Uncovering Synchronicity & Living an Elevated Existence

Posted on by Tammy

As part of our current “Living an Elevated Existence Mind, Body & Soul Summit,” I taught a 1-hour class called “Uncovering Synchronicity & Living an Elevated Existence.”

During the class, (listen to it here) I shared the story of how my mother’s death from a sudden brain aneurism three days after Christmas in 1999, ultimately sent me on a search for more – more answers, more meaning and more understanding.

Only 10 months after she died, my sister and I went to see a psychic medium named George Anderson, and after the one-hour reading my entire life changed (even though I was totally skeptical beforehand). I realized there was so much more to life – and death – then I had ever imagined, and my life has never been the same. I was 22 years old.

At age 29, I began to notice synchronicity in my life, and looking back now, I can see how it led me to create Elevated Existence Magazine a year later at age 30. Signs and synchronicity continue to lead my life today, and I also continue to hear from my mother – usually when I least expect it, but always when I need it most.

I decided to make the class available online because of the amazing and loving response I got from it. You can click here to listen to the talk in which I reveal:

— How to uncover synchronicity in the past to help with your future (an exercise)
— The key to any lasting change
— How to call in “elevated reinforcements” for help
— The prayer I start every day with after meditation
— Tips to increase your awareness of signs & synchronicity in your life
— My 5 “R’s” or Recommendations for Living an Elevated Existence

I hope you enjoy the class, and please leave comments below or email me at tammy@elevatedexistence.com to let me know what you think!

Margaret Ann Lembo: Chakras, Awakening & Manifesting

Posted on by Tammy

It is possible to design our own reality and live each day with prosperity, joy and complete health. With the power of focused intent, we can transform our life using the amazing energy within — the chakras.

Award-winning author Margaret Ann Lembo, whose books include “Chakra Awakening,” “The Essential Guide to Crystals, Minerals & Stones,” and “Color Your Life with Crystals: Your First Guide to Color, Crystals and Chakras,” joined Elevated Existence Magazine Founder, Tammy Mastroberte, on the Living an Elevated Existence Mind, Body & Soul Summit to talk about “Awakening Consciousness: Step into the New Year with Clarity and Divine Connection.”

“We have these seven energy centers that are almost like s storehouse of information for our thoughts and belief systems – and the belief systems are the most powerful – that hold the vibration of who we are,” Lembo explained on the call. “So we are constantly broadcasting our essence, our energy field, our belief systems and emotions through these energy centers.”

She gave listeners a brief overview of each chakra:

1st — Root Chakra – This is from the hip bone all the way to the soles of our feet, and the colors associated with it are red, brown, black and grey. This center holds the energy of stability and being a human being on the planet, as well as our belief systems for prosperity, right livelihood and things that have to do with food, shelter and water.

2nd – Sacral Chakra – Associated with the color orange, this chakra is all about our ability to create and give birth to a project, book or a beautiful meal. This vibration is about manifesting, taking action and moving forward, and is where many people have challenges, said Lembo. They have a great idea, but making it happen is another issue.

3rd – Solar Plexus Chakra – Represented by a golden, yellow light and is all about our self esteem and our self confidence. This chakra is about being comfortable to show our light and our magnificence in the world. This is a big one for a lot of people because many of us are walking around with self-esteem issues, said Lembo.

4th – Heart Chakra – This vibration is represented by green and pink, which is love, compassion and kindness. It is the energy of being able to be loving and allow yourself to be loved.

5th – Throat Chakra – It’s colors are pastel blue or turquoise, and the vibration is being able to express oneself and listen – to be heard and to hear.

6th – Third Eye Chakra – This represents our intuitive nature, and the colors are cobalt blue and Indigo. The vibration is about being intuitive and psychic.

7th – Crown Chakra – This is the golden globe of light around our head and connection with the divine, said Lembo.

We have beliefs and thought forms stored in each chakra, and when we become conscious of them, we can have an awakening, Lembo explained. For example, those who struggle with the ability to speak up for themselves will find these challenges in the throat and solar plexus chakras. By going back in time, and investigating our beliefs, and where they came from, we can bring them to the surface and transform them.

“We can awaken and realize it is old programming and old information that doesn’t apply now,” she said, comparing it to a computer system running an old and incompatible program. “Windows XP doesn’t work on the computer anymore if you have Windows 7 or 8. You have to buy a new program. This is the same as our programming from the past. We need to uninstall the old programs.”

These are easy to uninstall once we realize what they are, and making the conscious choice to change. An awakening is that easy, she said.

“We don’t often have to do much more than have the awakening and have the realization. Once we know where the source is and realize that was then and this is now, then we can make a conscious choice,” said Lembo. “Once we have the realization, it’s up to us to take action and replace that space with positive affirmations.”

Listen to Margaret’s interview and 25 other top experts and authors on a variety of mind, body and spirit topics FREE! Sign up here!

Chakras & Manifesting
During the call, Lembo told listeners how our chakras store thought forms, and when it comes to the law of attraction, all of our thoughts produce energy because everything is energy.

“Energy is vibrating and all vibrations travel on a sound wave. All waves of energy travel in a circular direction, which is where the saying ‘what goes around comes around’ comes from, and it’s not just an expression,” she said. “If we really knew that, we would be very mindful of what kind of thought forms or emotions we are holding onto.”

Once we realize the thoughts we are broadcasting into the world – especially those that are worried or negative thoughts – we can pinpoint which chakra system might be associated with it, and work to change it.

“We can realize, ‘Ok, if this is a self esteem issue, and I’m going to work forward being more comfortable with shining my light, then today I can use some yellow clothing, and I can wear citrine crystal, and maybe some lemon-scented or citrus-scented perfume to constantly remind me to replace those negative thought forms with a positive thought form,’” Lembo explained.

Then we can begin broadcasting something like, “I am so excited that I am attracting people around me who totally support me and recognize how amazing I am, and likewise I am happy to do that for them and support their journey. We all can do that for each other.”

These thoughts versus negative ones, will help us begin attracting people like that into our lives, she explained. Another example is, “I am so lucky. I have so much prosperity in my life because of the work that I do,” and we can wear green clothes and an emerald ring, while using a peppermint scent.

Using Crystals & Stones
Lembo also shared a variety of crystals that can be used to change our energy in certain areas of our lives.

“The gemstones are tools that activate our energy and amplify it,” she shared.”

For example, to curb negative thoughts, and to ground ourselves to focus on where we really want to go, we can use hematite and black tourmaline – any black, brown or gray stones are good for this, she said.

Additionally, carnelian is good store for someone who wants to take action and get moving on something, as well as for those who procrastinate.

“You could hold it in your hand or wear a carnelian ring,” she noted. “Then we you look at it, you will remember to take action on that to-do list.”

Citrine is good for raising self-confidence, as well as golden topaz or golden calcite, and rose quartz is typically used for the heart, but Lembo also recommends green and pink tourmaline or emerald kunzite. Pink and green stones are usually associated with the heart chakra, she said.

For those working on issue with the throat chakra, blue topaz and aquamarine are ideal, and if we have to have a conversation, for help speaking our truth, amazonite and other pastel blue stones are good. She also reccommenede Lapis Lazuli or Amethyst for the third eye, which is associated with intuition or connecting to the divine, and for the crown chakra, clear quartz can offer clarity and connection with “all that is,” Lembo shared.

“Wear the stones as jewelry, or put it in under the pillowcase at night so we are working on awakening our consciousness even in the dream time,” she said. “Even on the nightstand is good.”

A New Year Intention Ritual
Setting intentions for a new year, is important, but Lembo adds an extra spin to the goal-setting or resolution process – clearing out the old to make space for the new.

“At the end of the year, and you still can do it at beginning, you need to get clear on what you are going to release. What are you not going to bring forward in time with you? What people, places, situations are not of the level of integrity, truth and honesty, and aren’t really serving your highest good that you want to leave behind? It doesn’t’ mean you don’t like them anymore, or don’t love them anymore. It’s just maybe not where your energy needs to be.”

Sometimes it’s just energetic and a matter of cutting the cord, she noted. We all have energetic cords or thought forms attached to people, places and situations, so we have to make a conscious choice to cut the cords. Lembo works with various archangels for assistance in the process.

“I ask Archangel Michael on my right-hand side to cut any cords that are not for my highest good, and the ones I specifically ask to be cut as well. Then I have Archangel Raphael on my left so he can drench me in emerald green healing salve to seal off or almost cauterize the places where those things were cut off my energy field or my emotional field so that way they can’t reattach.”

She also calls in Archangel Gabriel behind her and Archangel Uriel in front of her for more guidance and protection. The next step is to make a clear and concise list of what we want to achieve in the new year at all levels – emotional, mental, physical and spiritual.

“Write as many things as possible, up to 100, in a stream of consciousness process to get it out onto paper,” she said. “Handwriting is better for this then the computer. Then we can use crystals, aromatherapy and more to help them become a reality.”

She repeats the intention setting every solstice and equinox, but also keeps it in mind each and every day.

Sarah McLean: Meditation Tips and Awakening

Posted on by Tammy

Meditation can increase our creativity, happiness and fulfillment, and is known to have many positive effects on the physical body. It is often the foundation of many spiritual practices and teachings, and assists in calming the mind, enhancing intuition and awakening the soul to connect us with our higher self.

Sarah McLean, bestselling author of the book “Soul-Centered: Transform Your Life in 8 Weeks with Meditation,” and founder of the McLean Meditation Institute in Sedona, Ariz., joined Elevated Existence Magazine founder, Tammy Mastroberte, to kick off the new year as part of the Living an Elevated Existence Mind, Body and Soul Summit, and revealed her 5 Essentials for meditation, sample mantras to use when first starting out, and so much more.

She started by explaining there are a variety of forms meditation can take, including two overall types – Open Awareness, which is where you focus on sights or sounds – and Focused Meditation, where you use a mantra, or focus on a candle flame, sound you chant or movement. The most highly researched form of meditation is mindfulness meditation, also known as insight meditation or breath awareness meditation, and there is also meditation for transcendence.

“Meditation that allows for transcendence is transcendental meditation, primordial sound meditation or other forms of mantra meditations,” said McLean. “When you start the mantra you are aware of where you are and what you are doing, and then you transcend body awareness and breath awareness. You transcend time and even who you think you are and your ideas about yourself and the world.”

However, meditation only works if you do it and if you choose one that you like to do, she said, explaining there are a number of myths that come along with the practice. The first is looking for a mystical or spiritual experience to happen during meditation.

“When we are looking for an experience like that in meditation, it can really inhibit the natural unfoldment of your spiritual awareness,” she said on the call. “The true mystical and spiritual experiences happen as we are living our lives. When your intuition is so strong and you know that you are suppose to go and talk to that person, or you know you are suppose to take a left and you do and it takes you into a magical experience.”

Another myth is meditation is only done correctly when the mind is totally clear. Meditation does help one to clear the mind, but the benefit of the practice often happens when you are not on the meditation mat, said McLean.

“What we learn to do in meditation is to create a different relationship with our mental activity. We learn that it is going to go on anyway because it’s the nature of your mind to think, just like it’s the nature of your mind to see,” she explained. “Your job in meditation is to shift without too much effort, to the focus of your meditation, whether it’s a mantra, the candle flame or breath awareness, and just keep coming back without judgment. Without adding more thoughts to it. There is a coherence created and a clarity created. Even if you sit down and all you do is have thoughts, as long as you keep coming back and refocusing on your meditation with a gentle awareness, then you transform that reactivity center of the brain.”

There is so much research available now showing the amygdala – the part of the brain that is reactive – is where benefits of meditation can be seen. This part of the brain starts to loosen its hold on us in terms of our reaction, and by retraining the brain to go back to the mantra or the breath, we are creating more spaciousness, she said.

“Sometimes we get an impulse in meditation to get up and send that email or make that phone call or go have some food, but if you sit through it, you are transforming your response, you are changing the habits, the neuronal pathways, so that you shift that reactionary response,” McLean noted.

She also shared her 5 Essentials for Meditation, which are:

1. Treat Yourself Well, and Be Kind to Yourself
2. Have No Expectations about What Should Happen
3. Have a Beginner’s Mind Open to Possibilities
4. Don’t Try Too Hard (less is more in meditation)
5. Don’t Give Up

Stress Relief From Meditation
Often when we are the most restless, we feel the least like sitting to meditate, but often that is when we need it most. And when we are in the midst of a meditation and become restless, this is actually a sign we are releasing stress from the mind and body, said McLean.

“Meditation is the perfect antidote for stress,” she said. “As the mind settles down and the body settles down, you start to create this coherence. What happens is this coherence helps to eliminate any built up stress in the nervous system. There is a purification process that goes on, and impurities start to move out as you are sitting there saying your mantra. They start to generate movement, whether it’s movement of the mind, movement of the body or movement of the emotions.”

One key point to remember is when our mind becomes active with thoughts during a meditation, it is often of our to-do list or current, mundane issues we have to do. But these thoughts have no relationship to the stress we are releasing, said McLean.

“The fact that you are having thoughts, the movement of the thoughts, is an indication you are releasing stress, but the content of the thoughts has no particular correlation to the stress you are releasing,” she explained.

To hear more from Sarah McLean, including simple mantras to get you started, register for the FREE Living an Elevated Existence Summit, and get 4 FREE bonuses just for signing up! You will have access to 26 top experts on a variety of mind, body and spirit topics.

Pat Pearson: How to Stop Self-Sabotage

Posted on by Tammy

If you could change one thing about your life, what would it be? Why do you think you don’t have it?

People often tell themselves it’s because of bad luck, the economy, their mother, or diets that don’t work. The truth is, each of these describes some kind of self-sabotage.

As part of the Living an Elevated Existence Mind, Body & Soul Summit, Pat Pearson, clinical psychotherapist and author of “Stop Self-Sabotage! How to Get Out of Your Own Way and Have an Extraordinary Life,” was interviewed by Elevated Existence Magazine founder, Tammy Mastroberte, about how to stop self-sabotage, and offered advice and exercises to help people navigate how they sabotage themselves in their own lives.

“Self-sabotage is the conscious and unconscious ways we trip ourselves up when we are running toward the finish line,” Pearson said on the call. “It’s the way we make sure we don’t get what we say we most want.”

Some of the common ways we self-sabotage ourselves is through denial or settling for less. We say we want something, but take less than that, said Pearson. Another common way is talking ourselves out of something before we even start. Saying things like ‘diets don’t work,’ or ‘nobody can lose weight,’ or ‘there are no good men left.’

Listen to Pat Pearson’s interview along with 26 other mind, body spirit experts FREE! Sign up here!

There are three main areas of our life where self-sabotage kicks up – personal life and health; relationships; and career and business. But the real question is why would we do that to ourselves, she asked. Why do we diet intensely for a month and a half, and then put back 20 pounds over the next six months? Why do we keep picking the wrong guy for us five times in a row? The answer comes down to what Pearson calls our “deserve level.”

“Our deserve level is the level to which we believe we deserve to be successful or get what we want,” said Pearson. “We all have this level. It’s like your IQ, only I call it DQ or deserve quotient.”

This level can change based on the area we are looking at, as well. For example, we can have a high deserve level in health, but not in career. But to one degree or another, we all suffer from self-sabotage, said Pearson. The question is how much do we do it, and how much is it hurting us?

“If you don’t believe you deserve something, you either won’t go after it, or you will find a way to self-sabotage,” she explained. “This deserve level is a thermometer for what we can really tolerate in terms of having what we want in our life. Sometimes we can’t tolerate success. It makes us too uncomfortable.”

What is Behind Self-Sabotage?
There are psychological reasons behind our deserve level, and there are certain themes that run through them, including our beliefs, our self esteem and self-confidence, and permission from our past.

“What goal would you really like to achieve in the next year? Think about the beliefs you have around making that goal happen. What do you tell yourself? It happens under our awareness a lot, and it creeps up to tell us we can’t have things or we don’t deserve something or don’t have time for it,” said Pearson. “You will have to deal with this inner voice that says things to you when you are trying to achieve something.”

Energy follows thought, and when we have beliefs going on – negative and positive – the negative always wins because that is what is stronger in most of us, she said. If we are thinking negatively about something, we are putting energy into it and that creates resistance. Unearthing these negative beliefs is important in stopping self-sabotage, she said.

“First chart out what those negative beliefs are and then we can go about psychologically working on them and changing them,” said Pearson. “Every external change starts internally. Write down the negatives about what you want, and then write down the positives.”

The second part of the deserve level is self-esteem and self-confidence. Both create who we are, and both can hold us back from achieving our goals. Self-esteem is unconditional acknowledgment for who we are as a human being because we are a good and lovable. This is given to us by the people who love us, and also by ourselves.

“If you are eternally self critical about everything you do, you are eating away at your self-esteem, so it’s not just outside of you, it has to be reinforced by what you say to yourself,” says Pearson.

Self-confidence is created by conditional acknowledgement, meaning we have to do something to get it. It’s based on performance. We either write a great book, sing a wonderful song, get an A on a biology paper, or bake a great cake and win an award. When we do something well, and are acknowledged for it, it boosts our self-confidence.

“It’s possible for someone who has high self confidence to have low self esteem or vice versa, but we need to have both,” said Pearson. “Give yourself a rating on a scale of 1 to 10 for where am you are in terms of self-esteem. How loved and lovable do you feel. Do the same with self-confidence. Whatever area you rated the lowest, that is the area that will bug you the most. We all have some area, and whatever is the lowest is the area you’re deserve level needs to be raised in.”

Lastly, we need permission from our past. We all grew up in families where we received certain messages about ourselves, and were told we had certain characteristics. These are permissions that become part of us, and either help us move forward or hold us back, said Pearson.

“This information goes into who you are and these messages become part of our belief system,” she explained. “They become part of our permission system and are the unconscious messages either holding us back in certain areas or moving us forward.”

An exercise we can use to uncover these messages is to pretend we are talking to our mother and telling her two goals we have for ourselves in the next year. Then listen to what she says back in our heads regarding our ability to achieve the goals. Then do the same with your father.

“These messages are the radio in the background. They are unheard a lot of the time, but are things we are telling ourselves. These are either the floodgates we can open to get us more, or the constraints that keep us held in. The key is to change the negative ones and give ourselves new permissions to succeed,” said Pearson.

Listen to Pat Pearson’s interview along with 26 other mind, body spirit experts FREE! Sign up here!

Find What is Missing
No matter what goal we are trying to achieve, personal, health or business, there are five areas we need to have in order so we can be successful in achieving any goal.

These are:

1. Vision – We need to see where we are going, and the end product clearly.

2. Emotional Skills – We need the internal emotional skills to be able to handle what is going to come up in the process of achieving a goal, such as resistance, rejection, how to use ‘no’ to get a ‘yes,’ and how to have courage and hope.

3. Motivation – You have to be motivated and use time wisely. You have to want to do it and believe you can.

4. People Skills – To get anything in life, we need to deal with other people. We need to know how to handle them, and how to balance getting our own happiness with being thoughtful of someone else.

5. Consistent Work Plan – You have to do something to make it happen.

“If you have all of these things in balance, you will be having fun and making money, or having fun and losing weight. That is the feeling result that you want when these things are all in order,” said Pearson.

But when one or more of these things are missing, we end up with a result that sabotages our progress. Without vision, we are confused. Without emotional skills, we suffer from fear and anxiety. Without motivation, we suffer ambivalence. Without people skills, we find ourselves frustrated. And without a consistent work plan, we end up with a bunch of false starts that lead us nowhere near our goals.

“Here is the thing that separates people from having a breakthrough from those who don’t … someone who is willing to learn something knew,” said Pearson. “You have learned to self-sabotage and you can unlearn it.”

Editor’s Advice: A New Approach to Problems

Posted on by Tammy

When a problem or issue arises for you, do you fly into a panic thinking, “Oh no! Why me! I can’t take one more thing today!” or do you have faith in the universe to help you solve it?

For many of us, the bigger the problem, the bigger the panic — and let’s face it, that approach just doesn’t work that well.

Recently, I was driving to visit a friend, and I often listen to workshops or talks by one of my favorite authors when I’m in the car. This is usually when I review new recordings for Elevated Existence too!

This time it was Louise Hay, and her CD “Embracing Change: Using the Treasures Within You,” which was taped during a live talk a few years back in Italy.

As I was listening to her talk about her life, and how she learned to handle change, she shared her approach to problems that arise in business and her personal life, and when she listed the affirmations she used . . . well as soon as I arrived at my friend’s house I hit the back button on the player and typed them down into the note section of my phone!

Now, I want to share them with you!

Louise Hay said when she is faced with a problem, she says to herself:

“All is well. Everything is working out for my highest good.
Out of this situation, only good will come. I am safe.”

I believe there are NO accidents in life, and the universe always has our back — even when it doesn’t seem like it at the time. But when something pops up suddenly, I still need to take a minute and remind myself it will all be O.K. I need to remember the universe is leading me where I need to go, and that I will end up exactly where I am meant to be. And these affirmations are the perfect tool to use!

I like to close my eyes, take a deep breath and repeat the affirmations. It calms me down, centers me, and affirms to the universe or God that I know I am being guided and that all will work out well.

In this crazy, hectic holiday season, problems often arise, our stress is high, and we often forget to take a minute and remind ourselves it will all be O.K. Take a minute and type this affirmation into your phone, so you always have it available when you need it!

Wishing you all a happy, healthy holiday season, and blessed New Year!

Tammy Mastroberte is a three-time, award-winning writer, founder of Elevated Existence, and publisher and editorial director of the multi-award-winning Elevated Existence Magazine. She started the new age, spiritual and self-improvement publication at age 30 – eight years after the sudden death of her mother from a brain aneurysm only three days after Christmas in 1999. This tragedy led her down a synchronistic path to discover her purpose and the meaning behind many of the events in her life – including her mother’s death. She now shares her guidance, and the wisdom of today’s top authors and spiritual celebrities through Elevated Existence Magazine. Follow her on Twitter: @ElevatedTammy or on Instagram: elevatedtammy. For more information, visit www.tammymastroberte.com.

Melissa Costello: Eating to Create Your Healthiest Body, Mind & Spirit

Posted on by Tammy

We continue to hear the benefits of plant-based eating — touted by well-known doctors such as Dr. Oz, Dr. Andrew Weil, Dr. Mark Hyman and Dr. Joel Furhman — but what exactly IS a plant-based diet, and does it require a lot of time for preparation and cooking?

Certified nutritionist and author of “The Karma Chow Ultimate Cookbook: 125+ Plant Based Vegan Recipes for a Fit, Happy & Healthy You,” Melissa Costello joined Elevated Existence Magazine founder, Tammy Mastroberte, on the Living an Elevated Existence Mind, Body & Soul Summit to discuss this topic and more!

“Plant based eating is coming more into the mainstream, and often another term for veganism, but it doesn’t mean your vegan,” Costello said on the call. “It’s just that you are eating more foods that are less processed, so you are eating things that grow in the ground or on a tree — things that are more natural. It’s about eating less animal products and more natural foods like vegetables, beans, whole grains, nuts, seeds and fruits.”

As the founder of KarmaChow.com, Costello creates recipes that are easy to follow with ingredients easy to acquire at the local grocery store. Her goal is to make eating healthy easy and accessible for everyone, she said.

“I really want people to know this way of eating can taste good, and be accessible and simple because we are busy today, and people are always on the go,” she explained. “I wanted people to know they can eat healthy, and it doesn’t have to take five hours to make one dish. It’s really about using things that are accessible at a grocery store.”

As a child, Costello suffered from asthma, migraine headaches, and often found herself sick with viruses and bacterial infections. At 19 she began investigating food as medicine and changing her diet in order to heal her body.

“I had always loved to cook, so I just started experimenting with how could I eat healthier. I started making healthier versions foods that I loved,” she noted. “I also had a major sugar addiction, and most of our health issues are related to that because sugar wrecks our immune system.”

She found when she started moving to a more plant-based diet, her body began to heal itself. Her asthma went away, along with her headaches and irritable bowel syndrome.

“Between eating super healthy, exercising and stress management, all of those things went away, which was a miracle and phenomenal, but that is the power of eating clean healthy food,” Costello said.

To get a better idea of how our food has a major effect on our bodies, Costello recommended the film “Forks Over Knives,” created by two heart surgeons who began to investigate the connection between food and illness, and who now recommend plant-based diets to their patients.

“They were tired of doing all these triple bypass surgeries and thought, ‘What can we do to start changing this?’” she explained. “They came up with this plant based idea and started putting people through it. People can heal themselves of hear disease, Type 2 Diabetes and more. When we start changing our diet, our bodies have their own natural internal healing processes. When we put the good clean food in, our bodies will start to heal.”

Substitutions & More
On the live call during the Living an Elevated Existence Summit, Costello shared what she uses for substitutions when it comes to sugar, meat and more. When it comes to sugar, her go-to substitutes include raw, unfiltered honey; grade B maple syrup (which has less sugar then grade A through the processing); brown rice syrup (which is a lower glycemic sweetener); coconut palm sugar and stevia.

And when it comes to artificial sweeteners, Costello would prefer people eat actual sugar then use these alternatives, she explained.

“They are just pure chemicals. They have been proven in animal testing to affect the brain, and they cause tumor growth. They are just horrendous,” she said.

Also, for those who are addicted to sugar and find they crave it, she recommends grabbing and apple or making a cup of tea rather then reaching for the candy bar.

“Take a contrary action, and do something that is different then your norm. That is when you are going to start retraining your brain,” she said.

For meat substitutions, rather then buying what she refers to as “fake meat,” she uses healthier options such as tempeh, which is a soy-based, fermented food that is easy to digest.

“My fake tuna is made with chickpeas, so it’s not a processed meat product, and for tempeh I always use organic, non GMO. It gives you live enzymes.”

To substitute dairy, she uses almond milk, and even makes cheese out of cashew nuts. It’s about making small changes that add up in the long run, said Costello.

“You don’t’ have to say, ‘Tomorrow I’m giving up everything,’ because that will set us up for failure. Take one small step a week. Make one recipe each week that is vegan and healthy, or do Meatless Mondays,” she said.

Costello is currently working on a new cookbook due out in April 2014.