Integrative Therapist Billie Dunlevy discusses low self-esteem and shares how you can start to improve yours, today

‘Self-esteem’ is a phrase we hear and use often but what is the definition of self-esteem, and more importantly perhaps, low self esteem? Billie Dunlevy, a Counselling Directory Member and Integrative Therapist has the answer and shares some realistic ways we can start to improve our own self-esteem.

“Self-esteem is a measure of how we value and perceive ourselves,” Billie explains on Happiful's podcast. “It’s fundamentally about our attitude and how much we like ourselves. It’s different from self-confidence which is based more on an external measure of success, such as our ability to solve problems, land a promotion or give a dazzling presentation. Some people can actually have high self-confidence but low self-esteem.”

Low self-esteem

When we engage with our sense of low self-esteem, Billie continues, it can leave us with a sense of heaviness or hopelessness. “We can tend to have an overall negative view of ourselves, which can make us judge and speak to ourselves harshly. We can sometimes feel unloveable, incompetent and fearful of making mistakes or letting other people down.”

How low self-esteem presents to the outside world, she notes, is very individual.It could manifest in the avoidance of other people and relationships, overworking, being constantly busy and productive and having issues around boundary setting and people pleasing.

Working on yourself

The good news is that it is possible to work on low self-esteem and improve this over time. Billie outlines some of the practices we can start to include in our daily routines to address our low-self esteem straight away.

• Check your self-talk. Don’t allow it to run, try to counter it with another voice that is more compassionate or kind. That also goes for jokingly putting yourself down in a self-deprecating way. It’s really not helpful.
  
• Be more mindful and come off autopilot. Find a quiet place and ask yourself these questions regularly. ‘How am I feeling?’ ‘What do I need?’ ‘What’s going on?’ No

Naturopathic nutritionist and health coach Claudine Thornhill joins Happiful’s podcast to share practical tips around optimising your nutrition, managing your wellbeing and becoming an expert on yourself in perimenopause

Claudine Thornhill is an advocate for women’s mental, physical and nutritional health and, as she shares with Happiful, believes that with good nutrition, self work and self-compassion we can navigate the perimenopause and menopause more positively.

Speaking on our I am. I have podcast, Claudine outlines some of the practical and everyday ways we can address, support and protect our wellbeing.

Symptom tracking

• One of the key things is really just to increase that connection and awareness with your body and your emotions. That's the first step. This will help you if you’re speaking with a GP or a healthcare professional.
  
  
• Come from the position as the expert on your own body. Track your symptoms. Whether you use a period tracking app, note things down on your phone or write it on a piece of paper, tracking your cycle, sleep, your stress levels and also what you've eaten as well is important. See what patterns there might be.
  

Nutrition

• If we eat in a way that balances blood sugar levels, that’s a good way to go and that includes a decent amount, in quantity and quality, of carbohydrates. It might be whole rolled oats, butternut squash, sweet potatoes and white potatoes as well. This should make up around a quarter of your meal plate.
  
  
• Protein is also important as we move through perimenopause. Osteoporosis can be a concern and so thinking about the protein and minerals that will support our bone health is key. So lean chicken, fish and foodstuffs like that. Also, if we’re starting to see unwanted weight gain around the middle, protein will help keep us fuller for longer. This should make up around a quarter of your meal plate too.
  
  
• Vegetables play a key role in our diet at this time of life, particularly dark leafy vegetables, as they support our liver function which is vital. Vegetables will also provide energy, which we all need. Veggies should make up half of your plate.
  
  
• Be mindful around stimulants like sugar, alcohol and caffeine which can cause insulin spikes or have an impact on cortisol, the stress hormone. Try not to drink caffeine too late in the day, and choose green tea which still has some caffeine for that kick but also contains flavonoids.

Wellbeing

• Address stress! Find activities that help you cope and destress. That will be different things for different people but breathwork, meditation, drawing

Marisa Peer, world-renowned therapist and founder of Rapid Transformational Therapy® joins Happiful’s podcast to share what you can do to make positive changes in your life, starting today

Marisa Peer has worked with thousands of people throughout her prestigious career and she credits them all for the lessons they’ve taught her along the way. These lessons, she shares, enabled her to create an incredible approach now practised across the world - Rapid Transformational Therapy®. RTT combines elements from a number of different approaches to create a kind of therapy that offers quick results and immediate support.

There is one common challenge that comes up time and again for people she works with and that is the feeling that they are not ‘enough’. This, Marisa believes, is a universal concern.

“But it's not true,” she asserts. “It's a belief. But of course, you make your beliefs and then your beliefs turn around and make you, and then you have something called confirmation bias, which means you are looking for proof of what you have chosen to believe.”

In conversation with Happiful, Marisa shares great insights around the importance of reframing our thoughts, telling ourselves a 'better lie' and the importance of connection and rejection when it comes to our sense of self.

Marisa’s advice

• Pay attention to how you talk to yourself and upgrade it.  Be nice, become your own best friend
• Remember there's nothing that will build your self-esteem like praise.
• Say these four little phrases to yourself, every day.  
  I'm enough. I'm lovable, I matter and I'm significant.

A full interview with Marisa Peer will be in Issue 69 of Happiful, available from early December.
Find out more about Marisa, her books and teachings.

Find a Rapid Transformational Therapy® (RTT) practitioner today

Hi friends! Hope you’re having a wonderful morning! I’ve got a new podcast episode up today and I’m chatting with Carlee Hayes, RDN, CD all about the top nutrition struggles she sees and what to do about it.

Carlee works with Nutrisense, and I’ve used their CGMs (continuous glucose monitors) a handful of times. I’ve learned so much about how my body responds to different types of food and habits; it’s been extremely helpful and insightful. This isn’t an affiliate link, but if you’d like to try Nutrisense, you can use GINA50 for $50 off.

Here’s what we talk about in today’s episode:

– Metabolic flexibility

– Common nutrition struggles and action steps

– Easy ways to balance your blood sugar and improve insulin sensitivity

– Her favorite wellness resources

and so.much.more!

Here’s a bit more about Carlee and her background:

Carlee is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) and the Senior Nutrition Manager for NutriSense, a company utilizing continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) to build personalized diet and lifestyle plans. NutriSense is on a mission to help anyone understand and reach their health potential, and Carlee is passionate about translating complex glucose data into actionable changes anyone can implement into their everyday lives.

You can connect with Nutrisense on IG here and Carlee can be found on LinkedIn.

Resources from this episode:

I love love love the meals from Sakara Life! Use this link and the code XOGINAH for 20% off their meal delivery and clean boutique items. This is something I do once a month as a lil treat to myself and the meals are always showstoppers.

Get 15% off Organifi with the code FITNESSISTA. I drink the green juice, red juice, gold, and Harmony! (Each day I might have something different, or have two different things. Everything I’ve tried is amazing.)

The weather is cooling down, and I’m still obsessed with my sauna blanket. It feels even BETTER when it’s chilly outside and you can use the code FITNESSISTA15 for 15% off! This is one of my favorite ways to relax and sweat it out. I find that it energizes me, helps with aches and pains

Hi friends! Happy Thursday! I have a new podcast episode and can’t wait to hear your thoughts on this one.

Today, I’m chatting with Lisa Moskovitz, RD, all about quieting the diet noise and why diets don’t work.

Here’s what we talk about on today’s episode:

How to quiet the diet noise: how become a more confident, autonomous, and intuitive eater, and improve your relationship with food

How to move the needle towards fitness and weight loss goals in a healthy way

Why  diets don’t work: how they actually bring you further away from finding your healthiest, happiest weight

How diets impact your metabolism

Her tips for being Healthy in Real Life

and so.much.more.

I LOVED today’s conversation and hope that you’ll take a listen!

111: Why diets don’t work with Lisa Moskovitz, RD

Here’s a bit more about Lisa and her background:

Lisa Moskovitz, RD, is a registered dietitian, the CEO of NY Nutrition Group, a large group nutrition practice and the author of The Core 3 Healthy Eating Plan, a personalized, science-based guide to finding your healthiest, happiest weight. She received a BS in nutrition from Syracuse University and then went on to complete an intensive dietetic internship at NYPresbyterian Hospital. Since then, she has accumulated over a decade of experience in private practice, providing nutrition workshops and working with the media. Lisa is regularly featured in major publications such as Well + Good, Eat This Not That, Yahoo Health and is often interviewed for popular news channels such as Fox 5 NY, CBS News and Inside Edition.

Check out her website here, her Instagram here, and get a copy of The Core 3 Healthy Eating Plan (use Core20 for 20% off!).

Resources from this episode:

I love love love the meals from Sakara Life! Use this link and the code XOGINAH for 20% off their meal delivery and clean boutique items. This is something I do once a month as a lil treat to myself and the meals are always showstoppers.

Get 15% off Organifi with the code FITNESSISTA. I drink the green juice, red juice, gold, and Harmony! (Each day I might have something different, or have two different things. Everything I’ve tried is amazing.)

The weather is cooling down, and I’m still obsessed with my sauna blanket. It fe