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bethestaryouareradio · 4 years

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Gardening is NOT Canceled

https://www.lamorindaweekly.com/archive/issue1403/Digging-Deep-with-Goddess-Gardener-Cynthia-Brian-Blossoms-and-bouquets-gardening-is-not-canceled.html

By Cynthia Brian

“We have it in our power to begin the world again.”

Thomas Paine

What a difference a day makes! Who could have ever predicted that as the vernal equinox approached in the Northern Hemisphere the entire world would be mandated to stay home, pause, and practice social distancing?

Are you in compliance? As adults, we have the ability and the responsibility to be role models in keeping ourselves and our families safe and healthy whilst we are housebound. Thankfully, spring has sprung and our garden can be our protective sanctuary and our personal oasis. Although we can’t share our gardens personally with others, we can go outside to exercise, dig in the dirt, and enjoy the beauty that surrounds us. It’s time to develop our green thumbs as gardening is open and we have the time.

In the weeks since I’ve closed my StarStyle® Productions LLC office to shelter-in-place, my garden has been my refuge and my workplace. Although I won’t be consulting or coaching in person, I am working for hire via SKYPE, ZOOM, and phone to offer assistance when needed. I’ve decided to reframe this crisis as a positive time-out to rebalance, readjust, rejuvenate, and rest. Instead of rushing to cross items off my to-do list, I can pace myself and enjoy the process of weeding, sowing, planting, pruning, cleaning, and repairing. The fruit trees in my orchard are gloriously full of blooms, while spring-flowering trees and shrubs are triumphant in their abundance of pretty petals. It’s been a joy to stroll through the landscape shooting photos of the emerging rebirth. Every day something new sprouts and I am so grateful to be able to witness Mother Nature in action. Taking snips of branches in bloom and flowers unfurling, I am filling my indoor spaces with hope for a healthy future.

When one of my girlfriends, Nancy Roetzer, retired from school teaching, she began taking flower arranging classes through the adult center. Her bouquets and arrangements are inspired by her hikes in the woods, and especially by the many waterfalls, she has experienced. Her waterfall style floral design shows movement, flow, and layering. Featured in this issue is a spectacular showstopper using tulips, roses, carnations, cushion spray chrysanthemums (Dendranthema), cone bush (Leucadendron), ferns, vines, and moss.

What a terrific idea to experiment with creating floral displays during these dark days! Whether we cut a few stems and add them to a whimsical vessel or decide to be more formal with our innovations, this is an opportune moment to get our ingenuity fueled and fired.

We do have it in our power to begin the world anew. Listen to and abide by the mandates of the experts. We may not be able to predict the course of the virus, but we do have agency over our actions and reactions. My April Gardening Guide provides a plethora of ideas to keep you occupied, safe, happy, and healthy as we navigate the next month together and apart.

Enjoy the blossoms, bouquets, and the colorful photos of our developing spring, a reminder that life goes on. Gardening is NOT canceled.

Cynthia Brian’s Gardening Guide for April

• SOW seeds that will attract birds to your garden. Suggestions include coneflower, anise hyssop, bachelor’s button, Mexican sunflower, cosmos, and black-eyed Susan. • SHOOT photos of the abundant flowering trees including tulip magnolia, crabapple, peach, plum, prune, cherry, pear, and apple. • CLEAN debris from berms and drainage ditches to prevent flooding. The soil and leaves can be added to your compost pile. • PULL weeds while the ground is soft. • PLAN your vegetable garden for the foods you love the most. • PLANT seeds of greens, beets, carrots, and turnips now. • CUT a branch or two from your favorite flowering trees or shrubs. Redbuds, crabapple, plum, and peach are glorious in vases. • INTRODUCE plants that will make you smile. I planted sunflowers, sweet peas, nasturtiums, and purple hyacinth bean. • TAKE a garden class on-line or watch YouTube videos with gardening tips. • MAKE teas and cocktails from herbs you grow including mint, rosemary, sage, and fennel. • REPOT houseplants. • BOOST your immune system with a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, nuts, and fatty fish. Adopt a Mediterranean style of eating. • WALK around your garden to admire the spring growth. • BUILD a planter box. • ORDER gardening books to read. Be inspired and motivated by Chicken Soup for the Gardener’s Soul, Growing with the Goddess Gardener, and Be the Star You Are! Millennials to Boomers available at www.cynthiabrian.com/online-store. • INHALE the perfume of fragrant plants. Roses are blooming and fruit blossoms are delightful. • LOWER your stress by strolling alone in the outdoors amongst trees and on trails. • MEDITATE in your garden, or on your balcony, patio, or porch. • LISTEN to the birds, frogs, and insects as they begin their spring songs. • NOURISH your spirit by sitting by a fountain or pond. • EAT plenty of fresh citruses, especially homegrown, to increase your vitamin C intake. Oranges, tangelos, tangerines, grapefruit, and lemons are ripe and ready for picking. • EXERCISE includes all gardening chores: raking sweeping, weeding, lifting, pruning, planting, digging, fertilizing, and chopping wood. Workout outside. • TAKE a nap and on a warm day, get your z’s outside in the fresh air. • SHARE your garden skills with your children. Let them plant seeds of vegetables and herbs they want to eat. • FERTILIZE lawns. Lawn food is available at your local hardware store. • GROW your own bouquets. Create a stunning arrangement with a variety of roses, stock, tulips, iris, calla lilies, and mock orange. • BEE friendly by planting three or four types of native wildflowers to attract the honey gatherers as well as pest-resistant varieties of flowers, shrubs, trees, and vegetables, thus eliminating pesticides. I’ve sown California poppies, lupines, bee balm, and morning glories. • WATCH the blossoms in the breeze float to the ground like snowflakes. • PREPARE your garden patches to sow seeds of potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant by rotating these crops. For best production, do not plant these in the same place every year. • ENJOY a peaceful Passover and Easter without an in-person gathering. • STAY informed about Covid-19 depending only on reliable information. Visit Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at https://www.cdc.gov;

The World Health Organization at https://www.who.int;

State Department: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/ea/covid-19-information.html;

Contra Costa County Health Department at https://www.coronavirus.cchealth.org;

Contra Costa County Office at https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/

• STAY POSITIVE! • STAY SAFE! • STAY HEALTHY! • STAY HOME!

Happy Gardening. Happy Growing.

Photos and more: https://www.lamorindaweekly.com/archive/issue1403/Digging-Deep-with-Goddess-Gardener-Cynthia-Brian-Blossoms-and-bouquets-gardening-is-not-canceled.html

Raised in the vineyards of Napa County, Cynthia Brian is a New York Times best-selling author, actor, radio personality, speaker, media and writing coach as well as the Founder and Executive Director of Be the Star You Are!® 501 c3. Tune into Cynthia’s upbeat StarStyle® Radio Broadcast at www.StarStyleRadio.com. Buy copies of her best-selling books, including, Chicken Soup for the Gardener’s Soul, Growing with the Goddess Gardener, and Be the Star You Are! Millennials to Boomers at www.cynthiabrian.com/online-store.

Hire Cynthia for writing projects and virtual garden consults or lectures. [email protected]

www.GoddessGardener.com

#coronavirus, #gardeningnotcanceled,#stayhone, #spring,#bouquets,#blossoms,#blooms,#covid-19, #gardening, #cynthiabrian, #starstyle, #goddessGardener, #growingwiththegoddessgardener, #lamorindaweekly

#coronavirus gardeningnotcanceledstayhone springbouquetsblossomsbloomscovid-19 gardening cynthiabrian starstyle goddessGardener growingwithth

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goddessgardener · 4 years

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Gardening is NOT Canceled

https://www.lamorindaweekly.com/archive/issue1403/Digging-Deep-with-Goddess-Gardener-Cynthia-Brian-Blossoms-and-bouquets-gardening-is-not-canceled.html

By Cynthia Brian

“We have it in our power to begin the world again.”

Thomas Paine

Enjoy the blossoms, bouquets, and the colorful photos of our developing spring, a reminder that life goes on. Gardening is NOT canceled.

Cynthia Brian’s Gardening Guide for April

The World Health Organization at https://www.who.int;

State Department: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/ea/covid-19-information.html;

Contra Costa County Health Department at https://www.coronavirus.cchealth.org;

Contra Costa County Office at https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/

• STAY POSITIVE! • STAY SAFE! • STAY HEALTHY! • STAY HOME!

Happy Gardening. Happy Growing.

Photos and more: https://www.lamorindaweekly.com/archive/issue1403/Digging-Deep-with-Goddess-Gardener-Cynthia-Brian-Blossoms-and-bouquets-gardening-is-not-canceled.html

Hire Cynthia for writing projects and virtual garden consults or lectures. [email protected]

www.GoddessGardener.com

#coronavirus, #gardeningnotcanceled,#stayhone, #spring,#bouquets,#blossoms,#blooms,#covid-19, #gardening, #cynthiabrian, #starstyle, #goddessGardener, #growingwiththegoddessgardener, #lamorindaweekly

#coronavirus gardeningnotcanceledstayhone springbouquetsblossomsbloomscovid-19 gardening cynthiabrian starstyle goddessGardener growingwithth

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itunesbooks · 5 years

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The Old Drift - Namwali Serpell

The Old Drift A Novel Namwali Serpell Genre: Literary Price: $14.99 Expected Publish Date: March 26, 2019 Publisher: Crown/Archetype Seller: Penguin Random House LLC An electrifying debut from the winner of the 2015 Caine Prize for African writing, The Old Drift is the Great Zambian Novel you didn’t know you were waiting for On the banks of the Zambezi River, a few miles from the majestic Victoria Falls, there was once a colonial settlement called The Old Drift. Here begins the epic story of a small African nation, told by a mysterious swarm-like chorus that calls itself man’s greatest nemesis. The tale? A playful panorama of history, fairytale, romance and science fiction. The moral? To err is human. In 1904, in a smoky room at the hotel across the river, an Old Drifter named Percy M. Clark, foggy with fever, makes a mistake that entangles the fates of an Italian hotelier and an African busboy. This sets off a cycle of unwitting retribution between three Zambian families (black, white, brown) as they collide and converge over the course of the century, into the present and beyond. As the generations pass, their lives – their triumphs, errors, losses and hopes – form a symphony about what it means to be human. From a woman covered with hair and another plagued with endless tears, to forbidden love affairs and fiery political ones, to homegrown technological marvels like Afronauts, microdrones and viral vaccines – this gripping, unforgettable novel sweeps over the years and the globe, subverting expectations along the way. Exploding with color and energy, The Old Drift is a testament to our yearning to create and cross borders, and a meditation on the slow, grand passage of time. http://dlvr.it/R1YBSz

#Literary

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nwbeerguide · 6 years

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Bale Breaker Sesiones del Migrante Mango IPA

Now in its second year, Bale Breaker Brewing collaborates with it's ethnic neighbors to the south by releasing another edition of Sessiones del Migrante. Started as a series of beers brewed in collaboration between Mexican and American breweries, by recognizing the tireless work of those who labor in the dry-heat of the Yakima Valley all in the name of the hop harvest. With a portion going towards La Casa Hogar's mission to educate Latina/Latino immigrant families, it seems the perfect fit for a brewery nestled in the bosom of the Yakima Valley.

But instead of stopping there, we think it best to let the brewers at Bale Breaker speak to the history of this beer.

In 2017 at Cerveza Mexico - a national trade show - Esteban Silva, of Cervecería de Colima (Colima, Mexico) found his first collaborator: Cerveza Loba (Guadalajara, Mexico). From there, YCH Hops agreed to donate hops for the project, and then Silva reached out to Bale Breaker Brewing Company (Yakima, WA) as well as two up-and-coming California breweries– Ronin Fermentation Project (Truckee, CA) &SouthNorte (San Diego, CA). Watch a short video introducing #migrantsessions. In May 2017, two of Bale Breaker’s brewer-owners, Kevin Quinn and Kevin Smith, traveled to Mexico to brew in Guadalajara and Colima. At Cerveza Loba, the brewers concocted Loba Nómada, a NE IPA featuring hand-peeled mangoes, a homegrown ingredient. In Colima, they brewed Vale Bale, an IPA with local coconuts. According to Cervecería de Colima, Vale Bale is “a beer inspired by all those people who leave their place of origin, with the firm aspiration to find a better quality of life.” In early August, brewers from all four collaborating breweries came to Yakima to brew Bale Breaker’s Sesiones del Migrante Mango IPA featuring the freshest Yakima Valley hops. A portion of the proceeds from our beer and events will benefit La Casa Hogar, a local non-profit that connects and educates immigrant Latino families. “We’re happy that this brewing collaboration will create awareness of the hard work of Yakima’s Latino community. Their work both during harvest and year-round is essential to creating the hoppy beers everyone loves,” said Meghann Quinn, owner/business manager at Bale Breaker. "We look forward to this partnership continuing into the future."

If you find yourself in the Yakima/Moxee area, July 19th, you're invited to celebrate the release of Sessiones Sesiones del Migrante from 3 pm to 9 pm, at Bale Breaker's Brewery and Taproom at 1801 Birchfield Road, Yakima, WA.

ABOUT BALE BREAKER BREWING CO. Bale Breaker Brewing Company makes handcrafted ales that showcase the world-class hops grown in the heart the Yakima Valley. Hops are in the family's DNA: the great-grandparents of sibling-owners Meghann Quinn, Kevin Smith, and Patrick Smith first planted hops in the Yakima Valley in 1932, the year before Prohibition ended. Over four generations, their love of hops has evolved into a passion for craft beer. Today, Meghann, Kevin and Patrick are in the midst of running an independent production brewery surrounded by their family’s hop fields, just down the road from where they were born and raised.

ABOUT LA CASA HOGAR La Casa Hogar exists to provide a range of practical education and self-development opportunities especially suited to the needs of Latina/o immigrant families who comprise one of the most economically fragile, but socially important segments, in the Yakima Valley.

ABOUT YCH HOPS Inspired by the shared vision of connecting family hop farms with the world’s finest brewers, Yakima Chief, Inc. and Hopunion LLC merged in 2014 creating Yakima Chief - Hopunion, or YCH HOPS for short, a 100% grower-owned supplier of hops and hop products. We have made it our mission to connect family farms with the world’s finest brewers, providing the highest quality hop products and uncompromising service for the ultimate benefit of our customers, employees and growers.

#Moxee #Yakima #Washington #Bale Breaker Brewing Company #Bale Breaker Sesiones del Migrante Mango IPA

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josephkitchen0 · 5 years

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Making Goat Milk Caramels

by Lacey Hughett

This fast-approaching holiday season has everyone scrambling to find some tasty, quality candy recipes. Have you tried making goats milk caramel? Heather Ische from Homestead Ranch provided me with a delicious caramel recipe, a little family history, and some good old-fashioned tips for making the best caramels around!

I tried the recipe and it was superb, a sweet, creamy take on a personal family favorite. Better yet, friends or family who are lactose intolerant can usually tolerate these sweets. This caramel isn’t as sweet as a traditional caramel so I found it perfect, particularly for my son, who generally can’t tolerate cow milk products.

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Heather and Steven got their first goat in 2013 as a companion animal for a horse. They were instantly hooked. The first goat was a pet, and he acted just like a family dog. As their operation grew, the family looked for ways to monetize the goats in order to help with their cost of care. Although Heather was already making goat milk products, someone recommended creating caramel.

Goat milk and cheese products weren’t as widespread then as they are now. Heather wasn’t entirely sure where to start, but they had a family recipe to use as a base. After a huge amount of trial and error, she nailed down a perfect caramel recipe with goat milk, and now Heather is a wealth of knowledge and kindly shares it with our readers.

What began as a small operation quickly grew to around a 200-head herd of goats. Homestead Ranch raises mainly LaMancha goats, but they also include a few Nubian and Alpine goats. They breed for excellent milk lines and sell excess males for meat purposes. The key to a great operation is having multiple streams of income, which they have accomplished via milk products, body care products, and homegrown meat. The quality speaks for itself, so they’ve gathered a following of loyal customers.

The Homestead Ranch website, at www.allthingsranch.com, offers several high-quality recipes and tips for making these sweet treats. Heather advises using a heavy bottomed, large pan, and to only allow the caramel to fill ¾ of the way up the pan. The caramel froths while cooking and can easily spill over. I experienced this firsthand … it was enlightening.

Since caramels burn easily, Heather recommends copper cookware because it heats and cooks more evenly than any other medium. Other pans tend to have spotty heat coverage or heat too quickly. If the caramel becomes too hot, it will burn or the end product can become firmer than it should be.

Do not let the caramel sauce rise above 248 degrees F. Caramel is a “soft ball” class of candy. If you drop a ball of the cooking caramel sauce into a dish of cold water, it should form a soft, pliable ball of candy. For example, toffee and hard candy have different cooking temperatures because they are in the “hard ball” class, with temperatures ranging from 250-265 degrees F. When this type of candy is dropped into cool water, it becomes hard. If your caramel rises too high and goes into the hard ball range, you will no longer have those soft, delicious caramels you were dreaming about. I, too, have made this mistake. I don’t know what the end product is called; it tastes amazing, but it’s not caramel.

The easiest way to keep caramel at a good, constant heat is to invest in a copper pot and buy a candy thermometer. Heather has perfected these goat caramels and she stressed the importance of not letting it top 248 degrees F.

If you’re not feeling particularly adventurous, I have great news! Heather makes, sells, and ships her caramels from her website year-round. I’m excited to order a batch for myself and my family this fall season.

In addition to the goats milk caramel recipe below, Heather has recipes for cajeta (traditional Mexican caramel sauce — with cinnamon!), caramel pecan cheesecake, and goat milk ice cream on her website, among many others. Make sure to stop by for pictures, tips, or to order some yummy products. You can show a little love on her Facebook page, Homestead Ranch LLC, and thank her for sharing these traditional family recipes.

Since I’ve tantalized your taste buds, here is the recipe that Heather gave me, exclusively for our readers! Feel free to play with the recipe and experiment with different flavors. I love making caramel with a hint of espresso powder because I like the taste of coffee. Heather assured me that different flavors and ingredients can be added to customize the taste of the caramel. If you try this recipe, remember to utilize Heather’s advice and make sure to tell us how it turned out.

Homestead Ranch Goats Milk Caramels

Ingredients:

½ cup butter, cut into pieces

1 cup brown sugar

½ cup white sugar

¼ cup honey

1¼ cups goat milk

1¼ cups heavy cream

1¼ tablespoons vanilla extract

Flaky sea salt, to finish. (Optional)

Extra butter to coat baking dish

Instructions:

Set a large pot over high heat. Combine butter, brown sugar, white sugar, honey, goat milk, and heavy cream. Stir mixture constantly while keeping candy thermometer partly submerged. When temperature reaches 248 degrees F, remove pot from heat. Add vanilla extract and stir.

Butter a separate baking dish. Pour mixture into buttered baking dish. Sprinkle salt over caramel. Let cool 30 minutes, and then transfer, uncovered, to refrigerator. Chill several hours until firm before cutting.

May your holiday season be filled with goats milk caramels and other treats — and be just a little bit sweeter!

Making Goat Milk Caramels was originally posted by All About Chickens

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squawkoverflow · 2 years

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A new variant has been added!

Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) © Homegrown Love LLC

It hatches from blue, bright, open, orange, overall, royal, small, soft, striking, and white eggs.

squawkoverflow - the ultimate bird collecting game 🥚 hatch ❤️ collect 🤝 connect

#squawkoverflow #eastern bluebird #sialia sialis #birds #homegrown love llc

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home-grown-direct-llc · 1 year

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Get Fresh And Cheapest Fruits And Vegetables At The Lowest Prices From HomeGrown Direct LLC

HomeGrown Direct LLC is the ultimate destination for anyone who loves fresh and cheapest fruits and vegetables. With a commitment to quality and affordability, they offer a wide variety of produce at the lowest prices in the market. Their fruits and vegetables are handpicked from local farms and delivered directly to your doorstep, ensuring maximum freshness and nutritional value. Whether you're looking for seasonal favorites or rare finds, HomeGrown Direct LLC has you covered. Their easy-to-use website allows you to conveniently order your produce from the comfort of your own home. With HomeGrown Direct LLC, you can enjoy healthy and delicious fruits and vegetables without breaking the bank. You can visit HomeGrown Direct LLC official website for more information.

#cheapest fruits and vegetables

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jmagofficial · 6 years

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Follow the journey..Home Grown Productions LLC 🥀 ************************************* #spotify #spotifyplaylist #rapcaviar #radio #ascap #radiodj #atlanticrecords #videooftheday #love #playlist #homegrown #universalmusicgroup #dj #spotifyartist #summerhits #summervibes #radio #new #viral #positivity #newartist #songwriter #ascapwriter #closure #popular #trending #chillhits #jerseyartist #follow #jmagofficial • • 👉🏼 @jmagofficial @jmagofficial @jmagofficial @jmagofficial @jmagofficial (at Woodbury, New Jersey) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bn8ym9qnEZT/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=149ttok8jgkw5

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johnbattlesca · 6 years

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UFC 224 open workouts radiate spirit of Brazil UFC News

It’s well known that Brazil loves its MMA the way it loves everything: with passion. And the collective excitement for seeing so many of their homegrown stars at Saturday’s UFC 244 event spilled over into all the connected events of fight week, not the least of which was the official open workouts, held at BarraShopping Mall in Rio. Tecia Torres during UFC 224 open workouts. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Zuffa LLC)“ align="left” />The mega-mall was actually an ideal locale for the event, as it allowed fans of all ages to pack its three levels for to get a glimpse of the stars as they showe … Read the Full Article Here from UFC News http://www.ufc.com/news/UFC-224-open-workouts-radiate-spirit-of-Brazil

UFC 224 open workouts radiate spirit of Brazil UFC News published first on http://thrandythefabulous.tumblr.com

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hello-thefatlosshabit-blr · 6 years

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This week’s challenge is to wake-up 30-minutes early and exercise for at least 20-minutes. Most people that resolve to wake-up early to exercise do it with the vague goal of losing some weight and getting into shape. Those are terrible goals for several reasons. First, they aren’t clearly defined. Second, they don’t contain any emotional intensity, and last, they don’t have any deadline to create a sense of urgency. I want you to wake-up early and exercise because it will prime your mind for peak performance.

This habit has more to do with the effects it will have on your mind, and much less to do with the effects it will have on your body. Most people know that exercise releases endorphin, the body’s homegrown brand of morphine, but what most people don’t realize is that it stimulates the brain.

Regular exercise has been shown to stimulate the production of Brain-derived Neurotropic Factor (BDNF), a protein vital to the health and function of your brain and peripheral nervous system. BDNF has often been described by scientists as “Miracle-Gro for the brain” because it stimulates the production of new neurons. Low levels of BDNF is linked to Alzheimer’s, accelerated aging, poor neural development, neurotransmitter dysfunction, obesity, depression, and even schizophrenia. Nearly every abnormal state of cognitive function is attributed to low levels of BDNF. [1] I am not suggesting that exercise alone will make you smarter; it merely primes you for peak learning. After you have stimulated the brain, you need to take advantage of the newly formed neurons and wire-in some novel information.

After exercising, I like to begin each day by listening to an audiobook or reading a book while I commute to work on the bus. I also begin the workday with 30-minutes of professional reading before moving on to my most important task of the day. I purposely avoid checking email because it conditions you to be reactive. I want to start each day working on what is most important, and self-improvement is a never-ending priority. Researchers at the University of Muenster concluded that learning levels increased by 20 percent after strenuous exercise.[2] Exercise improves learning and brain function. Working out each morning boosts your mental and physical performance.

Exercising each morning is crucial to becoming better. If there is one thing that universally makes people happy it is progress. When we are getting better and accomplishing meaningful things it releases dopamine. Dopamine is the chemical most closely related to long-term happiness. When our dopamine system is activated, we are more positive, excited and eager to go after goals.[3]

Other benefits of regular exercise are more difficult to view under a microscope, but we all know that it improves mood, focus, energy, happiness, and creates a sense of wellbeing. There are unexpected benefits to forming healthy habits. Australian researchers, Megan Oaten and Ken Cheng, found that healthy habits lead to significant improvements in a wide range of regulatory behaviors such as less impulsive spending; better dietary habits; decreased alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine consumption; and fewer hours watching TV.[4]

Daily exercise will naturally improve your physical performance and make daily tasks easier. As you get fitter and stronger, everyday tasks become less effortful. If you are consistent and do it every day, eventually you will become fit. I don’t know how long it will take for you to become fit, but you will become fit. We become what we repeatedly do. If you stay committed to working out daily, you will become fit. I wish more people focused on doing whatever form of exercise they prefer and being more consistent. It is essential that you enjoy your workouts. It is vital you fall in love with the process of getting in shape.

“Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.” – Aristotle

When you enjoy your workouts, you’ll naturally be more consistent. Start out slow. Don’t rush or get impatient. Gradually build up the intensity of your workouts, depending on your ultimate goals. Focus on consistency. Consistency is more potent than intensity. Success is all about taking daily action, not sporadic acts of determination. You might not lose all the weight you want to lose, but you’ll be fitter and stronger. After many years of training, I have come to the following conclusions.

If you want to improve mental and physical performance, focus primarily on exercise. If you want to improve your body composition, focus primarily on your diet, energy balance.

So what type of activity is optimal for stimulating your brain? Research has focused primarily on aerobic exercise because scientists still haven’t been able to teach lab rats to properly execute squats or deadlifts. Their attempts at simulating weight training have consisted of hanging weights on the tails of the rats and forcing them to climb. We don’t know the ideal, but as little as 15-minutes of moderately intense exercise, 60% of your maximum heart rate, appears to be adequate. Optimal stimulation seems to be 70% to 80% of your maximum heart rate sustained for 30 to 45 minutes.

Exercise that requires you to think, like learning to dance, can help stimulate BDNF because you are getting your heart rate up and forcing your mind to learn new movement patterns. Exercising outside, in the sun, also contributes to higher levels of BDNF. We were designed to move and think outdoors, not sit indoors, under artificial lights, in front of a glowing screen. Exercise frequency plays a significant role in the stimulation of BDNF. The more often, the better. Three times a week is sufficient, but daily exercise is optimal. We were designed to move daily. Modern life has sought to engineer movement out of our lives. If you want to perform at your best, you must actively engineer movement back into your day.

Good is not the enemy of great. Find something you enjoy doing because you will be more consistent. I am going to give you a few suggestions, for you to consider; helping you find something you might enjoy. The longer I exercise, the more value I see in each form of exercise. I don’t believe there are any ideal exercise programs. Each type of training has its pros and cons. I like to start each day with 10 to 15 minutes of moderate cardio on my spin bike while listening to an audiobook or motivational YouTube video. Then I finish with 5 to 10 minutes of intervals in the form of shadow boxing, calisthenics, kettlebell circuits, or intermittent sprints on the spin bike. Spin bikes are great. They are simple, offer a low impact form of exercise, require very little space, are quiet, and affordable. Because my spin bike doesn’t have any electronics, I can jump off the bike, shadow box, perform some kettlebell swings, or do calisthenics without the machine turning-off. During my lunch hour, I focus on strength training; completing three to five circuits of three to five basic compound exercises.

To make getting up easier, I charge my phone in my bathroom. It forces me to get out of bed. I lay out my workout clothing and my wireless headphones next to my cellphone each night because I want to facilitate working out. Every minute of your morning is valuable. You don’t want to waste time or energy deciding what to wear or searching for clothing. I immediately put on my headphones and start listening to something inspiring while I get dressed and grab a cup of coffee. While I sit and drink my coffee I read a few pages of my journal to reconnect with my gratitude list, goals, values, insights, etc. After about 10 to 15 minutes I am ready to work out. I grab the sports bottle I always keep in our refrigerator and head upstairs to work out.

If you don’t have a great attitude toward exercise, that’s OK. You can improve it by making a list of at least ten reasons you love to exercise and reading it every morning while you drink your coffee. Here is an example:

1) I love to exercise in the morning because it primes me for a great day. 2) I love to exercise because it improves my mood. 3) I love to exercise in the morning because it increases my energy. 4) I love to exercise because it improves my focus. 5) I love to exercise because it keeps me strong and fit. 6) I love to exercise because it improves my impulse control. 7) I love to exercise in the morning because it makes me feel like I have accomplished something important before I even get to work. 8) I love to exercise because it reconnects me with my body. 9) I love to exercise because it simply makes me feel wonderful. 10) I love to exercise in the morning because it inspires me to live a healthier lifestyle.

You don’t have to do what I do. Do what works best for you. Do whatever type of exercise you enjoy most. As long as it gets your heart rate up, it doesn’t matter. If you haven’t exercised in a while, I recommend you start with taking a 20-minute walk. When you feel ready, you can begin to work in some jogging. Pick a tree or a parked car in the distance, then jog to it. After a while, you can start jogging the entire time. If you cannot walk outside, you can walk inside, and mix in some stair climbing.

If you prefer to workout inside, there are a lot of options. There are tons of No Equipment Cardio Workouts on YouTube. Create a playlist of your favorites.

You could download Perigee AB’s FREE 7 Minute Workout app (Google or iTunes). For a 21-minute workout, you can elect to do three 7-minute circuits. John Ratey, author of Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain recommends this app. I like the app because I can do the exercises whenever I need a quick energy boost. A quick 7-minute workout will get your heart rate up, without getting you sweaty. My daughter often does it before going to school to prime herself to learn.

Another alternative to consider is shadow boxing. You’ll need an interval timer. My favorite is the Boxing Timer Pro by SIMPLETOUCH LLC (Google or iTunes). I will listen to music that pumps me up while performing 5 to 20 rounds consisting of 45-seconds of exercise followed by a 15 second recovery. You can vary your exercise to recovery ratios based on your current level of fitness. You can alternate shadow boxing with jumping rope or jumping jacks.

If you would like to incorporate some strength training into your morning workout, you can perform a few simple bodyweight exercises in a circuit every other day. For example:

1) Inverted Row or Pull-up

A. Inverted row: They can be performed between two chairs, using TRX style straps, or under a table.

B. Pull-up: The Lifeline Power Up Chin-Up turns any door into a pull-up station for less than $15.

2) Dip (between chairs) or push-ups

A. If you can do more than 20 push-ups with great form, you can make them more challenging by slowing down the negative portion of the movement, pausing, and then explode off the ground as high as possible.

3) Bulgarian Split Squat (left leg)

A. If you can perform more than 20 repetitions, you can make the exercise more difficult by wearing a backpack, slowing the negative portion of the movement, and pausing before exploding up off the ground (Bulgarian Split Squat Jump)

4) Bulgarian Split Squat (right leg)

5) Plank(30-60 seconds)

I would recommend you warm-up for 5-minutes doing some jumping jacks or running in place before performing two or three circuits of the exercises listed above. You never want to lift or sprint with a cold muscle.

Last but not least, you could perform a Kettlebell circuit. Obviously, you’ll need to purchase a kettlebell if you don’t already have one. The general recommendation is a 15-pound kettlebell for women, and a 30-pound kettlebell for men.

Here are two circuits that take approximately 5-minutes to complete. They each consist of 7-exercises. Perform 30-seconds of exercise followed by a 10-second rest interval before beginning the next exercise. Feel free to increase the rest interval to 15 seconds if you feel the need. If you like to follow along to a video, here is the kettlebell workout video that is the basis of these circuits.

Circuit #1

Circuit #2

High Pull

Goblet Squat

Figure-8

Kettlebell Swing

Kettlebell Punch

Elbow to Hand Plank

Side to Side Planks

Ab Chop-up

V-up

Jumping Jack

Mountain Climber

I have offered these workouts to provide you with a few options. Don’t get too concerned with optimal, be more concerned with finding an activity you will truly enjoy. I want you to enjoy your workouts, so you can enjoy the benefits that working out has to offer: increased cognitive and physical performance, increased vitality, increased focus, improved impulse control, improved mood, improved happiness, and improved physical appearance.

Until next week, good luck, best wishes and best health!

Change your habits, change your life!

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[1] Anita E. Autry and Lisa M. Monteggia, Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Pharmacol Rev. 2012 Apr; 64(2): 238–258.

[2] Bernward Winter, Caterina Breitenstein, Frank C. Mooren, Klaus Voelker, Manfred Fobker, Anja Lechtermann , Karsten Krueger, Albert Fromme, Catharina Korsukewitz, Agnes Floel, and Stefan Knecht, High impact running improves learning, Neurobiology of Learning and Memory 87 (2007) 597–609.

[3] Susan S. Lang, Dopamine linked to a personality trait and happiness, Cornell Chronicle, October 24, 1996.

[4] Oaten M, and Cheng K, “Longitudinal gains in self-regulation from regular physical exercise,” Br J Health Psychol. 2006 Nov; 11 (Pt 4):717-33.

Exercise in the morning to stimulate BDNF, “Miracle-Gro for the brain,” improve mood & focus. This week’s challenge is to wake-up 30-minutes early and exercise for at least 20-minutes. Most people that resolve to wake-up early to exercise do it with the vague goal of losing some weight and getting into shape.

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