Author Archives: Megan Antlfinger

Mood and Food

At Home in Harmony Headquarters we are always excited to share ways to help you live your best life! In some articles we focus on the many different ways to design an inspired home, sometimes we focus on building a strong, healthy body, we may look at ways to find calm in the midst of chaos or we find inspiration around passion & purpose. Each of these areas or ‘pillars’ is critical in helping you design your inspired life. In this 2^nd article, in the two part series on food, color, mood and energy we will look at the role food has on your overall sense of well-being. This subject makes me wonder, if you knew you could change your mood with food, would you choose different options on your plate? Let’s take a look at the relationship between your mood, the food you consume and simple solutions to help you find great health and happiness!

Have you ever noticed feeling tired, irritable and melancholy after your midday snack? Maybe you went to the vending machine, coffee shop or snack drawer to nibble on something sweet or salty to help stave off hunger until dinner or give you a little sugar boost to get you through the rest of the day. But, after thirty minutes you find yourself irritable and wishing you could take a nap. Or, after a super-size meal you are ready to go put your feet up and sleep it off. This sharply contrasts the experience of sipping on a green smoothie or nurturing your body with fruits and vegetables. Well, come to find out, there is science behind your experience and it shows that food plays a major role on your mood!

Skip the Sugar

It has been proven that simple carbohydrates like sugar, found in candy, sugary drinks, and cookies, bring your mood down. To elevate your mood try some complex carbohydrates that are high in fiber. These can be found in the tan shades of the whole grains. Your body will convert these feel good complex carbohydrates into serotonin that calms your state of mind and decreases your appetite.

Omega 3’s

It amazes me that food can help change our moods. Research shows that low levels of Omega 3 is linked to depression, pessimism and impulsivity. Add a little pink to your diet with some wild salmon that is loaded with this beneficial nutrient.

Iron & Thiamine

Research has shown that a lack of iron can create depression and fatigue. According to the Dartmouth Undergraduate Journal of Science, getting to little thiamine can create inactivity, fatigue, a decrease in self-confidence and overall wellbeing. Include the dark green color of kale to help increase your iron and thiamin.

Fat

Consuming products that are high in saturated fats have long-term ramifications. The extended impact has been linked to dementia and depression. The immediate effect is that it leaves you feeling sluggish and worn out. It is no wonder that after my chocolate peanut butter cup on Mother’s Day I was ready for a nap!

When you begin to look at food as something that can nourish and nurture you OR deplete and depress you it is easier to make healthy choices that support your life and well-being in every way! So, again I ask… If you knew you could change your mood with food, would you choose different options on your plate?

If you would like guidance to begin living your Inspired Life feel free to connect with me for a FREE 20 Minute Home in Harmony Lifestyle Private Call by clicking here!

Happy Soaring!

XOXO

What is the Color of Your Food?

This week’s blog is one in a two part series on food, color, mood and energy!

Part 1: The Color of Food

Have you ever noticed the color of the food you are eating? I mean, overall? If you had to take an average day, let’s say yesterday, what was the main color? What were the spectrum of colors you included in your food fuel yesterday? I ask because our food affects our moods, energy level and overall vitality. In our family, we did a lot of celebrating this weekend. On Saturday we celebrated with an extravagant lunch overlooking the Atlantic Ocean on the south coast of Boston with the great grandma (age 93) and the grandmas (they’d prefer I didn’t mention their ages). On Sunday, my crew treated me to a bountiful brunch, tennis with one of my girls and golf with my son followed by a meal cooked with love by my husband and son. My son also picked up chocolate peanut butter cups to share after our round of golf. Needless to say, the colors on my plate over the weekend were more of the deep chocolate brown variety. It was all decadent, delicious and fun but the festivities and the colors I chose left me feeling tired and foggy. Have you ever felt that way? These were not colors that nourished my mind, body and spirit (although the people and surroundings were!).

It is important to choose fuel for your body that creates optimum vitality, which creates vibrant living! This weekend was a catalyst for me to want to renew, revitalize and refresh my body, mind and spirit. I’m doing my bi-annual wellness and detox cleanse. It always helps me feel energized, enthusiastic and passionate about life after doing a cleanse! Experts recommend doing a cleanse at least two times a year. Some of my clients have shared with me after implementing the cleanse steps I recommend that “I feel great. I have more energy, feel less tired in the am and my clothes are baggy!” These are the natural results of cleansing and clearing out the debris that bogs your system down. Similar to taking time to clear out the clutter in other areas of your life, it is important to take care of your body and remove unwanted toxins accumulated from the chemicals in our environment and food. Creating a colorful spectrum of food on your plate can increase your energy, lower your risk of cancer and give you vibrant health! Choosing foods based on color can be an additional strategy to help bring your body, mind and spirit into harmonious balance. Just beginning to notice what colors make up your daily plate is the first step to designing your inspired life! It is amazing how fast and dramatic the results you can have when making small changes to the fuel you decide to put in your body.

Let’s take a look at the spectrum of color you can choose to put on your plate…

Green

We all know how important it is to include greens on our plates. Sometimes it can be challenging if you are looking for something other than a salad for lunch and dinner. I have begun to include as many green veggies and fruits as possible in the first meal of my day. That way I know that I am putting fuel in my body that will sustain me for the rest of the day. It also helps me be confident in knowing I will get in the many servings of green I hope to achieve. My day usually begins with a green smoothie or juice along with a chunky mix of avocado & egg. This power packed punch is a nutrient dense breakfast that will stave off hunger, elevate my mood and increase my energy. (Green Smoothie recipe: 1 organic cucumber, 1 green pear, 3 large romaine leaves, large slice of lemon & coconut water, ice, blend well)

Orange

I love carrots, orange peppers and pumpkin! These orange foods are high in beta-carotene and vitamin c that supports vision, healthy skin and a strong immune system. Including orange on your plate can make you feel healthy, see better and look good… why wouldn’t you chose the color orange for your plate?

Red

The red foods contain something called phytochemicals, like lycopene, that aid in heart health and reduce the risk of cancer. Take advantage of the summer season and the bounty of red ripe tomatoes and radishes!

Purple-Blue

The purple and blue family of foods is rich in antioxidants and phytochemicals. That means they diminish the risk of cancer, support mental clarity and contain chemicals that have an anti-aging effect. I always share with my detox participants that blueberries collagen promoting which means they help to decrease wrinkles! I sprinkle blueberries on and in everything!

Nature amazes me each and every day! The fact that we have fruits and vegetables available to us that can nourish, nurture, heal, harmonize and energize you and I is incredible. Begin to use the colors on your plate to bring you great health, happiness and harmony!

If you would like guidance to begin living your Inspired Life feel free to connect with me for a FREE 20 Minute Home in Harmony Lifestyle Private Call by clicking here!

Happy Soaring!

XOXO

Color…Chaos or Calm?

I LOVE playing with color! Thankfully when I am designing spaces I am able to use color to create the feel, mood and atmosphere that will touch the mind, body and soul of those entering the space. I look around our world and am so thankful for the colors and textures that we are able to look at through the lens of life. What makes me even more excited about color is understanding that color is not only fun to look at but that it affects us both psychologically and physiologically! Yes, that’s right, it actually has an impact on your mood and biology. It can make you hungry, angry or harmonious. It really is important to be mindful of what colors you are including in your life and begin to understand how they impact you. In this weeks article we will take a deeper look into the spectrum of color, how to choose the best color and the ways it can help you create home, health and happiness!

I also want to take a moment to acknowledge and welcome the thousands of new members of the Home in Harmony Community! We are really excited you are here! I also want to say thank you to the members of our community that have been with us for a while. Your continued support and encouragement allows us to enthusiastically grow and expand. Please let my team and I know how we, at Home in Harmony Headquarters, can support you best! I hope the information we provide you enables you to find inspiration in designing inspired living and creating home, health and happiness! I also want to share that we have some exciting things on the horizon based on feedback we received from the super successful Home in Harmony Master Class! So, keep on the lookout! Also, we would love for you to hop on over to Facebook or Twitter and join the conversation!

I have had many conversations around the topic of color. Recently, we were finishing up a corporate design project for a law firm in Connecticut and everyone who came through the door would mention how they loved the chosen colors from the cool grays to the soothing ocean hues. At a staging project in Boston we discussed which colors to incorporate to make the environment feel inviting and a place one would want to stay. I choose colors based on the needs of the inhabitants, how it will work with the lighting of the space and how it coordinates with the colors that are already there. Let’s look at how to choose colors that will help you design an inspired home and life!

Psychology & Physiology Needs

Studies have shown that color affects our physiology and psychology. For instance, blue is scientifically proven to produce a cooling effect on the body (physiology) and a calming effect on the mind (psychology). It is also known to diminish hunger. Red, on the other hand, is considered a power color associated with authority, aggression and prestige (think about the red carpet or the power tie). Red accelerates your heart rate and increases feelings of hunger and aggression. When designing a space it is important to take into consideration what type of space would benefit you the most and what you hope to achieve in the space. If you are feeling agitated and anxious you might benefit from calming or cooling tones. If you are depressed or lethargic a splash of vibrant color might be just what you need. First assess where you are and what you need. Next, determine what type of space will support you the most. Once you have evaluated these two things you will be in a position to choose colors that help your home, health and happiness.

Lighting

Have you ever noticed that a paint color looks much different in the paint store under fluorescent lighting in comparison to when you get it home? Or, have you ever loved a color in a magazine and put it on your own wall to find out it doesn’t look the same? This is because color is impacted by light. The color will look different under overhead lighting, lamp lighting and northern or southern natural light exposure. Natural light will give you the ‘truest’ sense of the color because it has a neutral balance of the warm and cool ends of the light spectrum; the warmer end of the spectrum being yellow and the cool end being blue. Interestingly colors that are most impacted by light are the grays, taupes, blues, greens, lavenders and mauves. I once painted a Show House room in one of my favorite colors, Benjamin Moore’s Wedgewood Gray, and when people entered the space they often thought that each wall was painted in a unique color. However, all the walls were Wedgewood Gray. It was just how the light played with the undertones making it look green hued on one wall, tinged blue on another and cement gray on yet another. When choosing a color for your home, I recommend painting a large sample board with the color and watch how the light influences it during the day & night and with the lights on & off. This will help you determine if you love the color in all its complexity!

Compliment & Coordinate

An entire home can feel out of balance because there isn’t a graceful flow of colors. It is important to notice all of the colors you are utilizing in a space to make sure it is congruent. This will help you feel balanced and harmonious. Your surroundings can bring a sense of grounding, ease and grace into your life when the colors coordinate and compliment one another. Competing palettes create dis-ease, restlessness and agitation. Choose colors that support you and carry those colors throughout your space. If your kitchen is blue, be sure to incorporate blue tones throughout your home to make it feel consistently congruent. This will give a sense of balance and harmony to your space. When your space feels harmonious it nurtures your mind, body and spirit allowing you to be the best you can be.

Choosing colors can be a tricky process. The good news is that when you break the process down it diminishes overwhelm and anxiety. Color selection should be a fun and fascinating process. It allows you to look at your life through a lens that sees the spectrum of colorful possibilities in designing your inspired life.

If you would like guidance to begin living your Inspired Life feel free to connect with me for a FREE 20 Minute Home in Harmony Lifestyle Private Call by clicking here!

Happy Soaring!

XOXO

Step Into Expansion with Wonderment and Awe!

It has been an amazing two weeks for many reasons! First, I was able to enjoy a glorious, sun-drenched trip to Maui with my family after a very long winter filled with projects, hockey rinks and deadlines. Our hiatus was filled with the intoxicating beauty of turquoise water, the wonderment of coral reefs and awe of the majestic sea turtles. It gave our family a chance to play together as we surfed, snorkeled and watched the dance of tiki torches as the setting sun flickered hues of gold, pink and purple. Along with the family foray of fun, a seed that was planted months ago at Home in Harmony came to bloom.

There continues to be growth and expansion at Home in Harmony Headquarters as we move beyond our comfort zone embracing new experiences and stepping into a sense of infinite possibility & potentiality. New friendships have been created and connections across the globe have begun. This, in part, was due to the successful launch of the Home in Harmony Master Class! We had thousands of participants join the Home in Harmony Master Class to listen to over 20 of the world’s leading experts speak on topics related to home, health and happiness! The wide variety of topics allowed everyone to find something of interest. The goal was to help you find answers to topics you were interested in learning more about and hopefully encourage you to tune in to something that you were unaware of or had peaked your sense of curiosity. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive and my hope is that you were able to listen and enjoy some of these conversations.

If you didn’t have a chance to join in the fun, there is still a few days before these conversations go into a vault on May 2^nd. Click here to get access to the Home in Harmony Master Class expert interviews. If you did join the discussion, we would love to hear your feedback! Leave us a post on Facebook , or give us a Tweet . We would also love to hear if you have a particular topic or expert you would like us to include for the next season of the Home in Harmony Master Class.

As mentioned previously, this has been an amazing two weeks for many reasons; each reason involving expansion and growth. What I continue to learn as I move along my journey is that when we welcome life, and all it has to offer, with a beginner’s mindset we open ourselves to being awed and delighted. It is when we close ourselves off to a rigid “know-it-all” stance or worse, one of disbelief, doors are closed and opportunities missed. I have seen both sides of this coin and am discovering that looking at life through the lens of the wonderment and appreciation creates expansion and infinite possibility.

I remember as I first embarked on my exploration of self-discovery, I walked into a New England School of Feng Shui class thinking it was going to be related to Feng Shui, homes and clutter. To my surprise, this class taught by Denise Linn (a Feng Shui guru), touched on Feng Shui but was primarily focused on past life regression. I was skeptical and apprehensive as we began our first morning meditation, but I consciously made the decision to go with the flow and embrace the experience, even if it wasn’t what I had anticipated. I figured, it was a weekend of learning something new with interesting and insightful people, why not make the best of it?

I allowed my mind to open to the teachings and absorbed like a sponge each insight and new experience.

My worldview was forever changed.

This allowed me to take a step closer to my ultimate calling. If I had shutdown, closed myself off and walked out the door, (which I did contemplate) the door would have closed behind me. I am sure that somehow, someway, another door or window would have opened. It is my belief that we are always being led towards our passion and purpose. But, we either make things easy by staying in a beginner’s mindset of wonderment and awe that allows incredible experiences to flow gracefully into our lives or we shut ourselves down to the possibility of ultimate potentiality.

As a mother of teenagers, I sometimes experience the you-know-nothing/I-know-everything conversations. I have learned (or at least continue to learn) that these conversations are fruitless. When a teenager decides to shutdown the opportunity to gain insight from the wisdom of an adult they close a door that could have helped them maneuver the complex world of ‘teenhood’ from someone who has navigated the path in the past. I am certain that other doors or windows will open for them to learn in other ways but they close off a path already trodden. I have recently found myself in different situations asking myself if I am opening myself to the wonderment and awe that a beginner or perhaps a toddler would see. One who is delighted by the colors, textures and sounds of the world. Or, am I shifting into a teenage (and sometimes adult) attitude that shuts a door because of a mindset that thinks there is no more to learn or that I already have the answers? I am finding the beginner’s mindset to be rich with color, texture and vibrant blessings that expand and grow with infinite potentiality.

As I embarked on creating the Home in Harmony Master Class I was blessed for two reasons. First, it made me step into the attitude of “What is possible?” Second, I had the privilege of interviewing some amazing luminaries who expanded my awareness and understanding of the world, bringing awe and wonderment to my life.

I love when I am stretched beyond my current knowing and shift to a greater consciousness. It is my belief that this is part of our path and evolution and it propels us forward to a place of greater happiness and harmony. Can you step into a beginner’s mindset and look at your world with wonderment and awe?

May your days be filled with expansion and growth that comes from a place of wonderment and awe!

If you would like guidance to begin living your Inspired Life feel free to connect with me for a FREE 20 Minute Home in Harmony Lifestyle Private Call by clicking here!

Happy Soaring!

XOXO

Is Indecision Ruining Your Life?

Do you have trouble making decisions? This can show up in a variety of ways and impact different areas of your life. It can affect everything from the feel of your home to your success and happiness. Sitting in a state of indecision puts the brakes on and halts your progress towards harmonious and graceful living. By now you have probably heard of the Home in Harmony Master Class Summer Series and hopefully have listened to some of the teachings from Master’s of home, health and happiness. It is easy to listen to wisdom. It is taking action and stepping out of the daily routine that can challenge you and I. Let’s look at how the mindset of indecision can effect your home, health and happiness.

Indecision, for those that are stuck in this way of being, can show up in different ways. The most visible way is in the form of clutter. Have you ever had something in your hand and you were unsure where to put it because it didn’t have a designated space. You put it down thinking you would deal with it later, but instead it becomes buried beneath the next thing that you hold in your hand and put in the pile. This is how piles and clutter begin. When you are unclear in your mind of where a physical object should go (and you don’t figure it out right away) it becomes clutter. Creating designated spaces for each and everything that enters and stays in your home helps you to be efficient and clear. It takes away the energy-zapping dilemma of where to put something that leads to the spiral of a cluttered space that drains your energy. In our home we have a saying (although with teenagers it can be challenging to enforce) “Everything has a place and put it in it’s space”. Indecision can be the root cause of clutter, which is an outward representation of a mindset around the ability to make clear and effective decisions.

Moving from indecision to an action-oriented state of being can free you from limitation. When you are in “the flow” of life things move with ease and grace. You stop this flow when you become stuck in the questioning mindset of indecision. This is sometimes referred to as analysis paralysis. You can be so concerned with making the perfect decision, that by the time you have made up your mind, the opportunity has passed by. You will hear people who are living their passion and purpose mention that they followed their gut instinct or a higher inspiration to attain the life of their dreams. They didn’t over analyze, they just jumped in and hoped for the best. They look back at their life and know the moment the decision was made that helped them create the life of their dreams.

These are just two of the many ways that indecision can creep into your life and hold you back from designing your inspired now. The following two simple solutions will help you move from stuck, cluttered, overwhelmed and confused to clear, organized, inspired and focused.

• First, begin to notice where indecision shows up in your life. Is it in piles of clutter around your home or is it trying to decide which friend to connect with over the weekend. Becoming aware of your habits is the first step that will help you move with grace and ease in your life.

• Second, begin to take action… even in small ways. Taking action will help shift the behavioral habit of indecision to a mindset of clear and concise action. Decide where to put the pile of papers, schedule dinners for the next 3 weekends and practice making decisions quickly. Shift out of the fear of failure or fear of making the wrong decision to an understanding that it is better to have tried and failed than to sit in indecision.

We have a saying in our home from one of the hockey greats, “You miss one hundred percent of the shots you don’t take.”

What are you going to clearly and boldly shoot for in your life?

If you would like guidance to begin living your Inspired Life feel free to connect with me for a FREE 20 Minute Home in Harmony Lifestyle Private Call by clicking here!

Happy Soaring!

XOXO