in general.  We can get quality carbohydrates from starchy and fibrous vegetables, nuts and seeds.  It is a myth that we need grains to get this essential macronutrient.  In fact, grains may have negative effects on the brain in some people, such as gluten from wheat, rye and barley.  Grains can be useful in moderation, and whole grains such as millet, brown rice, amaranth, quinoa, and oats are best.

Finally, for sustainable daily energy, protein with each meal is important, not only for fuel but for blood sugar regulation.  Prioritizing protein, fiber, and good fat with each meal or snack will maintain healthy blood sugar regulation which will support one’s entire system returning to balance. Skipping meals, or substituting meals with sugary snacks and caffeine asks too much of our adrenal glands and pancreas, causing internal stress that will result in dysfunction and disease if left unchanged. 

Quality proteins include grass-fed, organic meats, pastured eggs, fish (salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines), nuts, seeds, and legumes (lentils).  Consider your own fist size as a measure for the amount of protein on your plate and let the rest be nutrient rich vegetables, both starchy and leafy, with a robust serving of fat as well.  This could be avocado slices, or bacon as an accent.  It could be cooking vegetables in pastured butter or ghee (a kind of clarified butter) or drizzling everything with extra virgin olive oil.

Feeding the brain what it needs and letting go of foods and beverages that are high in sugar and promote inflammation is the most significant change one can make for brain health and thus overall, feeling good.  In addition to these diet tips, the next things that are absolutely wonderful for our health and brain functioning are regular aerobic exercise and stress management.  The combination of these three things can make a difference in how you feel on a daily basis and on the trajectory of your health.

This article originally appeared on Building Bookshelves.