Here, at the LaLa Guru Show, we explore thought-provoking and fascinating information regarding matters of the body, the mind, business and beyond. 

We’ll dive deep into energy healing, quantum physics, the law of attraction, the power of the subconscious mind, longevity medicine, boosting your immune system, and so much more. Plus, for those of you who have a desire to grow your own business, we’ll be exploring cutting-edge strategies on how to best amplify your brand or messaging platform.

Today, we’re sitting down with Sam Morris, who, starting with a background in psychology and statistics, has over a decade of experience in search engine optimization, UX, and human web behavior analysis. He has worked as an expert in search engine optimization and search engine marketing across the United States and internationally. He is also head of digital marketing for my company, LaLaPow.

Due to his diverse clientele, Sam has acquired unique insights into the science behind user behavior and what end-users are saying with their clicks. He also happens to be one of the most brilliant people I know. 

The Science of Behavior

 Let me ask you a question: when you open your phone, your tablet, or your computer and begin surfing the web, what makes you do what you do? Why do you like certain websites better than others? What makes you buy certain products or like the things that you do?

When it comes to the web, you’re not as in control as you might think. The science of behavior and the web user experience is a highly sophisticated game. Sam agrees that the psychology of the web, “behavioral analysis and the psychology behind websites, and everybody’s interactions with these things on a daily basis, is an incredible topic to explore,” and we’ll start with Search Engine Optimization (SEO). 

“Search engine optimization, for people who don’t know, it’s the field of making changes to websites so that they rank better on search engines.”

One of the most well-known search engines is Google, but there are also others such as Bing, DuckDuckGo, Yahoo, and AOL, to name a few. These “optimizations” aren’t random, they’re highly targeted, using a methodology derived from “tons of studies in this industry [done] over the last 20 years or so…it’s really evolved.” Behavior analysis is a big part of SEO, which considers how users interact with websites and what they do on search engine results pages. Let’s take Google, for example.

“Google uses tools like Google Analytics, which evolved from Urchin tracking metrics when Google acquired those companies in 2004 and 2005. And then, they acquired DoubleClick Advertising, which uses cookies to track users’ behavior. All these things are tools that SEOs use to be able to determine which behavioral factors are impacting rankings the most.”

Sam’s background in psychology and statistics, along with his fascination with search engines, led him to explore his own behaviors on the web and how the way he “looks for information can greatly impact the results…and the knowledge that [he] can acquire.” Spurred by his curiosity, he wanted to know how those search engines run, learn more about consumer behavior, and understand “the facets of what makes people do the things that they do, what makes them make the decisions they do. All the way from a philosophical standpoint to a behavioral standpoint.”

When the web first opened up, we were diving in and exploring, surfing the web, and didn’t care very much about what was happening behind the scenes, but now, it’s so sophisticated. There are so many choices, and the quality of our user experience online has gotten to a point where we’re trained to like or dislike certain things due to heavy exposure. Simultaneously, we are training the search engines to display those things because our behavior has informed them to.

Google Analytics is a prime example of this as it’s on most websites, and “it allows the administrators of the website to be able to monitor the behavior of people on the website.” It will show when somebody visits a website and where they came from—in terms of other websites, search engines, an advertisement, or social media. 

“I can see how they’re interacting, what page they landed on, where they went, if they added items to their shopping cart, if they purchased these items, or if they just left.”

With Google Analytics, you can assess whether a customer is taking too long to make a purchase or find the information they’re searching for. “These tools are extremely valuable, and they really revolutionized the way that people build websites because they started listening to the users who landed on their site.”

User Experience

Most of us have had online shopping experiences, and in the beginning, our experience going online was limited, but “user experience (UX) encompasses a lot of different things.”

“User experience is, at the highest level, your experience when you’re interacting with a website or, really, any piece of software. It’s when you click through items, how you navigate them, how you find the information you’re looking for, how you accomplish the tasks that you set out to do when you get onto that website.”

When we, as consumers, buy things online, we develop expectations, “things like one-click purchases, which was a patent that Amazon got 20-something years ago in the late ‘90s…allowed them to revolutionize their product in the marketplace and allowed them to be able to set an expectation for people that that’s the way that their shopping experience should be, it should be that easy, one click.” It was a brilliant concept, and now, when we analyze the behavior, more clicks equals drop-offs.

“You can see when somebody buys and when they enter the website; you can watch people filing off every step of the way if they have too many steps.” 

Everything on a website contributes to the user experience, even something as simple as a video. If that video takes too long to load or play—and it’s something that’s supposed to motivate a visitor to purchase or sign up for something—they may get impatient and leave. 

“For things loading too long, you would see things like bounce rate, which means a user leaves within 30 seconds. So, a really high bounce rate is typically indicative of a long load time.”

One way to improve user experience is by testing it using A/B testing or using programs like Hotjar or Microsoft’s Clarity, which have lots of features, including recording user sessions and generating heat maps. Heat maps show you where the most clicks and scrolls are, whether they scroll to the bottom of the page or engage (or ignore) a Call To Action (CTA) button. These analytic tools watch behavior and how people are responding when they’re visiting a web page. “This allows the people who are running these websites [to] provide a better experience for the end-user.”

User Interface

User Interface (UI) varies from UX in that UI refers to “actual, visual elements, typically, on websites.”

“Visual elements are extremely important because there’s been tons of research, even dating back half a century, where people are looking at things like color theory…looking at how do colors drive people’s decisions to do certain things.”

When it comes to color, studies have shown the most liked color to be blue across gender and age demographics, while brown is the least liked color. Color plays an important role in web-building, especially with consideration to culture sensitivity, CTAs, and branding. Having gleaned information through his international clientele, Sam says that “in some Asian countries, red is considered a very harsh color” to use in communication, “whereas, in other places, red might be a color that symbolizes passion.”

Consider the brand Coca-Cola and its trademark red and white color scheme. What would Coke be like if it was chartreuse and white? It wouldn’t be the same thing, and perhaps, would not hold the same power or brand recognition. When we think about what Coca-Cola sells, most  people might say they sell cola. Sam says, “no, they sell Coke, they sell Coca-Cola–the brand. The brand, I want to feel that way.” He goes on to say that “Nike doesn’t sell sneakers, they sell Nikes.” 

“The brand becomes more powerful than the sum of all the products underneath the brand. These kinds of things are brand consistency and brand message…it ties into the UI thing, too, where people are looking at: do we have a consistent brand across the entire site. It’s a design element, but it also influences people’s behavior.” 

One design element that influences people’s behavior are buttons. That’s right, the shape and color of your CTA button has influence over your consumer. Studies have shown that “red buttons perform better than green buttons on websites; so they have a higher conversion rate…and that’s been demonstrated across tons of different studies, different industries, different countries, even when red is not a popular color for these things, it just has a higher conversion rate,” Sam says.

Site speed is another important factor when considering user interface and user experience. “If your site takes three seconds to load, you’re losing over half of your visitors.” Three seconds. That’s not a long time, but the cost is great, with studies showing a bounce rate of 53 percent. Previously, Sam worked on one website with around one million visitors per month, but because their site took nine seconds to load, they lost 90 percent of their visitors. For perspective, “a typical desktop site actually takes 10.3 seconds to load, and a typical mobile site takes 22 seconds to load.” Most people find that “intolerably slow and leave.” According to the data, most people will leave the site. 

The only exception to this rule seems to be government websites. Despite a lack of user-friendly interfaces, poor user experiences, and long load times, people are more willing to endure these negatives to accomplish their end-goal because the importance of that task is typically great.

Google’s PageSpeed Insights is a tool that can measure how fast your site loads, both on mobile and desktop. This speed is also how Google views your site and “is directly related to your ranking.” 

“Google’s product is high-quality, relevant results, and they control 70 percent of the search market, so it could not be overstated how important it is to rank on Google and be at the top and provide relevant, high-quality information for people who are looking for either goods or services or whatever you’re providing on your website.”

Google also indexes videos in the search engine results, and they have statistics linked to them, which contributes to a website’s ranking. “A page with a video is 53 times more likely to rank number one in the search engine results page.”

So, when it comes to user experience, user interface, and visuals, there are plenty of tools available to refine your site, increase your ranking, and enhance user experience for website visitors. Employ AB testing, which measures a user’s interaction (clicks) against two separate design (UI) elements, to find which garners the most interaction from your visitors. Lastly, since “Google is King,” take advantage of their free programs to improve your site and put it front and center on Google’s radar.

Here, at the LaLa Guru Show, we explore thought-provoking and fascinating information regarding matters of the body, the mind, business and beyond. 

We’ll dive deep into energy healing, quantum physics, the law of attraction, the power of the subconscious mind, longevity medicine, boosting your immune system and so much more. 

Today, we’re sitting down with Dahlia Rondeau, founder of High Vibes for Wellness and High Vibes with Dahlia. Formerly a reporter for People magazine, Dahlia became a holistic healer in order to heal herself from immune system issues and to help her twin boys find healing on the spectrum of autism.

We’ll explore quantum pioneering—which is where ancient teachings meet neuroscience—and how to gain more peace, joy, bliss and prosperity in your life. Dahlia will also share how her near-death experience made a profound impact on her life and how this journey led her to become a certified theta healing practitioner, sound healer, quantum biofeedback practitioner, and yoga meditation teacher.

Now studying to become a doctor of natural medicine, Dahlia wants to help everyday people like you and me connect to the healing power of love, compassion and pro-consciousness. 

Near Death Experience

A near-death experience at thirteen years old is where Dahlia’s journey into quantum biofeedback began. We’ve all heard of these types of things, and there are thousands of case studies about people leaving their bodies and going to the other side, accessing a higher consciousness. Dahlia is one of those people. 

One year on spring break, she’d been play-fighting with her older brother.

“We were playing tug-of-war with this beach towel, and I was in front of our glass coffee table, and he let go of his end of this tug-of-war. And when he did, I flew backwards…landed on the table and fell into this glass, and it broke into tiny blades.”

 

The blades pierced through Dahlia’s body, sending her into shock. At the hospital, Dahlia was immediately rushed into surgery, but she said she felt “complete and total peace” as she prayed, knowing that it wasn’t her time. “The lights went dark, and the next thing I know, I was literally up out of my body.”  

Her last conscious moment had been hurtling down the hospital corridor with the doctors, but during her surgery, Dahlia saw herself as she floated above the operating table. 

“Everything was happening just at quantum speed, just at lightning speed. I’m in this space, and I start to hear a quiet voice talking to me, saying ‘it’s not your time; I am with you; you are going to be okay.’ It was very comforting.”

 

Dahlia says the voice belonged to God, feeling she was with God and saying to him, “I don’t want to go back there unless you’re with me.” Within moments, she was back in her body, and ever since then, she’s retained that peace and higher consciousness. “It’s never left,” she says. “Our energy does exist beyond the physical.”

As someone who’s always been fascinated with near-death experiences—and reading books on the subject by authors like Elisabeth Kübler-Ross—I’m sort of jealous of Dahlia and others who’ve experienced the beauty of that existence. I think it’s beautiful. I have a degree in nutrition—I love all that stuff—and there’s a lot of mystical, magical things about the world. Hence why I am very interested in this topic, especially with what we’re going to talk about now: quantum frequencies, quantum healing, and quantum feedback.

Dahlia recalls, after waking from surgery, being “completely sensitive to light, sound.” She says, “People could walk into my room and I would immediately feel and know something about them,” which was not something she’d felt before. 

Despite trying to ignore this new ability, a series of traumatic events would prompt her to embrace it. Within 90 days, Dahlia lost a good friend to an aneurysm, miscarried a child, and received an autism diagnosis for her two-year-old twin boys. In dealing with the onslaught of grief, she was visited by an angel, she says, which led to the conclusion that she should not only use what she’d been blessed with to help herself and her family, but help others as well.

What Is Quantum Biofeedback and How Does It Help People?

Dahlia defines quantum biofeedback as a frequency. She says, “I believe that God has a frequency. It’s a high vibrational frequency. Everything is made of energy. Everything is vibration.” She attributes her near-death experience to her ability to access this higher consciousness and believes that “we’re going to be integrating even more of these types of tools, technology, energy, holistic health of all kinds” into our world.

“We’re all needing to take our power back.

We’re all needing to take our personal health back.”

 

There are software technologies that have been developed to capture, measure, and combine frequencies in hertz, which accesses the quantum field. Because we are electromagnetic beings, our bio-field, through this technology, can show us what frequencies we need more of to enhance our life force energy.

“When you access higher consciousness, whether it be through meditation, prayer, yoga, and you feel completely blissed out, you’ve reached higher consciousness in that moment,” says Dahlia, who believes we all have the ability to reach this state.

Joy, peace, happiness and love are higher realms of frequency, while anger and sadness register as lower frequencies. Meditation has been proven to create peace and calm and help us emotionally regulate. So, “we’re coming up with all these innovative ways to bring in these frequencies. Since everything is vibration, this quantum biofeedback technology takes that vibrational frequency and broadcasts it to you according to what your body needs,” Dahlia states.

How Does Quantum Biofeedback Work?

I tested quantum biofeedback in a session with Dahlia, which starts with taking a photo, capturing your image in real time. Then, she takes a “snapshot” of your voice, which, much like a fingerprint, is unique to every individual. She then measures your frequency via your voice, plugs it into a program and runs it against its algorithms, which produce a range for those frequencies. 

The process takes seconds and “is way faster than anything I’ve used before,” Dahlia claims. “I’ve gone through using kinesiology, muscle testing—and I still believe in all of that, it’s fabulous—but this works really fast to look at your field.” 

Everything is divided into body, mind, and bio-field. We look at my aura, which “is pretty muddy,” as Dahlia put it. Lots of dark gray, and a vertical stream of green that represents healing coming into my body, and a little purple that indicates something is happening in my crown chakra.

From her analysis, Dahlia (correctly) surmises that I’ve been experiencing discomfort in my body and emotional distress. She explains that I’m showing low frequency in the root chakra area, which is how we relate to our earth, finances, and our safety. She delves into my stress levels and says, “it’s showing that you have some inflammation in your energy fields. It is showing something around blood sugar, so I don’t know if you haven’t eaten in a while.” I admit that I’d not eaten since breakfast, and she makes note to put some vibrations toward my immune system.

Biofeedback Results

After analyzing me, she drops various “essences” into a virtual holding tray to broadcast to me and boost these areas. Some of those essences—think essential oils—are Bach flower essences like willow, rock water, cerato, lavender, lemon, and cinnamon bark, among others. 

“These essential oil vibrations are coming to you, so you do not have to go out and purchase all of these,” she explains. “This is just going to be broadcast to your system, and your system will know what to use for the highest and greatest good.” 

Finally, she adds bergamot, which I love, and says that it’s for joy. While she’s broadcasting these frequencies to me, the software emits vibrational tones, and when she pulls up the image of my aura, the transformation is tremendous. My aura now boasts a beautiful pink streak on the side, lots of green, and a little bit of bluish green.

“So, all of these frequencies that we went through and described were broadcast to you,” she explains. “[They] either zero out any sort of discomfort and bring in the higher vibrational essential [sic] and oils and flower essences to your field. So, instantly, your bio-field, your aura changed.”

Pink is the color of unconditional love, Dahlia tells me. “I always tell people to meditate in pink to transmute something that feels not good in your system.” Healing and unconditional love now flowed throughout my auric field, and “this love is coming in to assist with your root chakra,” she continues.

Even though someone may not have felt it right away, Dahlia says her clients “feel awesome” within 24 hours. She can even send her clients their individual frequencies and instructs them to continue playing them a couple times a day for the next week, or until they meet again. 

She also offers emotional regulation support, which is helping people through breath work, through meditation, theta healing, and work on bringing in their higher consciousness into their everyday life.

Dahlia also revealed that, prior to starting the interview, she’d been wearing a different color, but “the Holy Spirit quietly said ‘go put a pink shirt on,’ and I think it was because we were supposed to be tuning into that frequency of love today.”

How beautiful is that?

Interested in having a biofeedback session with Dahlia? She can do this for anybody, anywhere. You can have your session via phone or Zoom, even if you’re in another state or country.

You can visit Dahlia’s website at highvibeswithdahlia.com and read more about quantum biofeedback, her background and education, or even book a one-to-one session.

Click here to follow Dahlia on Instagram! 

Here are seven ways to turn a bad day good.

Walk it off. Put on your walking shoes and take off. Walk for at least twenty minutes. Walk briskly and with purpose. Focus on the movement of your body and your breathing to tune into the moment. Imagine that you are walking away from your stress, leaving it behind you. Choose a mantra for your walk; repeat to yourself, “I attract positive experiences into my life!” Or, “I am happy, healthy, and well!” Your mantra can be anything, so long as it is positive (i.e., avoid mantras that begin with “I don’t want” or “I don’t like”).

Sweat it out. Go to a gym or pick up your own weights and give your muscles a workout. Research suggests that when you engage in weight resistance training with weights of 20lbs or more, your body responds by releasing youthful, energizing hormones (such as testosterone and growth hormone). Work out until you sweat—and for at least thirty minutes. Be sure to throw in about ten minutes of cardio to elevate your body core temperature. And push yourself. You’ll feel better and stronger in no time.

Dance the blues away. I do this quite often. If I am in a funk or having a bad day, I grab my iPod, turn to a great song and start to move to the beat. Certain songs instantly make me want to smile and groove. You can do this in the privacy of your home or your office. Close the door, crank the tunes, and dance! No kidding—it really works.

Have a cuppa. In my book, 52 Ways to a Healthy You, I devote an entire chapter to the benefits of drinking caffeine in moderation. Drinking coffee elevates dopamine levels in your brain. And studies show that regular coffee drinkers have a higher tolerance for stress than non-coffee drinkers. It sounds crazy, but it’s true! So the next time you are feeling down, swill a cup of espresso or black coffee. Add skim milk, stevia, or agave as desired, but try to forego the high sugar, high-fat alternatives. And remember: no more than two cups of coffee per day is recommended.

Pasta baby, pasta! Eating carbohydrates can elevate serotonin levels in the brain. So if you are one of those people who avoid carbs like poison, now and then, you might think about eating a bowl of pasta. Pasta won’t elevate your blood sugar as quickly as bread will, but it provides a nice slow release of glucose into your system. Carb addicts might want to use this trick as a last resort!

Laugh. I am a huge advocate of laughing and smiling. Did you know that when you smile, blood flow increases to your brain, literally cooling down those hot-headed moments? And when you laugh, stress hormones are lowered, and feel-good hormones are elevated! Do what you can to laugh, smile, and make yourself happy. Fake it until you make it, as they say!

Beat Hormone Hell. Sometimes, hormonal fluctuations get the best of us, despite our best intentions. If you feel your moods are out of control, be sure to consult with a primary health care provider for treatment. I lean towards alternative health care, so I consult with a doctor of oriental medicine and take the supplements she recommends to keep my mood swings in check. Sometimes just a tweak of the brain biochemistry can make all the difference in the world.

The hunger to feel good has a flip side. Hence addiction is a huge problem for many in our society. I should know. My genetic heritage is laden with those who have struggled with alcoholism and prescription drug abuse. My Grandpa Len died from it. He was such a great guy, too, and I adored him. It’s too bad he died at age 57. I still miss him to this day. Want to skip the bad stuff and just get high naturally? Here are 6 ways to do just that:

1. Workout. Move. Do something that involves physical activity. I enjoy fitness walks and hopping on my spin bike. And I adore the gym and try to get there at least three to four times per week. What do you love?

2. Gossip. I had no idea, but it’s true. Gossiping, according to researchers, is much like grooming among primates and helps humans bond. And elevates endorphins too. I am not a fan of “mean gossip” and recommend being kind when you do gossip.

3. Eat Chocolate. Why? If you are a chocolate lover, you have a hunch. When you eat chocolate, the simple consumption of the luscious, rich treat causes the release of phenylethylamine in the brain: the same chemical released when you fall in love.

4. Get Stuck…with Acupuncture Needles. If you haven’t tried it, you should. I love it. My acupuncturist has been treating me for years. I must say, the endorphin high is simply lovely. Researchers have proven acupuncture treatments significantly improve moods.

5. Have Sex. Post orgasm, natural pain killers are released. No wonder you feel “oh so good” afterward.

6. Laugh, Giggle, Chortle, or Guffaw. And do it a lot. I love to laugh, smile, and make others laugh. Have you laughed lately? If not, rent a funny flick. Call a friend that makes you laugh. Listen to a stand-up comic that makes you laugh. Laughing is one of the easiest ways to elevate your mood.

Do you have an all-natural endorphin-releasing habit not listed here? Leave a comment and share your unique approach to getting high naturally.

Ingredients:

2 cups organic dried lentils

1 28 oz can of crushed organic tomatoes

1 cup organic baby carrots or thick carrot slices

1 cup peeled and quartered organic Yukon gold potatoes

¼ cup chopped onion

2 organic dried bay leaves

Optional: 2 stalks chopped celery

1 to 1.5tsp sea salt water to cover

1. Bring all to a boil on medium-high, stirring frequently.
2. Cover and reduce heat to medium to medium-low. Cook and continue to add water until lentils and vegetables are soft.
3. Once desired consistency is achieved for tenderness, leave uncovered and allow the liquid to evaporate until the mixture becomes a thicker “stew-like” consistency.

Serve with organic grated sharp cheddar or crumbled feta-cheese (reduced fat or fat free is fine to reduce fat content). Add a fresh mixed green salad on the side with balsamic vinaigrette and an iced cold glass of iced tea with a sprig of mint. Oh, and be sure to add a side of “love” to that too! Enjoy!

Serves 6 to 8

As a single parent, my phone is my mainline to my kids. It’s always with me. It sits on the table during my meetings and even on my dates. When the phone died, I acted as if I was four years old, and someone had yanked away my precious blankie.

When it died, I was not in the Zen mode. I should have been. No—I reacted emotionally, with anger and frustration. My daughter, Victoria, came into my office to find me dealing (badly) with the situation. “Mom, look at you,” she said. “Why are you reacting this way? You should actually be happy that you can take a break from it.”

Okay. I contemplated this idea, and as the evening wore on, I became more and more comfortable with the absence of my phone. I took my dog for a walk without it in my pocket. I watched my son as he swam in the pool without it by my side. When I woke the next morning, I felt unusually calm, not worried about who to call or text. I made myself a cup of tea, walked the dog, and enjoyed my morning.

I had a bit of a nostalgic feeling throughout–a longing for a technology-free life. I reflected on the days of my youth. Then the joys of my life were riding bikes with my friends in upstate New York, exploring the birch- and poplar-filled woods, sitting outside, and talking to my grandmother as we munched on fresh strawberry shortcake, lying on my bed listening to (gasp!) records. Life was simpler then, for sure. No ringing cell. No texts to send or answer. No multitudes of channels to choose among…just four! To make a phone call, all we needed a dime.

I date myself here, I know. Do I love and appreciate the convenience of technology? Absolutely. But the loss of my phone forced me into a zone of calm and helped me to realize that I don’t need to be dependent on technology every moment of every day.

My new phone arrives tomorrow, and I am happy about it. But I know now that I will turn my phone off more often when I’m meeting with someone. I’ll leave the phone at home when I walk my dog or head into the natural foods market. I vow to enjoy my days even more. It’s funny. I thought that my life was fairly balanced. But the death of my phone allowed me to experience much-needed serenity and gave me a fresh perspective on my own life.

Radiation exposure due to potential nuclear reactor meltdowns in Japan threatens not only Japanese residents but also those people in the path of weather carrying dangerous elements in the atmosphere. These elements may cause serious illness and even premature death. I hate to be an alarmist. However, I feel it is better to be safe than sorry when faced with the possibility of such a threat.

As you may have heard, Potassium Iodide (KI) supplements are flying off of the shelves of pharmacies and health food stores where customers are buying them “just in case.” KI is known to flood the thyroid and have protective qualities against radiation damage to the thyroid gland.

When a nuclear event occurs, radioactive iodine is released into the atmosphere. The thyroid uses iodine metabolically, taking in the radioactive (dangerous form) if not loaded with a more benign form, such as Potassium Iodide. Take note: These tablets do NOT protect the rest of the body from radiation. The thyroid is a highly sensitive gland. Therefore, when it is left unprotected, accidental exposure to radioactive iodine may trigger thyroid cancer.

So, what can you do? Authorities warn against prematurely supplementing with Potassium Iodide as it may cause side effects such as acne, upset stomach, and loss of appetite. More severe side effects may be experienced such as fever, weakness, unusual tiredness, swelling in the neck or throat, mouth sores, skin rash, nausea, vomiting, stomach pains, irregular heartbeat, numbness or tingling of the hands or feet, or a metallic taste in the mouth.

A more natural route to follow is to include foods in your diet that have protective or detox qualities. First, eat foods that are high in natural iodine, such as sea vegetables and seaweed. This list includes spirulina (the powder that was given to children in Chernobyl), blue-green algae, chlorella, kelp, nori, and kombu, to name a few. Seaweed salad is a favorite of mine and can be found at your favorite sushi restaurant. Nori seaweed is commonly used to wrap sushi rolls and is rich in iodine.

If you are concerned about radiation exposure, especially if you live in the Hawaiian Islands or along the western coast of the United States, in addition to increasing the iodine-rich foods mentioned previously, you may want to beef up the following foods in your diet due to their protective, detoxifying qualities.

•        Garlic
•        Ginseng
•        Green and Black Teas
•        Dandelion
•        Burdock
•        Lentils
•        Collard Greens
•        Mustard greens

A few rules for you to follow: Fresh is best when preparing your foods. Include them regularly versus a more sporadic schedule. In my home, we always had my homemade lentil stew at least two to three times a month. This way,  we have it not only for dinner but also to be enjoyed as leftovers during the following two to three days after our lentil rich dinner.  Be sure you remember to include iodine-rich foods or nutritional supplements such as spirulina powder.

As a nutrition expert, I’m fascinated with natural solutions to age-old problems.  Stay tuned for more nutrition tips!

Discomfort and resistance to change go hand in hand. Resisting change may cause one to become unhealthy, both in mind and body, due to an elevation of stress. And as a result, not going with the flow may even cause folks to dive off their health and fitness tracks, to gain weight, to experience lowered self-esteem, to become more stressed out about relationships — thus the spiral begins. flowersIf you are like me, you need tips and tools for navigating change so you won’t go down with the ship. So here are eight tips and tools just for you.

8 Ways to Cope Healthfully with Change:

Chill Out. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, two-thirds of doctor visits are prompted by stress-related symptoms. Practicing meditation or simply quieting your mind for at least 10 minutes each day can help lower stress hormones throughout the day. When stress is lowered, you may feel more in control in the face of change. And you will be less likely to indulge in foods and beverages that are not good for you or your waistline.

Stop Negative Talk. Feeding the “beast” of negativity is simply not productive. Think about it. Continuing to harp on the unfairness of life, how much you dislike another person or complaining, in general, will only bring you more negativity. I have no doubt about that. So as my Grandma Ruby used to say, “If you don’t have something good to say, then keep it to yourself.” I’ll take that one step farther and ask you to stop that negative self-talk too! Changing the way you think can change your life.

Go with the Flow. “It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” Author unknown. Letting go and going with the flow is challenging, especially if we feel our survival is threatened in some way. But then again, if we let go of the oars in our rowboat of life and see where the current takes us, letting go of resistance to the flow of life, we might just be surprised by the gifts that lie at the end of what seems to be a tumultuous journey.

Keep the Faith. Getting online with the divine, as I like to say, can help you to stay balanced in an uncertain world. Louis Ferman, a University of Michigan researcher investigating the unemployed, found one fellow who had been laid off by the Studebaker corporation in 1962, another time in the 70′s by a truck manufacturer, and then later by the Chrysler corporation. He said this guy, by all accounts, should have been a basket case — but he was one of the most well-adjusted folks he had ever met. When asked his secret, the unemployed fellow replied, “I have a loving wife and go to church every Sunday.” Now that is food for thought.

Focus On You. Your fitness. Your diet. Your sleep. Your fun. In the face of change, it is more important than ever before to stick to your workout routine, eat healthy foods, get adequate sleep, and build fun into your life. By doing this, you can face change with a clear head and a healthy, fit body.

Get Present. Instead of focusing on the past or future, focus on the good things in the moment. As I walked my dog this morning, I focused on the budding flowers, the sounds of birds chirping, the feeling of my muscles as I moved silently alongside my faithful friend as we both breathed in the crisp morning air. Connecting with the essence of what is happening right now can be magical in helping you to stay in the flow of life.

Explore Creativity. How long has it been since you listened to music, visited an art gallery, squished some clay between your fingers, contemplated writing a book? In the face of change, you may find you have more free time on your hands — and what better time to reawaken the creative parts of you?

Reach Out. Change can be challenging when you are all by yourself. Join a group. Find a therapist. Volunteer to help out at a food pantry or join others who are building homes for those in need through Habitat for Humanity. Reaching out can help bring a fresh and positive perspective to your life in transition.

Living a passionate, healthy life requires you to become a “master of change.” I believe you can become that expert by making conscious and courageous decisions along your path in life. You are in control of the most important asset you have — and that asset, your most valuable possession, is YOU!

“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” Victor Frankl

How stressed out are you?

Heck, even I need motivation – and I am known as an enthusiastic health and fitness advocate and motivator. I am only human, after all. So I decided to conduct a bit of research on some common and not-so-common motivators. I gleaned information from my fit hairstylist and from the editor of a popular fitness magazine. Plus, I checked out a few online sources. I came up with some “interesting” motivational strategies. Read on!

Set an alarm clock in your living room. There was a fellow who had a hard time getting out of bed in the morning to go to the gym. Since his wife and small children were sleeping, he felt it was easier to sleep in with the rest of them. So he decided to set two alarm clocks — one by the bed and one in the living room. If the one in the living room were to go off, it would wake his children at 5 a.m., which is something he did not want to happen since havoc would inevitably ensue. So he learned to hop up when the first alarm went off, he turned off the one in the living room, and then he headed to the gym.

Pay a penalty to a cause you despise. My editor friend told me about a personal trainer who made all her clients donate to a cause they hated if they didn’t follow her program. For example, a staunch conservative may not want to donate to a liberal organization such as Greenpeace. You blow it, you pay up for something you don’t believe in. You can do this with a fitness buddy so you can keep each other on track.

Religion makes you diet. Lara, my hairstylist, does have one rockin’ bod. But she works at it. Yet she also loves to have fun. An admitted fried-food addict, she finds giving up her beloved fatty obsessions for the Catholic time of Lent helps her stay on the straight and narrow. “I am giving up fried foods for my soul,” she told me grinning broadly, “and when I give up french fries, well, a burger just isn’t the same, so I order a salad instead.” Since Lent falls right before Spring, Lara said, “What better way to get my body ready for summer?”

Fantasize about compliments. Lara also loves to work out, but not all of the time. She works out, then slacks off for a month at a time. Yet her recent motivation was being complimented at a pool party. She focused on her cardio and abs. Lo and behold, a friend came up to her and told her she had great abs. Big smile from Lara. She loves compliments, so she’ll keep working out. For now, anyway.

Schedule a boudoir photo session. Umm, yeah. This is one of those sexy photo sessions where you show your more sensual side with somewhat revealing clothing or even being “draped” tastefully. Or you might choose a sexy swimsuit for a more fitness model look. Either way, make an appointment six to eight weeks in advance with a photographer who specializes in this type of thing. Set the session date as your goal. Then give your photos to your sweetheart or keep them for yourself so you can admire the results of your work. If that won’t get you motivated, I don’t know what will!

Do you have your own quirky ways of staying motivated? I’ve love to hear them!