How to Build Your Self Confidence

 

Have you ever wished you had the confidence that someone else has? Have you ever wondered what their secret was? Why do some people build confidence with ease while others have a hard time? It is the age old question. What if you could build the same self confidence? The good news is you can. Are you ready to learn the secrets?

 

Learn and Improve

If you want to build confidence, get better at something. Put your energy into building your expertise in a certain area. Not sure, what you want to become an expert in? Consider where your strengths are and where your talents are.

 

How many times have you said, “I’m worthless,” or “I’m useless,” to yourself? Well, my friend, that is not the truth. Every individual is born for a purpose, and you just need to find it. It all starts with the thing you love to do. Is it painting, cooking, teaching, building objects or solving complex mathematical equations? No matter where your interests may lie, you can become an expert. All you have to do is persevere.

 

The more you do something the better you get at it. Taking the first step is the most difficult, but it’s important to take a leap of faith and find the courage to take that initial step. You will find the road ahead much easier. Practice and perfect – keep working at it. Your self confidence will increase in no time at all. Set challenges and goals you can achieve to build your self-confidence.

 

#2 We Don’t Livein a Perfect World

We don’t live in a perfect world so don’t try to create it. We all make mistakes. Don’t convince yourself that you won’t make mistakes, because you are going to. If you aren’t making mistakes, at least now and then, you aren’t trying anything new. Don’t be afraid of mistakes. Think of them as learning opportunities. Try to learn from those mistakes.

 

#3 Always Believein You

Be comfortable in your own skin. It’s the biggest boost you can give your self confidence. What really matters is that you are okay with who you are. What others think really doesn’t matter. You have the power to change your destiny. You should accept who you are strengths and weaknesses. Know your limitations. Strive to become better and you will.

 

#4 AvoidNegativity

Are you a glass half full or glass half empty person? Avoid negative thinking and look for the positive in situations. Try to avoid negative people too. You’ll be much better for it.

 

There you have it – 4 ways you can build your self confidence.

How does a Ketogenic diet change your life?

Where to begin! When I first read about the diet, I thought it was absurd. How can a high fat diet help me lose weight? However, this absurd diet is the only thing that has worked for me! I’ve been overweight for a lot of my adult life and have tried many different ways to lose.

Before I go on, I want to mention that I am definitely not one of those “carbs are our enemy” and “destroy ALL THE gluten’ people but Keto is something that works for me and has changed my life for the better in many ways:

1. I have lost 30 pounds so far which is the most I have lost in years. I had previously been losing and gaining the same five pounds over and over.

2. I have tons of energy all day. I still drink coffee because I like to, but I don’t need it like I did before.

3. I drink way less alcohol and way more water. I don’t have room for the carbs on most days and that has brought my drinking down from pretty much every night to only a couple times a month.

4. My skin is better. I have a lot of skin issues like eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis, blepharitis, you name it. And while all of these things are chronic and may never fully go away, it is much more manageable now. My patches are smaller and I have to use far less of my prescription creams and such.

5. Part of my keto day is fasting and I have found that my mental clarity has improved. I am far more productive at work and I’m more motivated in my down time to work out or do something useful with my time. I used to be a Grade A Couch Potato and while I still enjoy hanging out on the couch, it isn’t my main source of entertainment anymore.

6. My chronic depression/anxiety, which I’ve had some form of since I was a kid, is more manageable than it’s ever been. I will say, during the keto flu, I was actually more anxious, but again I’m prone to it and it’s pretty common due to Pseudohypoglycemia which you can read more about here. It could be a combination of the things I mentioned (weight loss, better skin, etc.) but I feel happier and less anxious which has led to me finding new opportunities and meeting new people. I still have anxiety but it doesn’t stop me from doing things anymore.

7. A combination of the keto diet and a book called Brain Over Binge, helped me overcome binge eating; another terrible habit I developed as a kid. I felt like I tried everything to stop bingeing and nothing helped. I was a couple times a week binger and it led to weight gain and feelings of shame, and more bingeing. When I’m doing keto I don’t feel deprived of anything, I can eat pretty much any time, and with the aforementioned happiness and energy, I haven’t binged in months.

8. I was a junk food junkie. I love sweets and would typically binge on cake or something equally as terrible for you. Keto allows artificial sweetener (if you really need it) but thankfully I hate artificial sweetener so it has really helped me break my sweet tooth. I don’t even crave it anymore. Now I’m like I want to “cheat” and eat a strawberry!

9. My fiancé and I cook a lot more now, which means we go out to eat a lot less. We were spending hundreds of dollars a month eating out before we started doing keto full time. We would house a whole pizza and breadsticks plus dessert, or Chinese food meant for 6 people (judging by how many fortune cookies we got) and now we have fun cooking together, we eat a lot less, and we save money.

We have been brainwashed to think of fat as bad, and once I let myself off the “low-fat, low-cal, sugar-free (but packed with all kinds of other crap)” bandwagon, I was able to jump into keto and eat high quality foods and gain a lifestyle that I’m happy with.

**Disclamer* This is my experience and is anecdotal. I am not a nutritionist or a trained medical professional and all research was done on my own. As always, check with your doctor if you are diabetic or have any other health issues that could make keto dangerous. Though a lot of doctors are still on the low fat, high protein kick and think of keto as a “fad” so it’s best to do your own research as well. **

6 Health Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is the most popular type of vinegar in the natural health community.

It is claimed to lead to all sorts of benefits, many of which are supported by science.

This includes weight loss, reduced cholesterol, lower blood sugar levels and improved symptoms of diabetes.

It is also an ancient folk remedy, and has been used for various household and cooking purposes.

Here are 6 health benefits of apple cider vinegar that are supported by scientific research.

Apple Cider Vinegar Drinks,

Boost weight loss,

Improve,your skin,Detox,

Cure allergies,Cold,Sinus,Head ache and flu.

How can yoga affect your life?

"This hurts so bad," is what I think to myself for the first few classes I took for yoga.

My instructor, a soft spoken Chinese lady with a comforting smile, came around to place a block underneath my back.

"How are you holding up, Alia?"

Struggling to maintain my breath, I told her every major muscles of my body hurts. It hurts so bad I was about ready to give up.

"You do just fine, this bridge is gonna make you a better runner." Then off she went to correct the posture of another yogi.

We were running uphill when my friend begged me to stop.

"I don't know what you're doing, girl…but you seem to pick up the pace nowadays," he bend forward, put both hands on his knees and curse under his breath. "I don't think I enjoy running with you anymore; you're getting way too fast!"

Last class for the month. I have been waking up with sore back and tired arms. My instructor noted how much I have improved for the last 2 months.

I told her I'm moving out of town by next month and I will not be attending her classes anymore.

"Well I hope you continue practicing since now you roughly know all the basic poses. Plenty of youtube videos to further improve your posture and poses, yeah?"

The first day I roll out my yoga mat at my new place, it feels terrifying. I have never done yoga on my own and need guides to do it. But I keep pushing through the worst of it.

Even doing this pose above makes my neck cranes uncomfortably and my spine feels like it's gonna snap anytime.

I texted my instructor from time to time looking for tips and advice. She told me if I persist, time will be on my side and I will do better.

Gotta have faith in yourself once in a while, that's what she told me.

Today I woke up without alarms. The first thing my mind wanders to is, today I gotta run.

I haven't been running a lot but every time I do it, my breathing slows down to a rate where even when I push, the faster my legs carry me forward.

I do not panic anymore in the whirlwind of things moving too fast and life getting on your nerves.

The past few weeks my arms were less sore and my shoulder doesn't hurt as much when I push myself to go faster. I texted my instructor after my run and told her that I have been progressing with yoga to a point where doing sirsasana is considered as relaxing after a hard run.

Me, closing my eyes and letting my mind calms down after solo run.

She applauds me for my courage to hold steady in that pose. She asked if I have been feeling less worry about the world? Has my run been keeping me back from discovering the best part of myself? Has yoga makes me a state of mindful being?

I told her "my run and yoga goes hand in hand; it's like going to war with running but coming back home to a comforting family with yoga."

So she ended the conversation by saying "you've reached the peak of yourself, when you don't prioritized over just one thing and have now similar level of worries with everything. You have learned to move on and get going."