I've recently begun working out with my trainer again. It's been many, many, many months (maybe even close to a year) since exercise has been a regular part of my life. Today was one of those days where it seemed like I just couldn't catch my breath, which initially was a little frustrating because I felt like what I was doing was not really a knock out, drag down workout...which is one of the things I really appreciate about this guy, he doesn't train like that...at least not so far! But as I was leaving, he mentioned I could try and get some more cardio in on the elliptical or I could accept where I am physically right now and call it a day...which I did.
As I was leaving I was thinking about that statement, "accept where you are..." and how important it is for us to do that...to accept who we are, and where we are, NOW. When you decide to accept yourself the way you are, you allow yourself the freedom to change. When you criticize, talk negatively, or fight with yourself, you remain stuck and prevent change from happening.
I once read in an article that acceptance means honoring and loving yourself just the way you are. Maybe you feel confused and think that accepting yourself means you don’t want to change. You may think, “I don’t want to accept myself – that‘s why I want to lose this weight (or whatever it is you want to change)!” But it’s just the opposite. Making peace with where you are is the launching pad that gets you to where you want to go.
Whatever you focus your attention on grows. So when you talk negatively to or about yourself, your negativity grows. This results in self-punishing behaviors and you stay stuck. But when your attention is on where you want to go, and you accept yourself the way you are, your behaviors lovingly reflect the new life you’re creating and you move forward.
You know you want to make changes in your life. Great! Make peace with where you are and you will reach your goal more quickly. Where you are today is totally irrelevant. Your current situation carries no power over you unless you offer it negative attention. Accept where you are and remain focused on where you’re headed. You then become free to change, and change will happen.
This isn't an easy task. I know this from experience! It is hard to be positive when you aren't satisfied with yourself or your surroundings. But one thing I have learned is that when you do make a shift in attitude and focus, and are accepting of the situation at hand, suddenly the pressure is off and the success comes naturally...as if to just fall into place. Today I accepted that I couldn't do all that I wanted to. But I know that that's ok because I am still just fine right where I am, and if I continue to work, I will gain the strength and endurance I need to complete that work out next time. And the positive thing is...at least I went to work out, right??
Monday, October 12, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Fall has arrived here in Michigan! For the past two days it has been rainy, windy, and cold! I was scrambling this morning to find pants, sweatshirts, and yes...coats!...for my children as they were preparing for their day at school. All this scrambling and listening to complaints about how cold everyone was got me thinking about other things that need to happen as the seasons change.
Have you ever noticed that you crave salads in the summer but never seem to want to touch them in the winter? As soon as cool weather arrives, are you suddenly reaching for hot teas and preparing soups and warm, heavy casseroles? I do! Yesterday, I ate soup twice! Just as the seasons change, and we adjust our wardrobes from flip flops to closed toe shoes, tank tops to fleece jackets, and shorts to long pants, we also need to adjust what we feed our bodies!
Eating seasonally can be a very rewarding and economical choice. As the temperature outside changes, our bodies begin to prepare for winter as well. We need to maintain body temperature, feel grounded and warm inside. This can be accomplished simply by choosing the right foods! A salad full of cool, crisp salad green and raw vegetables is the perfect remedy to cool an overheated body in the summer. However, if you eat that in the winter on a regular basis, you will likely find yourself feeling cold all the time! A soup full of root vegetables that grow grounded in the earth, mixed with a warm comforting broth or a warm whole grain pasta dish with sauteed autumn vegetables would be a much better choice to help you maintain a feeling of warmth during these cold months of winter.
On the economical side, eating fruits and vegetables that are in season, and local, is much less expensive and practical than purchasing food items that grow in warm climates and ship halfway across the world ($$$$$) for us to indulge in during a time our body may not want, need or crave them. If nature intended us to eat mangos in Michigan in December, it would provide us with a mango tree that could sustain a harsh winter and still bear fruit! Sure eating some fruits, berries and out of season, warm weather vegetables is OK on occasion. Feeding our bodies food that can create warmth, energy, and a feeling of stability and groundedness is a much better choice physically, emotionally and financially for those of us who have to contend with months and months of cold weather!!
So give eating seasonally a try! Instead of eating a bowl of refined grain cereal with cold milk tomorrow, try having a bowl of warm, grounding, energy sustaining whole grain steel cut oats mixed with protein power packed walnuts, drizzled with a little agave nectar to start your day off warm and keep your mind and energy going strong throughout the day!
Have you ever noticed that you crave salads in the summer but never seem to want to touch them in the winter? As soon as cool weather arrives, are you suddenly reaching for hot teas and preparing soups and warm, heavy casseroles? I do! Yesterday, I ate soup twice! Just as the seasons change, and we adjust our wardrobes from flip flops to closed toe shoes, tank tops to fleece jackets, and shorts to long pants, we also need to adjust what we feed our bodies!
Eating seasonally can be a very rewarding and economical choice. As the temperature outside changes, our bodies begin to prepare for winter as well. We need to maintain body temperature, feel grounded and warm inside. This can be accomplished simply by choosing the right foods! A salad full of cool, crisp salad green and raw vegetables is the perfect remedy to cool an overheated body in the summer. However, if you eat that in the winter on a regular basis, you will likely find yourself feeling cold all the time! A soup full of root vegetables that grow grounded in the earth, mixed with a warm comforting broth or a warm whole grain pasta dish with sauteed autumn vegetables would be a much better choice to help you maintain a feeling of warmth during these cold months of winter.
On the economical side, eating fruits and vegetables that are in season, and local, is much less expensive and practical than purchasing food items that grow in warm climates and ship halfway across the world ($$$$$) for us to indulge in during a time our body may not want, need or crave them. If nature intended us to eat mangos in Michigan in December, it would provide us with a mango tree that could sustain a harsh winter and still bear fruit! Sure eating some fruits, berries and out of season, warm weather vegetables is OK on occasion. Feeding our bodies food that can create warmth, energy, and a feeling of stability and groundedness is a much better choice physically, emotionally and financially for those of us who have to contend with months and months of cold weather!!
So give eating seasonally a try! Instead of eating a bowl of refined grain cereal with cold milk tomorrow, try having a bowl of warm, grounding, energy sustaining whole grain steel cut oats mixed with protein power packed walnuts, drizzled with a little agave nectar to start your day off warm and keep your mind and energy going strong throughout the day!
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Dealing With Disappointment...
One of the reasons I became interested in health and wellness was because of my constant search for balance in my life and a way to successfully shed unwanted excess body weight. I was emotionally dependant on food for fulfillment and my body was showing the signs. Food was a very powerful tool for me. It filled me with sweetness, provided warmth and comfort, and powered me through hard, tiring, or trying times.
I have searched out the knowledge of others to help me figure out how to break free from my dependency on this powerful (and delicious) drug and begin to nourish my body with real nutrition (whole foods and love) and balance out my emotions in a much more healthy way. I have learned a great deal in the process and am confident that I have all the knowledge I need to be successful. I love the information so much, I can't get enough, and that is why I am embarking on the journey of creating a career out of helping others find wholeness and balance in their bodies as well as the environments should support them and their efforts.
This is great, right!? I should have so much success to report!! Well, I'm disappointed to share, it's not! The success I was craving, and the pounds I was hoping would just melt right off, are still sitting exactly where they were when I started this journey...which was quite awhile ago.
So why no success? I'm not sure. But it's disappointing to say the least! There have been road blocks...lack of motivation, stress, injuries, moves, sickness, etc...for sure. In contemplating the reasons why I am "stuck" where I am, and evaluating all my actions, I realized I was/am still using food to get me through the ups and downs of my day! These days it's more about getting through stress and the busyness of life, than it is about dealing with extreme emotions, although that arises on occasion. However, the fact that I can recognize that is progress to report! Being able to evaluate and identify your weakness' is a huge first step in achieving a healthier and balanced life. Until you are able to do that, you will likely continue NOT to see success. Knowing our weakness' allows us to plan better, learn how to cope better, and sets us up for success, not failure.
So I have learned something and I am applying what I have learned. Now the next step is to take action and put it all together! Instead of dealing with this disappointment of un-shed pounds by eating yet more comforting foods, I am going to continue to plug along and plan better, eat better, and avoid all the triggers that throw me off better. It may be hard at times, and I will fail at times, but the more we practice, the better we will get, and the healthier we will begin to look, feel and be!
I have searched out the knowledge of others to help me figure out how to break free from my dependency on this powerful (and delicious) drug and begin to nourish my body with real nutrition (whole foods and love) and balance out my emotions in a much more healthy way. I have learned a great deal in the process and am confident that I have all the knowledge I need to be successful. I love the information so much, I can't get enough, and that is why I am embarking on the journey of creating a career out of helping others find wholeness and balance in their bodies as well as the environments should support them and their efforts.
This is great, right!? I should have so much success to report!! Well, I'm disappointed to share, it's not! The success I was craving, and the pounds I was hoping would just melt right off, are still sitting exactly where they were when I started this journey...which was quite awhile ago.
So why no success? I'm not sure. But it's disappointing to say the least! There have been road blocks...lack of motivation, stress, injuries, moves, sickness, etc...for sure. In contemplating the reasons why I am "stuck" where I am, and evaluating all my actions, I realized I was/am still using food to get me through the ups and downs of my day! These days it's more about getting through stress and the busyness of life, than it is about dealing with extreme emotions, although that arises on occasion. However, the fact that I can recognize that is progress to report! Being able to evaluate and identify your weakness' is a huge first step in achieving a healthier and balanced life. Until you are able to do that, you will likely continue NOT to see success. Knowing our weakness' allows us to plan better, learn how to cope better, and sets us up for success, not failure.
So I have learned something and I am applying what I have learned. Now the next step is to take action and put it all together! Instead of dealing with this disappointment of un-shed pounds by eating yet more comforting foods, I am going to continue to plug along and plan better, eat better, and avoid all the triggers that throw me off better. It may be hard at times, and I will fail at times, but the more we practice, the better we will get, and the healthier we will begin to look, feel and be!
Friday, September 18, 2009
Clearing the Clutter...In Life...
My absence from this blog is pretty reflective of my absence from all things I love lately! I have been very busy and I am ready to slow down, relax, and dig back in as my family settles into the fall routine and the cool weather rolls in. Time to refocus, restructure, and renew!
I have fallen tremendously behind in the world of all things health, balance, and wellness. But I am missing it terribly and putting it back into the forefront of my days. I am prepping to do a three week lecture series on staying healthy, balanced, and stress-free during the holiday season with my friend at our church at the end of October. I am really looking forward to presenting this! I am getting organized and seeing clients, looking for a new office space, and will be launching a new website soon. Things are getting very exciting!
I have been enjoying the final weeks of our farm share vegetables and am very sad that it will be ending soon. I have loved receiving fresh, organic produce right out of the ground week to week. The only problem is that I loved it so much we have nothing frozen for the winter because we ate it all!! I do have an abundance of blueberries stored for the winter so we will be enjoying lots of blueberry baked goods this winter...mmm...
As I think about how I want to go about refocusing my time back on the things I love, I quickly become overwhelmed by the process of getting "caught" up. When this happens to me, I tend to freeze up and do nothing because I don't know where to start. It's all important to me and I have a hard time prioritizing!
This morning, I eliminated one thing (ok...skipped it for today only) from my schedule that has the potential to weigh me down for the rest of the day physically. As soon as I did that, I felt like the whole day was wide open and felt a rush of relief. Yesterday, I officially announced I would not be renewing my lease on my office space downtown, even though I don't have a new one to move into yet. That was also a huge relief!! Just knowing the decision has been made means I can confidently move forward without second guessing if I should. Today, I am also canceling a gym membership that I have had for 7 years. I am comfortable there and like the atmosphere but have found that since moving to our new house, going there is a chore and takes up too much time because of its location. I will be working with my trainer again soon and will also be joining my husband at his gym right here downtown...where I live (hmmm...imagine that...adding convenience!).
I have found that when I eliminate things that hold me back, weigh me down, or drain my time and energy everything else opens up because it has space to breathe! Just by eliminating these few things from my life, even if something is only for a day, I have a new sense of focus, balance and clarity to move forward with other more important projects and responsibilities.
Is there something weighing you down? Is there a project you can delegate to someone else? Eliminate one thing from your schedule or life today and see what opportunities open up to you!!
I have fallen tremendously behind in the world of all things health, balance, and wellness. But I am missing it terribly and putting it back into the forefront of my days. I am prepping to do a three week lecture series on staying healthy, balanced, and stress-free during the holiday season with my friend at our church at the end of October. I am really looking forward to presenting this! I am getting organized and seeing clients, looking for a new office space, and will be launching a new website soon. Things are getting very exciting!
I have been enjoying the final weeks of our farm share vegetables and am very sad that it will be ending soon. I have loved receiving fresh, organic produce right out of the ground week to week. The only problem is that I loved it so much we have nothing frozen for the winter because we ate it all!! I do have an abundance of blueberries stored for the winter so we will be enjoying lots of blueberry baked goods this winter...mmm...
As I think about how I want to go about refocusing my time back on the things I love, I quickly become overwhelmed by the process of getting "caught" up. When this happens to me, I tend to freeze up and do nothing because I don't know where to start. It's all important to me and I have a hard time prioritizing!
This morning, I eliminated one thing (ok...skipped it for today only) from my schedule that has the potential to weigh me down for the rest of the day physically. As soon as I did that, I felt like the whole day was wide open and felt a rush of relief. Yesterday, I officially announced I would not be renewing my lease on my office space downtown, even though I don't have a new one to move into yet. That was also a huge relief!! Just knowing the decision has been made means I can confidently move forward without second guessing if I should. Today, I am also canceling a gym membership that I have had for 7 years. I am comfortable there and like the atmosphere but have found that since moving to our new house, going there is a chore and takes up too much time because of its location. I will be working with my trainer again soon and will also be joining my husband at his gym right here downtown...where I live (hmmm...imagine that...adding convenience!).
I have found that when I eliminate things that hold me back, weigh me down, or drain my time and energy everything else opens up because it has space to breathe! Just by eliminating these few things from my life, even if something is only for a day, I have a new sense of focus, balance and clarity to move forward with other more important projects and responsibilities.
Is there something weighing you down? Is there a project you can delegate to someone else? Eliminate one thing from your schedule or life today and see what opportunities open up to you!!
Monday, August 31, 2009
It's Not About Me...Or Is It?
As I sit here reflecting on the past two weeks of my life, I feel jumbled and out of sorts. I crave quiet and order and routine and discipline. Today is the last day of summer and I can hardly wait until Tuesday morning when all of my children are in school for an entire day.
This summer has a been a weird one for my family. We moved into a new house and have been adjusting to our new surroundings. We traveled more than I can ever remember traveling in one summer. My oldest daughter spent 5 straight weeks away from home AND got her level one drivers license (a permit to drive with parents). And most recently, my eighteen year old niece has decided to leave home in Colorado and has asked to move in with us! It's been busy, for sure.
As our niece settles in, and I reflect on all the above events, I realize that for some period of time now, I have been completely neglecting to care for myself in the midst of all this chaos. I have allowed stress to take over, worry to keep me awake, clutter to creep into my environments, and have settled on less than desirable meals to "nourish" my body. Over the past couple of days I have found myself experiencing extreme emotions at random times through out my day...tears while washing dishes, anger while cleaning up messes, discontent while taking a walk with my husband, and stress and worry while attempting to fall asleep at night.
The adventures we have had this summer and adding a new member to our family has been absolutely delightful but also overwhelming and incredibly time consuming. My routine and responsibilities have come to a screeching halt. And now I know I am paying the price for allowing this to happen. I have noticed the crankiness begin to creep in. I have heard myself sighing more and more throughout my day. And a feeling of overwhelming discontent with my days has taken over the feeling of happiness at accomplishing the many tasks I might have had on my "To Do" list.
I realize now that in my attempt to live a life centered around the thought of "it's not all about me" I have lost touch with who I am. In my attempts to serve my children, husband, distant family members, and welcome my niece into our family, I have stopped remembering to care for myself and my needs as well. Not only is this not good for me it is also not good for everyone who has to live with me.
I will tell my clients "If you don't care for yourself and your body first, you will be no good to others." And once again, I find this true in my own life. Even though I am spending my entire days serving and loving others, the quality of that servanthood is quickly waning as I continue to neglect myself and my needs in the midst of it. Self care is one of the best gifts we can give ourselves...and we need to remember to give to ourselves as well as others.
If you think taking time out of your day to get a workout in at a gym that offers child care sounds frivolous, think again. If you think spending $3.00 (or even $20) on a body care product that you love is selfish, think again. How about taking a long hot shower...a waste of water? What if you told your children they needed to entertain themselves for 30 minutes while you quietly read a book? How about taking the time to cook an extra meal (or a larger one that would yield leftovers!) in the evening to take to work the next day for a healthy home cooked lunch instead of eating out at a restaurant or driving through a fast food establishment? Not worth the time or the effort? YES it is! We are worth spending time and resources on ourselves!
If you are finding yourself overwhelmed with stress, life, or lack of time sit quietly for ten minutes and write down a few things you could do to care for yourself during this time. Not only will it nourish your emotions, your soul and your body, it will also allow you to recharge so that you can be even more aware and effective in whatever you throw yourself into...your job, parenting, serving others, creating art, or just being you!
Today my niece went to her first day of college. Tomorrow my children all go to their first day of school. While the house won't be quiet for the whole day, it will be for a few hours in the morning. During that time, I plan to set all responsibilities and work aside, sit with a cup of tea in my favorite room in the house, where the sun shines in bright and warm, and quietly reflect, recharge, and renew my thoughts for my near future. I know this down time will nourish me greatly and I am very much looking forward to it. I also plan to eat lunch and spend the afternoon with my very best friend who I have not seen since the beginning of summer. To be able to share, unload, and ask what is new and good with her will be fabulous! Tomorrow will be a wonderful day all about me, it will fuel me for Wednesday and the rest of my week where I have a very busy schedule and need to be focused and have energy.
How about you? Are you caring for and loving yourself in times of stress or craziness? If you don't give yourself the attention you need, even if things aren't stressful or busy, you will become unbalanced and lack in all other areas of your life. Do something today to show yourself you are worth it and it can be "all about you" sometimes!
This summer has a been a weird one for my family. We moved into a new house and have been adjusting to our new surroundings. We traveled more than I can ever remember traveling in one summer. My oldest daughter spent 5 straight weeks away from home AND got her level one drivers license (a permit to drive with parents). And most recently, my eighteen year old niece has decided to leave home in Colorado and has asked to move in with us! It's been busy, for sure.
As our niece settles in, and I reflect on all the above events, I realize that for some period of time now, I have been completely neglecting to care for myself in the midst of all this chaos. I have allowed stress to take over, worry to keep me awake, clutter to creep into my environments, and have settled on less than desirable meals to "nourish" my body. Over the past couple of days I have found myself experiencing extreme emotions at random times through out my day...tears while washing dishes, anger while cleaning up messes, discontent while taking a walk with my husband, and stress and worry while attempting to fall asleep at night.
The adventures we have had this summer and adding a new member to our family has been absolutely delightful but also overwhelming and incredibly time consuming. My routine and responsibilities have come to a screeching halt. And now I know I am paying the price for allowing this to happen. I have noticed the crankiness begin to creep in. I have heard myself sighing more and more throughout my day. And a feeling of overwhelming discontent with my days has taken over the feeling of happiness at accomplishing the many tasks I might have had on my "To Do" list.
I realize now that in my attempt to live a life centered around the thought of "it's not all about me" I have lost touch with who I am. In my attempts to serve my children, husband, distant family members, and welcome my niece into our family, I have stopped remembering to care for myself and my needs as well. Not only is this not good for me it is also not good for everyone who has to live with me.
I will tell my clients "If you don't care for yourself and your body first, you will be no good to others." And once again, I find this true in my own life. Even though I am spending my entire days serving and loving others, the quality of that servanthood is quickly waning as I continue to neglect myself and my needs in the midst of it. Self care is one of the best gifts we can give ourselves...and we need to remember to give to ourselves as well as others.
If you think taking time out of your day to get a workout in at a gym that offers child care sounds frivolous, think again. If you think spending $3.00 (or even $20) on a body care product that you love is selfish, think again. How about taking a long hot shower...a waste of water? What if you told your children they needed to entertain themselves for 30 minutes while you quietly read a book? How about taking the time to cook an extra meal (or a larger one that would yield leftovers!) in the evening to take to work the next day for a healthy home cooked lunch instead of eating out at a restaurant or driving through a fast food establishment? Not worth the time or the effort? YES it is! We are worth spending time and resources on ourselves!
If you are finding yourself overwhelmed with stress, life, or lack of time sit quietly for ten minutes and write down a few things you could do to care for yourself during this time. Not only will it nourish your emotions, your soul and your body, it will also allow you to recharge so that you can be even more aware and effective in whatever you throw yourself into...your job, parenting, serving others, creating art, or just being you!
Today my niece went to her first day of college. Tomorrow my children all go to their first day of school. While the house won't be quiet for the whole day, it will be for a few hours in the morning. During that time, I plan to set all responsibilities and work aside, sit with a cup of tea in my favorite room in the house, where the sun shines in bright and warm, and quietly reflect, recharge, and renew my thoughts for my near future. I know this down time will nourish me greatly and I am very much looking forward to it. I also plan to eat lunch and spend the afternoon with my very best friend who I have not seen since the beginning of summer. To be able to share, unload, and ask what is new and good with her will be fabulous! Tomorrow will be a wonderful day all about me, it will fuel me for Wednesday and the rest of my week where I have a very busy schedule and need to be focused and have energy.
How about you? Are you caring for and loving yourself in times of stress or craziness? If you don't give yourself the attention you need, even if things aren't stressful or busy, you will become unbalanced and lack in all other areas of your life. Do something today to show yourself you are worth it and it can be "all about you" sometimes!
Friday, August 14, 2009
Farm Meals...Day Three
There was a specific smell coming out of my refrigerator this morning that was making everyone in the house cringe. I soon realized it was the broccoli we had gotten from our farm share a few days ago. When ever I have broccoli, I always wait to use it and always end up with a smelly fridge. Mental note...use your broccoli the day you bring it into the house!!
The broccoli was still good...it just wanted to remind me it was still uneaten in there! So for lunch I made this...
Broccoli Gratin with brown rice and spelt breadcrumbs
One of the best things I do and highly recommend is prepping everything you need for your meal before you start to cook it. It may take a few minutes longer, but man does it make a difference! Having all your ingredients ready before you start cooking can save you from burning it, messing up, and lots of stress as you try to manage it all at once. And if it looks organized and pretty, it will be more fun to cook!
See??
As you can see, there are a ton of veggies in this dish. I used eggplant, yellow squash, zucchini, red pepper and spinach. And you can mix and match! Just because you don't have an ingredient called for in a recipe doesn't mean you can't make it at the last minute! Just find something else to substitute it with. Use the recipe as a guide. You don't always have to have it all perfect and followed to a tee. So here's the finished product...
Grilled vegetables with cheese tortellini...
This recipe is fabulous for summer! If you have a lot of veggies to use up this is a sure winner! Click the link above, make it, and tell me what you think!
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Farm Share Meals...Day One and Two...
We have had some pretty amazing meals the last 24 hours using some of the greens and vegetables from our farm share! I am always amazed at the taste difference between organics and conventionally grown foods. I can't even describe how different they are. Switching our food to all organic has been an awesome experience. The burst of flavor and texture you receive in your mouth is definitely worth any extra expense (not to mention the fact that you are eating chemical and hormone free foods). So what did we eat??
This was dinner last night...
Sauteed kale and yellow squash tossed with soba noodles and marinara sauce, topped with grated parmesan cheese...
And lunch today...
Toasted tomato sandwiches on sprouted grain bread with salad greens topped with yellow squash...
And for dinner today...
Open-faced burger topped with raw sharp cheddar cheese and sprouts with green pepper and carrot "fries"...
We are seriously enjoying this farm food. The fresh and light fare has been perfect for our warm summer days. The more I have produce in the house, the better I get at using it up. I am finding that the more I eat, the more I want, and the more creative I get at making our meals!! It's been a learning experience for sure, but with a little practice I have been creating exciting new meals each week!
And here's a little eye candy for you to drool over until my next meal post highlighting vegetables...this was an experiment last night I tried from a raw food recipe book I recently purchased on one of our vacations this summer.
Key Lime Bars..."ice cream" made from raw cashews, juice from limes, and agave nectar. Of course it was topped with homemade raw cacao syrup (amazing!). Not exactly anything from the farm share, but I thought I would share anyways!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)