The Path To Easy Weight Loss
Yes, I Said Easy.
Before you click the X in the upper right hand corner of your computer screen and end this pseudo conversation (or before you want to reach out and slap me upside the head)... read on, add comments, and create a dialogue.
What is this path you ask? Mindfulness I say, mindfulness around your eating habits but more importantly, mindfulness around your life.
Why Mindfulness?
Mindfulness teaches us to be present-minded and grounded in our professional and personal lives from a foundation of inner (my word) connectedness. A mindfulness practice involves a small amount of time devoted to re-setting. This re-set allows us to be in the moment, make decisions, reflect and communicate from our innermost, authentic voice.
End Result: You make decisions based upon what is best for the growth of your higher self and the greater good not impulse based decisions to satisfy immediate gratification on some level or another.
Magical path in the woods
Yes, I said easy.
Before you click the X in the upper right hand corner of your computer screen and end this pseudo conversation (or before you want to reach out and slap me upside the head)... read on, add comments, and create a dialogue.
What is this path you ask? Mindfulness I say, mindfulness around your eating habits but more importantly, mindfulness around your life.
Mindfulness defined from Jenny Kenny Morrill (Colton, NY) 3 Marigolds Mindfulness Tutoring services:
Why Mindfulness?
Mindfulness teaches us to be present-minded and grounded in our professional and personal lives from a foundation of inner (my word) connectedness. A mindfulness practice involves a small amount of time devoted to re-setting. This re-set allows us to be in the moment, make decisions, reflect, and communicate from our innermost - authentic voice.
End Result: You make decisions based upon what is best for the growth of your higher self and the greater good not impulse based decisions to satisfy immediate gratification on some level or another.
Thank you Trillium Yoga for posting this Yoga wisdom picture on FB.
You have heard me speak of how my 16 year, daily yoga practice has created mindfulness in my life. I also hope you have enjoyed my earlier post on Walking the Red Road... I remind you of these things, and previous posts, because I want to show you that all of this is within your grasp and you will start creating a healthier you (including that weight loss you have been intending on).
Pick a mindfulness habit that works for you and start watching your life look like this:
- Thinking thoughtfully around your day... "Oh, I have a big dinner tonight. I will mindfully eat very lightly the rest of the day to not over food, over stuff myself, in this 24 hour period.
- "Wow, that family celebration was heavy last night." Mindfully I decide to fast a bit longer today, skip break - fast, and breathe deeply knowing I am fine without food for a few hours more.
- You realize that hunger signals from the brain and belly do not always need to be immediately gratified. "Hey, I hear you speaking awesome body but I am going to pass on any food right now and I know I will be ok. This hunger pang too shall pass and I can wait until breakfast, lunch, dinner..."
- Working through the ending sugar addiction becomes a practice of self-love wrapped in gorgeous, mindfulness gift paper and ribbons. Gently reminding yourself:
"If I stop feeding the gut bugs that thrive on sugar and refined carbs what they want (more sugar and refined carbs) they, the sugar craving gut bugs, will die."
"Yup, starve the 'lil buggers to death. My whole food diet will re-establish the amazing gut bugs I do want in my digestive tract. These wanted gut bugs will not be begging me for sugar, they will not scream from deep inside my belly to run and find that hidden ice ' cream in the freezer or that bag of chocolate chips I hide from the family."
"Goodbye soda, other sugary drinks, and packaged refined foods... my gut bugs don't want you!"
Seriously, have these dialogues with yourself and your gut bugs. Good inner dialogue keeps you mindful AND makes you chuckle (laughter is healing my friends!) as you move through your day on this magical path of mindfulness.
Use mindfulness to improve any aspect of your life, make those whole health lifestyle changes you have been meaning to, and support the kissing goodbye of all of the habits that are not cultivating your higher self or the greater good.
Need extra help?
- Find a yoga teacher and/or class in your area. Here in Northern NY: Trillium, Yoga Loft, Five Elements, Northern Light Yoga
- Call Jenny for mindfulness tutoring, see above.
- Try meditation: go to Five Elements Living and check out the offerings with Sarah Jane, check out the upcoming classes: Cultivating Ease & Liveliness
- More meditation in the Potsdam-Canton, NY area: Northern Light Yoga, Trillium Yoga, St. Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, and the Unitarian Universalist Church of Canton
- Find what works for you in your area: tai chi, qi gong, tae kwon do, prayer, walking meditation...
- Read a book on yoga or mindfulness and teach yourself... then practice every day.
- Go to my blog page (hey, wait... you are already here!) OK, then just do this for some added loving support: in the search bar type in Yoga. You will get many posts on supporting your mindfulness practice. Now type in weight loss... yup, more support 'cuz friends, that's what I do... work to support your health and healing needs. I am hoping that a word or two of wisdom will spark some sort of change in you to help you find your natural path, find you, again.
BIG HUGS (filled with mindfulness of course) , Paula
PS... Hey, I just remembered, I wrote a book and Jenny & I wrote a book together to help you cultivate your mindfulness and turn your life into a blissful existence.
Currently unavailable. I have a few copies and am working on a re-publish. Contact me.
Available on Amazon or from me
I wrote another book to help you navigate lifestyle changes to restore your natural health and lose that weight. See, I do have your back 24/7!
Join My Home Study Courses, The School of Self Healing
To Mindfully Restore Your Health From The Ground Up
OR
Start learning with Divine Weight Loss to taste test
how I can support your health.
Find your path and walk in peace.
Coming Back to YOU!
BONUS DAY!
This is a paragraph excerpted from the current book I am reading that I found to profound:
"When we walk the labyrinth of our soul out from the center and back into the world, the key is to slow down and observe our minds, observe every single one of our decisions, observe what we say yes to and what we say no to, observe what we give our energy to. It is by slowing down that we become aware of how deep certain patterns have run and are able to steer our course in accordance with our newly established beliefs, with what we have come to know about ourselves. By slowing down we can build our inner clarity and strength to find our way out, leaving the shattered remains of our discarded path behind us." From Heart of the Labyrinth by Nicole Schwab, WomanCraft Publishing.
I share this here as we move into the holiday season. Why you ask? Because so many of us give in to the indulgences of the holidays, the constant buffets of not so healthy foods, excess sweet treats, and alcohol flowing freely. We set out with good intentions; plans to feed our body cells for health and healing, but something seems to get in the way.
When we open to soul, our inner light, grabbing at every treat offered no longer pulls at our reserves. When we align with spirit, our spirit, making choices based upon our wellness needs becomes second nature. No guilt, no feelings of deprivation, just blissful peace.
Question to ask yourself to bring peace when making holiday food & drink choices:
"Is this best for my wellness, will this best feed my body cells for health and healing?"
I wish you peace on your journey.
PS Don't forget about the FREE Holiday, Pamper Yourself Gifts!
This year I'm delighted to extend a personal invitation to you to join me and several healer women colleagues from around the globe, offering our most special and treasured tools, programs, and supports to help you stay feeling nourished, grounded, and energized throughout the holiday season.
The Happy Healthy Holiday Hamper is your very own store for everything you could possibly desire to support you this December. And the best part is, all of the programs, recordings, e-books, and workbooks we've collected are yours for free.
Receive all of your free holiday hamper gifts here: www.tinyurl.com/holidayhamper
Cook Book...
Cook Book...
To write or not to write,
That IS the ???
So I have hit the 100th person to ask me: Are you going to write a cook book?" or "When are you going to write a cook book?" I am celebrating this milestone (like celebrating the 100th person to cross the threshold of a new store or business) by chatting about it here.
Cook book or not?
I have to say, "nah, not in my plans." I thought about it for a bit and here are my issues... issues, we always have issues!
1. I am a "just throw it in a bowl" kind of gal. For example, foods like cakes, cupcakes, cookies, muffins, and pancakes all have the same basic ingredients. Some have more liquid, i.e. pancakes, while others have more flour, i.e. cookies. What I throw in the bowl depends on the consistency of the batter or dough I am trying to make.
So, to make a chocolate cake I do something like this (and hope for the best!):
- 2-3 eggs whipped up and add 1/2 to 3/4 cup melted butter (these two ingredient amounts depend on whether I am making a one or two layer cake)
- 1/2 cup sugar, unrefined, of course (I may use 3/4 if making 2 layers and it is not for my kids, most people like sweeter cakes.)
- 1 tbsp. vanilla
- 1/2 to 1 cup milk, again depending on the layers
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 2 to 3 tbsp. baking powder depending on the flour (oat flour and I use less b. powder, if it is millet / quinoa / teff / amaranth flours I use more b. powder)
- 3-6 tbsp. cocoa powder depending on # of layers and how chocolate flavored I want the cake
- Enough flour to create a cake batter consistency, which is thicker than pancakes but more liquid than cookies
Set batter aside for 5 - 10 minutes to see how the flour soaks up the liquid. After 10 minutes, if the consistency is cake like, good to go. If it is too runny, I add flour a tiny bit at a time. Too thick? I thin with a bit of milk.
So, that is how I cook everything. A little of this and a little of that. Who wants a cook book written like this? I would get boo-ed and rotten tomatoes thrown at me! Most people want exact measurements.
2. Meal cooking is a process of looking at the local, seasonal produce on hand and having fun with it; playing with the ingredients, herbs, and spices. When you play with food for long enough, cooking and creating in the kitchen becomes second nature.
I suggest picking up a couple of good vegetarian cook books* (cook books that show case seasonal produce) and then read them like novels. Next, get cooking. After a bit of practice in the seasonal kitchen, I will say it again, cooking becomes second nature. It is an art work. Relax, breathe deeply, and let your creative nature just flow.
Add your favorite protein sources and whole grains to the yummy seasonal veggies and voila'... you have dinner (suggestion: make enough for lunch leftovers!).
If you have blood sugar control challenges (diabetes) eat whole grains in serious moderation, not at every meal, and up the intake of veggies instead.
3. I visited the SLU book store and checked out the cook book section. It was scary! There were 5 shelving sections of cook books with 7 shelves in each section. 35 shelves of cook books and only 2 of the cook books on the shelves had more than one copy. One was the original MoosewoodCook Book the other was a smoothie "recipe book", I believe. All of those 35 shelves were loaded with single copies of cook books on every topic and health promoting diet imaginable! That was a huge wow for me!
The 5 rows of cook books at the SLU Book Store:
3. I am all about making food an art form. The kitchen is your studio, food is your medium, and the kitchen utensils are your artist's tools!
Watch for my follow up post: How to Cook Like an Artist
Be well, have fun in the kitchen! Paula
*Cook Books you might find useful:
- Home Gardener's Month By Month Cookbook, Marjorie Page Blanchard
- From Asparagus to Zucchini
- Recipes from the Root Cellar, Andrea Chesman (She also wrote Serving Up the Harvest)
If the cook book uses refined ingredients (refined, all-purpose flour, bleached or not)... use your whole food kitchen skills and swap out the refined ingredients and add in 100% whole food ingredients. Need help with this? Give me a shout, read that section in my book (Hands On Health: Take Your Vibrant, Whole Health Back Into Your Healing Hands), or zap me an email and I will send you my educational handout.
If you do not like the high fat ingredients in the Home Gardener's Cookbook, swap out for ingredients with fat contents you are comfortable with. Myself, hey, bring on the butter! (From Pasture Raised Cows, Please!)
Get cooking like the seasonal kitchen artist you can be!
PS My second book, a book of inspirational words to help you put the action steps in my first book, well... into action, was picked up by a publisher yesterday! Stay tuned as I keep you informed of the publishing process!
I call this book of words my "yoga poses" for the body, mind, and spirit book. No, that is not the book's title... that secret will be released at a later date!
Today, to celebrate, I am off to climb a high peak in those amazing ADK Mountains!
White Face from last summer's hiking ... today I am going up Dial!
Can I Tempt You...
Can I Tempt You...
To Heal Body, Mind, and Soul?
Click the link, below, to taste test my book and start healing today.
1st 15 pages HOH book
