Why You Need to Stop Putting Yourself Down ASAP

For certified holistic nutritionist, wellness expert and health coach Kelly LeVeque, the hustle began four years ago.

During that time she worked two jobs, "weekends and nights," she says, "and today, I have a book deal with Harper Collins (pub date: April 2017), celebrity clientele (pinch me) and solely run my private practice Be Well by Kelly." 

We caught up with the LA-based lady to chat health (of course), happiness (yes!) and why we should all stop putting ourselves down (forever!!).

Tell us a little about your background? Why did you get into the health space? I have always loved health! After graduating from USC, I took the corporate path though health and wellness working for Fortune 500 companies such as Johnson & Johnson, Stryker and Hologic, and Agendia specializing in cancer and personalized medicine, offering tumor gene mapping and molecular sub-typing to oncologists. My career in medical science meant I had to keep up with cutting-edge research on how diseases develop and how they can be treated. I loved the deep thinking required, especially the statistical analysis—deciphering data for statistical significance, distinguishing between causation vs. correlation, and understanding why study design mattered so much. My career enabled me to go deeper in my passion; I would mine nutrition based pubmed research and build my own opinions around current research. I became the one my friends leaned on (for weight loss, autoimmune diseases, allergies, bad blood tests etc.) so when I let them know I would be going back to school to follow my passion not my paycheck they weren’t surprised. 

Balance. It’s the word of the year, but it’s also super hard to achieve. And it doesn’t happen all at once. What is a healthy way to work toward balance?

I try to instill balance in my clients by giving them light structure (Be Well Fab Four) around what they should eat and breaking down their rigid food rules and cleansing habits. Binging and cleansing cycles swing you back and forth like an out of control pendulum ball. Happiness and health are attained when you find that small swing. Balance isn’t when you stop moving and live a rigid, on-plan, perfect life; when you are focused on a perfect food day you aren’t present, and most likely you are anxious, irritable and thinking about food all day. Instead focus on turning off hunger hormones and thoughts about food and know it be okay to swing a little from time to time. Balance is found with intentional movement to eat clean, sweat and even enjoy a glass of wine with friends. Accept who you are, love who you are and build a lifestyle focused on health, not some abstract idea of “perfection.” So if you have a glass of wine with friends one evening, jump into an app on your phone and schedule a workout or plan to have a fruit free low glycemic smoothie the next morning to bring yourself back into alignment, or both. 

"Happiness and health are attained when you find that small swing."

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How do you set realistic goals? 

Stop trying to do it all at once and enjoy the journey! Transforming our mindset, our nutrition and our bodies is a journey. It takes practice to be present; to see that big leaps start with small steps and to not get discouraged if we have setbacks. Learn to enjoy it by breaking your “big goals” down into attainable action steps that can reinforce how strong, brilliant and beautiful you are. Just look at the week ahead of you: Plan a workout with a friend and create a healthy meal plan to nourish your body. Step by step, you’ll build a healthy lifestyle, and moments of clarity and opportunities for fun will follow. By focusing on eating real and nutrient-dense food, and striving to build a healthy, active lifestyle, you’ll take the important first steps to being well and it will naturally become a lifestyle. True progress happens when we enjoy making it happen and when we get out of our own way. When you try to change more than one thing at a time chances are you will be overwhelmed and give up. Maybe for just 2 weeks you commit to have a Be Well Smoothie for breakfast, you will be surprised how that positively affects the rest of your life. 

People have a fear of fat. What else are we afraid of that we shouldn’t be? (existential life question…)

Stop fearing change; change your career, get out of a bad relationship, determine if your nutrition habits or “lifestyle” is no longer serving you and change, nothing needs to be forever. Don’t just cling to a mistake because you have invested time and energy making it, convinced your friends or family it was right or invested time. You only have one life to live; live it without regrets by having the guts to adjust your ships sail as needed. Stop waiting for your inner voice to scream, the change will be harder to make, instead trust your voice and make a calculated change sooner rather than later. 

"Change your career, get out of a bad relationship; nothing needs to be forever."

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You’ve said that punishing yourself for failing is unhealthy. We all do it. What are some other habits we can kick to the curb that will benefit our well being both personally and professionally? 

Stop putting yourself down! As women, we need to stop allowing one another to openly bash themselves; “I am,” I can’t,” or “ I am sorry” solidifies those opinions of ourselves and undermines our ability to rise above it. The next time your friend says, “I am fat” simply respond with “that’s great, you have one more” if they do it again, make them stand up in front of everyone and name three things they love about their body. We need to help one another break this horrible habit immediately. 

How do you see health as related to our careers? 

Your nutrition, activity and stress levels directly affect the health and wellness of your career; working actively to remove the stress from your life can also be a good way to get going on the things you want to achieve. Stress reduction is not a one size fits all formula, but there are a few techniques I recommend to help my clients start their day. Meditate via an app, or start your day with a walk or workout. These exercises can provide clarity, comfort and help you prioritize your day. Even doing 15 minutes of exercise or mediation in the morning can move the negative unaligned thoughts from your mind.

What’s a great recipe that will get us energized and feeling productive in the am? 

I always start my day with one of the low sugar, meal replacement smoothie recipes I created for my clients! My Be Well Smoothie formula helps develop a blood-sugar balancing meal in any flavor with enough protein, fat and fiber to keep you full for four to six hours, feed your microbiome, turn off hunger hormones and nourish your body with amino acids, fatty acids and phytonutrients. It limits fruit to 1/4 -1/2 cup, depending on your body composition goals, and some are totally fruit free. A killer go-to is my Spa Smoothie, loaded with greens, cucumber, avocado and lemon. (find my recipe below!).

THE “BE WELL” SPA SMOOTHIE

1/4 avocado
2 Tbsp. chia seeds
1 small Persian cucumber
1 handful of spinach
1 lemon, freshly juiced
1 scoop vanilla protein powder (love Perfect Fit)
2 cups unsweetened nut milk

DIRECTIONS:

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Enjoy!

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7 Ways Successful Women Say Yes to Their Day

Moaning about Monday is very 2015. This year is all about finding ways to infuse our days with happiness and joy that lead to a sense of fulfillment and empowerment. Shifting your mood and what you say YES TO affects your career (and life) in more ways than you know.

So we checked in with our friends at “Yes to” who know a whole lot about just that. So yes to you with these 7 tips that will make your day naturally brighter.

1. SAY YES TO MUSIC IN THE MORNING 

Music isn’t just entertainment. It can also give you the sense of power needed to get you through the day. Scientists have found that songs with heavy bass (hello #LEMONADE #sorry #formation) motivate us and give us the energy needed to make it through the day.

So whether you sing in the shower (while detoxifying with Yes to Tomatoes Charcoal Cleanser), drive to work, or rock a headphone while on the subway, you can play tunes that inspire feelings of power and more complex conceptual thoughts. 

2. SAY YES TO FLOWERS ON YOUR DESK

Everyone knows that fresh flowers look pretty, but studies have shown that florals in an office setting can also help reduce stress (yes, please) as well as pollens in the air.

You may not be thinking about air purification when decorating your space, but when you breathe easier, your head is more clear. Which means, you’re working smarter. A lot of people assume air plants and greens are best for desks, but did you know that gerbera daisies pack quite the air-purifying punch? They are a pop of color that also work to filter out benzene that is spread in the air by inks.

3. SAY YES TO A COFFEE BREAK 

As if you needed an excuse to take one, a mid-morning java run is good for the brain (and body). It’s important to keep moving during the day and leave your desk from time to time.  

A coffee break also boosts workplace culture two-fold. One, there is something about a coffee break that feels like you’re rewarding yourself. It sends signals to your brain that you’re doing a good job and you deserve it-- which, let’s be real, you do. Two, if you snag a co-worker and bring them along, they are receiving the same reward benefit and you’re also building non-competitive office culture.

4. SAY YES TO SOMETHING SURPRISING 

No matter what, you are going to have to say “no,” to certain projects, people, and proposals. That’s part of any job. But sometimes we tend to say “no’ to things because of an unaddressed fear. Maybe you don’t want to take the lead on a meeting. Maybe you think that you’re not quite capable of taking a client meeting alone. Maybe someone offers you an in-person interview when you’d rather send an email Q & A. There are a lot of ways we say “no” to things during the day at work out of fear-- oftentimes without even realizing it.

Next time your knee-jerk reaction is to say “no,” say “yes” instead and inject your career with a bit of confidence when you realize you are capable of handling the situation.

5. SAY YES TO WIPING OFF YOUR MAKEUP BEFORE HEADING TO THE GYM

If the work week is a marathon, the individual days can feel like sprints. And sometimes we forget to do the most simple tasks. From remembering to drink water (proven to increase productivity and focus) to taking off our morning makeup before we head to the gym to let off some steam, these small actions are important. Keep Yes to Cucumber Facial Wipes in your work bag and be sure to remove the day’s ups and downs from your skin. Sweating is great for our mind and body, but if we’re sweating with pores clogged from makeup it can create impurities known to affect self-confidence. This in turn, affects our work.

6. SAY YES TO A HEALTHY DINNER 

On average you can raise your productivity by 20 percent if you are eating the right foods. Fish is the classic brain food fortified in Omega-3 fatty acids and rich in oils essential to brain function and development. Omega-3s also help our memories as we age. Sushi for dinner anyone?

7. SAY YES TO GETTING A GOOD NIGHT SLEEP

A good, restful sleep is imperative to starting the next day with a fresh perspective. That means, keeping the tech out of your bed--sorry! How many of us sleep with one hand on our phones? Or scroll Instagram before snoozing? Or get locked in a three-hour Netflix binge on accident? It’s affecting our sleep-- we know you know this. Get a calming night sleep, do your skin a favor with Yes to Cucumber Calming Night Cream, and say yes to you and wake up refreshed.

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What If You Could Only Work 35 Hours a Week?

The idea of a 9-5 is laughable for most of us. The Great 40-Hour Work Week Myth. A concept adapted after the Great Depression in efforts to stimulate the job market, 40 hours was considered a shorter work week. It was the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 passed, which established the five-day, 40-hour work week for everyone, which is still observed today. 

In France however, a 35-hour work week is the current law. The cap, introduced in 1999 was flagship reform of the Socialist government in power in efforts to fuel job creation. 

In January of this year, in what is likely to be one of the final big policy initiatives of President Francoise Holland's government, Holland and Socialist prime minister Manuel Valls proposed an overhaul of the policy. It was not met with welcome arms. Quite the opposite, working to divide an already fractured Socialist party.  Of the country's 3,400 page labor code, 125 are dedicated to working hours-- hours many citizens see as a major tenet of the Socialist party. 

On the 9th of this month, protestors took to the streets as Holland and team presented draft reform of the labor code to cabinet. 

All of this uproar got us thinking. Surely we're better off than the 1800s when it was standard for men, women, and children in the U.S. to work 14-hour days thanks to the Industrial Revolution. But with the average worker in the US clocking 47 hours per week, what would a 35-hour work week even look like? 

And when, if ever, would you be in the prime position to pitch it to your boss?

THE FAIRYTALE THAT NEVER CAME TRUE

This one has nothing to do with princes, and everything to do with market principles. 

Once upon a time in the '30s, influential economist John Maynard Keynes predicted that as technology advanced and made us more productive, the work week for man would become much shorter. In an essay called, "Economic Possibilities for Our Grandchildren," Keynes anticipated a 15-hour work week. Today, we are working longer hours than ever, though one part of Keynes theory came true. 

Technology has made us faster, more connected, and in effect more productive. We link up with international clients with the click of a button. We can upload and market from our phones. Yet advancements have increased our workload, blurring the boundaries between on-the-clock hours and off.

Technological progress also fueled a consumerism boom, so instead of working less, people started buying more. The easier it became to market and distribute goods, the more we bought, and the more bought the more we had to work to bankroll our consumer tendencies. 

THE BENEFITS FOR YOU, YOUR BOSS, & THE ECONOMY 

The Indeed Job Happiness Index 2016 scrutinized data to rank job satisfaction in 35 countries as well as major cities in the US and Europe. The study, released earlier this month, revealed that the happiest workers in the US live in Los Angeles.  According to Indeed the happiest workers in LA are those with “personal assistant, creative director, production assistant, and teaching assistant” roles. Might this have something to do with the non-typical work hours of those jobs? Perhaps. 

According to the study, "Compensation consistently ranks as the least significant factor when it comes to considering what makes people happy at work. However, although the work-life balance correlates closely with overall job satisfaction." In other words: shorter hours. 

"The work-life balance correlates closely with overall job satisfaction."

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There are other potential benefits. Shorter hours for one worker means more hours for another. Which is why some economists believe that a shorter work week is a job creation tool. 

Shorter hours might also mean a reduction in stress, anxiety, be better for your overall happiness, and reduce child care costs if applicable.  It would mean less money, but if the saying is true, money can't buy happiness. 

To deliberately work less would mean that you would also have to deliberately buy less. 

SO IS A CONDENSED SCHEDULE RIGHT FOR YOU?

Hard to say. If you want to broach the subject with your employer, the best argument for a shorter work week is that it has been proven to increase productivity. But you also need to consider that the adage of working smarter, not harder applies to the case of the 35-hour week. 

If you have only four days to complete assignments you would typically finish in five days, it's economical for the company, beneficial to your mental health, potentially giving you the opportunity to find happiness and live-work balance. 

Is that, and a reduced pay check, worth the extra day off to you? Because you can't have your cake and eat it too in this case-- no matter what the French do. 

Or you could simply move to LA, where we might have the happiest workers and the angriest drivers. 

 

Real Mom, Real Talk: Work Life Balance is a Myth

It’s the million-dollar question for every working mom. How do you balance your job and your family? It’s a valid question and worth discussing if for no other reason than it’s reassuring to hear that other working moms struggle with this too. My opinions on this topic are quite strong and I’m happy to share with you exactly what I’ve said at numerous business panels over the last eight years: Work life balance is a myth.

More than that, it’s a hurtful myth because I don’t think anyone actually achieves it and yet we feel positive that other women somehow have. So when we feel off-balance and we’re struggling to keep all our balls in the air, we assume it’s just because we haven’t figured out work / life balance. It becomes one more thing you’re failing at as a mom beyond forgetting it was weird and wacky hair day at school and buying the wrong kind of yogurt. Ugh! I detest anything that makes women feel unworthy or less than, so allow me to debunk this ridiculous myth.

Work/life balance… it’s description implies that those two things live in harmony, perfectly divided up on the scale of your life. My work and home life have never, ever been balanced evenly on any level. Even when I was a seventeen-year-old sandwich maker at the Substation in my hometown… even then there were days when a big project at school meant that I couldn’t work as many hours. Or accepting a lucrative Saturday shift (ripe with tip money) meant that I couldn’t hang out with my friends. Work and personal life will always battle each other for supremacy, because both require your full attention to be successful. It’s doesn’t mean you’re doing something wrong, it’s just how life works.

Work and personal life will always battle each other for supremacy, because both require your full attention to be successful.

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Sometimes my boys have school activities or doctor’s appointments and I have to leave work to be present for those. Likewise there are days when we have a big photo shoot at Chic or I have to travel for business, which means missing a couple of evenings at home. The scale is never balanced; it’s an ever-moving thing that constantly shifts back and forth based on what requires my attention that day. I think that’s real for most of us moms and the only way we’re going to get past this mythology that some people have it all figured out is to start being honest about what our lives and priorities really look like. Here, I’ll go first…

My Self – In my early days as a mom and entrepreneur I wasn’t a priority at all. I would run myself ragged taking care of everyone else and never once worried about how it all might affect me. This was a disaster. I got really sick at least once a year. I was always stressed out. I was always struggling with my weight. It was a mess. Then someone pointed out that I couldn’t take care of anyone properly if I didn’t first take care of myself. My health and well-being is now my biggest priority. I get eight hours of sleep every night… yes, eight. Not six or even seven, eight full hours. I eat well, I drink water by the bucket load, I haven’t let Diet Coke touch my lips in over two years. Yes, I’m still addicted to coffee, but we can’t win ‘em all.

I don’t think the goal is ever to be balanced ladies, I think the goal is to be centered.

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I took up running and schedule my time so I get in at least twelve miles a week. I carve out several hours a week for prayer, church and volunteer work because my faith is extremely important to me. I don’t think the goal is ever to be balanced ladies, I think the goal is to be centered. If I prioritize myself and make sure I’m grounded and centered then everything else runs smoothly… even when it’s running at a hundred miles an hour!

My Marriage – I’m sure that many parents would naturally list their children as their first priority, but my marriage will always be the most important relationship in my life. Dave and I have a weekly date night and we take an annual vacation—wait for it—without our children. When we’re at home we’re playing interference with three little boys so it’s essential that we get to hang out with each other and act like real live adults. Because we’re both so supportive of each other’s careers it can be really easy to start to neglect our relationship, which has happened numerous times over the years. So rather than risk slipping into somewhere unhealthy, we’ve agreed to make each other our first priority.

My Kids – I have three little boys; Jackson (8) Sawyer (7) and Ford (3) so even when I’m not at work, I’m always on the go. I take all three boys to school every day unless I’m traveling. I leave work by five to relieve the nanny and then it’s dinner, baths, books, bedtime, etc. Now that I’ve painted that picture I will back up and tell you about the first two years of running my company. I worked like a maniac. I was often in the office by eight in the morning, which means I was never able to do school drop off. I got snarky notes from moms at school about missing field trips and bake sales and I cried myself to sleep about them more nights than I can count. Nobody ever sent snarky notes to my husband for having to work during a field trip— but that’s a diatribe for another time. Most evenings I got home around 7pm which means I missed dinner. It was a really difficult time, but that kind of workload is also part of being an entrepreneur and running a startup. Some people will argue that I lost valuable time with my kids, and I won't disagree. I’ve since scaled back my time at work in order to present for those moments I missed for two years. But what I will say is, those three little boys have watched their mom build a company from the ground up. They’ve seen first-hand the power of hard work and dedication and for being that example to them, I’m proud.

My Work – I wont pretend that there weren’t times where work didn’t take up most of my attention. I also wont pretend that those weren’t the times that were hardest on my marriage, my health and my ability to be the kind of mom I want to be. Now that I’m more established in my career, I’m better able to get my work done during office hours. Also three years in means I have the help of my incredible assistant and staff, so it doesn’t all fall on my shoulders. Of course there are times when work gets hectic, but I push to make sure my family gets make-up time if I’m away. Remember, it’s a scale that slides back and forth. Some seasons of your life will require more attention in one area than another, and that’s ok. Give yourself some grace because, “this too shall pass.”

 Rachel Hollis is the founder of the popular lifestyle blog The Chic Site and Los Angeles-based event-planning firm, Chic Events.  At 27, she was named by Inc. Magazine as one of the “Top 30 Entrepreneurs under 30.” Hollis is also the author of the Amazon Bestselling women’s fiction series, “The Girls” published by Lake Union Publishing.