Change Your Thoughts for More Energy

This afternoon I was feeling a little tired and then made it worse by blaming my sleepiness on what I ate. I know I'm not supposed to do that. I had a muffin because I was tired, bored and I just felt like it. It was a tasty muffin with banana and blueberries and was from a really good cafe in town. I thought for some reason I was getting the gluten free muffin. As soon as I broke it apart I knew it was wheat. This isn't a huge problem for me, I just avoid wheat, especially large amounts, because I know that it makes me tired after an hour or so. I ate it anyway because, well, I wanted to, I wasn't concerned about the after affects and it was so tasty. I put it in my head that because it was made at a lovely little cafe (Zephyr's) by a caring baker and did contain some really healthy ingredients that I would be just fine. I also gave Reiki to the muffin, just to be sure. I enjoyed every bite guilt free, I really did.

Then in about an hour I started to feel very tired, slightly irritated and a bit depressed. That's when the regret came. The "ah, I should have known, now I have to endure the effects for the rest of the day, what did I do that for, duh!" Again all the things I don't recommend doing or thinking. I was on my way to the Wednesday (3-7pm at the store) farmer's market in Brackendale at that point. The road was being paved so I thought I would take the back way, only to find it was being paved as well. Then I thought I had taken the wrong way and wasted my time. I breathed, turned on the CBC radio 2 Drive and listened to a Manu Chao song. That made me feel better, how could it not. Then I decided to do an experiment. I believed that having wheat would make me feel a certain way and it did. What if I decided that I could change the way wheat makes me feel by simply changing the way I feel. The song had started to help and next, the market would.

I got to the farmer's market and saw 3 smiling faces sitting in front of 3 tables. There was maple syrup, fresh greens and indoor composters. I was already feeling energized, happier and motivated. As I talked to sellers my energy increased. The farmer from The Good Time Farmer's (best farm name ever) was showing me his greens that had bolted to seed and had also flowered. He gave me some sprigs to taste test. Mmmm, tiny kale, leaves with little yellow flowers, purslane with tiny flowers poking out the centre. Amazing! What was more amazing was all the side effects from eating wheat had disappeared. We talked about gardening, when the tomato plants would be ready for planting outside and how I had grown lettuce on my windowsill this winter. It was inspiring and exciting. I also got a demo of a brilliant indoor worm composter.

I won't be eating another muffin any time soon but I will be working on my beliefs about them more and more. The more I remind myself that I am the only one who thinks my thoughts and that changing my thoughts changes my feelings the easier it becomes. Like anything it takes practice. Start practicing, why not?

Snack Habits

Having healthy snacks on hand will make your healthy eating goals easier to achieve. When you are feeling snackish or maybe have gone too long without food and are famished the snacks that are closest to you are the snacks that will win. If there is a box of doughnuts or a pot of coffee in front of you it will win. If there is a bag of raw almonds and raisins beside the doughnuts you have a choice. You decide which snack wins your love. The trick is to train your body and mind to choose the snack which will be the best for you in the moment and in the long run.

If you at first choose a handful of almonds followed by a doughnut, that's okay. It's a step towards snacking success. Take it as a victory and keep moving forward. Focus on your victories and forget about the times that you eat the doughnut. Just like riding a bike it takes practice and the more you do it the easier it is. Pretty soon you will be snacking on almonds without a second thought, just like you get on your bike and peddle even if it has been awhile. You don't think about it you just do. Automatically reaching for the doughnut at snack time is a habit, that is all it is. It is not about willpower or lack there of, it is simply a habit. All you have to do is create a new habit to bump out the old one. The new habit is grabbing a good for you snack. The more you do it the better you will feel. At first you will have to remind yourself that eating the almonds will make you feel better than eating the doughnut will. After awhile your body will remember and will choose the best choice for you.

When I worked as a baker I got into the habit of drinking lattes, eating cookies, scones and bread when I was at work. It was all around me, it was easy and it gave me energy to get through the early mornings and into the late nights. I continued that habit of chowing down on carbs for energy long after my baking days. It was a habit and it was not serving me; it eventually showed up in a big way when my joints became extremely swollen. I was forced to change this habit out of fear of permanently being the Pillsbury dough girl as my friends lovingly called me. Now I have a new habit of healthy snacking and it serves me well. I do slip back here and there and I allow it, knowing that feeling guilty about it will be worse than eating it.

Habits are easy to follow, create good ones!

You can Eat Your Chocolate Cake and Enjoy it too! -without the weight gain and guilt.

Imagine a child's birthday party complete with balloons, games, presents, a bunch of 6 year old kids screaming with delight and a big chocolate cake covered in butter icing and little sugar candies shaped liked trucks. Something like that, you know the party, you were there once or maybe you are a parent and have been to one recently. Now comes cake time. The kids are all excited and big eyed, already on a sugar high, the parents have their cameras rolling and everyone starts singing. It's all about fun, joy and living life. Then the cake gets cut and plated. Then the plates of cake get passed around. The kids grab them and dig in without a second thought. They eat every bite of cake on the plate. Their only thought is "mmmm, yummy, good cake". Then when the 6 year old kids finish off the last bite of cake they put the plate down and race off to the next thing to enjoy. They had their cake and enjoyed it too and then they moved on. Kids are really good at living in the moment.

Now picture the moms in the room and watch as that cake gets passed around to them. Some of them take it with thanks and others ask for a smaller piece. Most of them, not all, look at the cake and think "mmmmm, looks tasty, but it is so full of fat and calories. I didn't get any exercise today, I really don't deserve this. I really shouldn't. Well I will just have a bite, that's not so bad." Then she takes a bite and for the first moment she enjoys it thinking, "mmm, yum this is really good cake." Then the moment is lost and she changes her thought to "Oh but it is too good, it really must be bad for me. I should really stop eating it. It is going right to my thighs. I'm so bad, but it is so good and I just can't stop. I am so weak, I have no willpower..." She finishes the cake and puts down the plate. Instead of moving on and enjoying what is happening in the new moment, like the fun the kids are having, she starts thinking again, "oh boy, I really shouldn't have eaten that cake, I can't believe I ate the whole thing (it was actually just a piece). I am so weak, such a failure. No wonder no one loves me..." Her thoughts go from chocolate cake to the real void that she is trying to fill, love for herself. All of this from a simple, innocent piece of cake. Notice the words that she used; shouldn't, don't deserve, weak, no willpower... and think abut what those words represent.

You can Eat Your Chocolate Cake and Enjoy it too! -without the weight gain and guilt. The way is to understand what eating and thinking those thoughts does to your body. When you think a negative thought your body goes into stress mode. When you are thinking a lot of negative thoughts and going into guilt mode your body will end up very stressed. When your body is stressed it's physical response is to send out hormones from the adrenal glands to deal with the stress. Stored sugars are released and pumped through your blood, energy is sent to the heart, lungs and extremities and the digestive system goes into sleep mode. The reason your body does this is because it is prioritizing functions needed to deal with stress. Your body recognizes a stress signal as a "fight or flight" situation and responds accordingly. All of these actions your body takes gives you the ability to literally fight or run for your life. This is your bodies mechanism to respond to a serious 911 situation like running out of a burning building or defending yourself against an intruder. This is a very important and life saving response, it is an incredible thing that our bodies do for us. It gives us what we need to get out, and fast. The problem is that when all the energy is taken away from the digestive system and it is being shut down, it is very difficult to digest food. That is when we get bloated, feel sick to our stomach and gain weight. The hormones being released by the adrenal glands along with that extra stored sugar being released will end up causing more fat storage because they are not being burned off. When you are running for your life you are burning fuel, when you are eating cake you are not.

The stress response takes place whether the stress is real or perceived. A life or death situation is a real stress. Our reaction to a situation or the way we perceive a situation that is not life or death is a choice. A bit hard for our ego to take but it is true, we have a choice as to how we react in any given situation. The beauty is that we can always change our reactions. Even if the thought starts as "I shouldn't eat this cake" we have the power to change the thought to. "I am enjoying every bite of this cake." Then we have to make that thought a reality so that we are truly enjoying and not just pretending. That takes practice and repetition.

Try this, the next time you sit down to eat, really taste your food. Take a bite and put all of your awareness into it. Notice each flavour, texture and everything else it has to offer. How does it taste to you? Are you really enjoying it or are you simply eating it because it is there and you have to eat to live. Or are you eating it because you know it will give you quick energy or fill an emotional void? Eating mindfully will change the way you see food and it will change the way you digest it. The way you eat is as important as what you eat.

If you are in a place of emotional stress and are reaching for food to fix it, pause. Just for a moment to take a few deep breaths. Close your eyes and imagine a laughing baby, and that can only bring happy thoughts. We can only think one thought at a time so keep moving back to good ones. Practice that, it will get easier and quicker in time. Then once you feel good and happy have a piece of the cake and enjoy every bite. Food is about enjoyment not just nourishment and definitely not guilt. Getting th guilt out and the joy in takes more than willpower, it takes support and accountability.

Spring Time Resolutions

Spring is the time when we clean up the yard, get the garden going, plant seeds and clean out the garage. It is also the time to clean up our diet, clean out our bodies and plant ideas and projects. Traditionally New Year's is the time we set resolutions and new goals. Yet so many find it difficult to follow through with their New Year's resolutions. Whether it is to lose weight or quit smoking many find it difficult to stick to a new healthy regime . There is a logical reason for the failed New Year's resolution and it has nothing to do with will power, it's just not the right time! In January the days are very short and dark, the weather is cold and our bodies are in hibernation mode. For those of us living in the cold winter season that is. During that time it is difficult to take on a cleansing diet of fresh fruits and vegetables and light cooling foods because our bodies need warmth. Light and cooling vegetables such as cucumber, lettuce, tomatoes and sweet peas are not in season here and are therefore not the ideal foods to be eating. In the middle of the winter seasonal vegetables in our area are the remaining stored root veggies such as potatoes, carrots, cabbage and onions. Along with those a typical winter diet consists of grains, meat and legumes. We crave those foods for a reason. Now that's not to say that we can't eat healthy during the winter. These are all very healthy foods and contribute to a healthy body and mind. It is just that we don't have to beat ourselves up for eating starchy foods and gaining a little extra weight. During the winter our metabolism slows down and the lack of light is a contributing factor for a slower thyroid (our metabolism regulator). To bring a little more light into your days get some full spectrum lights. These lights are great for stimulating the endocrine system and are helpful all year round as most people do not spend enough time outside in natural daylight. Also getting exercise every day will help to increase metabolism and decrease cravings. Water is super important too. Keep these things going while you wait for the weather to warm up, which is the real time to start cleaning out the body. Spring is the time to set health goals and put them into action. As the grass gets greener and the flowers start to bud and the days get longer our enthusiasm and energy starts to increase. Our motivation grows as does our desire to exercise more and eat lighter. The liver and gallbladder start to move into action and send us the message to cleanse by eating fresh and slightly bitter greens. These green leafy veggies naturally start growing at this time. Nettles are the perfect example. They grow in abundance and contain the minerals and nutrients to nurture our bodies as well as detoxifying properties. Getting outside to pick nettles and then properly preparing them is a great way to shift yourself into spring. So as we move into spring ask yourself what you truly want for the year to come and then figure out how to put those wants into action and make it happen! If you are not sure how get into action and feel you need guidance and motivation take a look at these programs to help you become A Healthier Me.

Reiki, Huh?

Photo Credit

Reiki is a healing modality that I use in my practice to help my clients achieve their health goals. I love Reiki because it gets my clients into a super relaxed zone and that is the place where deep healing happens.

You know the feeling you get when you go for a walk in the woods? No not the adrenaline rush from speeding down a trail on bike or getting to the top of a rock face. The feeling of calm, peace, ease and clarity of being outside walking on dirt, passing by giant trees, breathing in clean air and noticing the little flowers peeking out of the bushes. That is what Reiki gives you, it puts you in a place of relaxation.

I was first introduced to Reiki after I ran out of a house fire in the middle of the night. It was a bit stressful. I had to keep on going to nutrition school, getting my work done, going to my job and writing exams. We were in limbo and sleeping at the neighbours and dealing with other stress due to the fire. Flower essences and a Reiki session helped me, big time.

About Reiki

Reiki is a Japanese relaxation and healing technique. Reiki means Universal life energy. A Reiki practitioner allows the flow of Reiki energy through their body, out their hands and into the client's body. A Reiki session takes place on a massage table. The client is fully clothed and the practitioner uses a series of hand positions either directly on or just above the client's body. The experience is very relaxing and relieving of stress; it is not uncommon for the client to fall asleep.

Benefits of Reiki

During a state of complete relaxation, Reiki can work its healing on deeper levels as it does not require conscious effort to heal. All the client needs to do is relax, be open to receiving the energy and healing and enjoy. Reiki helps to clear blockages within the body's energy systems and meridians for deeper healing. For the purpose of healing emotions Flower Essences work well with Reiki as they help clear specific blocks and balance emotions.

Reiki is beneficial to anyone looking to relax and reduce stress and improve their emotional health. This form of healing is gentle and safe but very effective. It is great for people of all ages including elders, children and babies. Also great for pets!

If you are in Vancouver take advantage of the opportunity for free Reiki at the Westcoast Reiki Centre Spring Fair. For Reiki sessions see my website.

Holiday Stress-less

The holidays are coming and although they are supposed to be a time of joy, relaxing, socializing and fun they end up being a time of stress for a lot of people. The joy of giving and receiving tends to turn to the stress of shopping, line-ups, trying to find the perfect gift, not having enough money and feeling so obligated to buy gifts that they are bought without thought. How does this reflect the true spirit of giving? I remember a friend telling me about her families gift giving. There were 2 rules, you had to make it or it had to be second hand. I thought that was brilliant because it makes people get creative and it takes the pressure away from spending lots of money. Then you end up with gifts that really mean something like a mixed CD, a photo album, a painting, a poem, home made cookies, a vintage dress, a classic record or something silly and fun like a macrame owl. It becomes more about meaning and a time for gathering together rather than a time for collecting stuff. Not that stuff is bad, I like my new i-pod I got for my birthday. I am just saying give with thought, joy and ease. Then you and the receiver will appreciate it more. Another part of the Holiday Stress is around food. There is a whole lot of it around, much of which we label "bad", but oh it tastes so good! The way around the guilt of holiday eating is to know the danger zones such as the buffet table and have a few tricks up your sleeve so that you enjoy eating and feel good when you are done. You can choose to eat the chocolate cake with joy or with guilt. Like anything it just takes a bit of practice to re-frame your thoughts about food. Take a lesson from a kid. They love and enjoy every bite of the chocolate cake and when they are done they forget about it. The keys to Holiday Stress-less are:

1. Beat the cravings by keeping your energy and blood sugar balanced.
2. Have a list of "party tricks" that will allow you to enjoy the buffet without overindulging.
3. Change mindless overeating into mindless healthy eating. When you create a new healthy habit the old habits slip away and being healthy becomes easier.
4. Adjust your attitude to food and discover that there really is no "bad" or "good" food.
5. Discover your "danger zone" and know how to overcome it.

I will be going through all of these points and more at my upcoming workshop Holiday Stress-less at Totem Hall in Squamish on Dec.4th. I would love to see you there. Get more details here.

Tip #13 of 13 Tips to A Healthier Me

BREATHE!

This is the final tip of my 13 Tips to A Healthier Me and what I believe to be the most important. The one thing you can't live without. Breathing is the most powerful tool you can use against stress. The breathe delivers life to your cells. It brings oxygen into the body so that it can be circulated to every cell. Oxygen releases tension, wakes you up and keeps you focused. Breathing also helps to cleanse your body.

Start every day with a few deep breathes. make it the first thing that you do. Breathe in and out focusing only on the breathe. When you come to potentially stressful situations throughout the day go back to your breathe. Take 3 deep breaths and release the stress. You are the one creating the stress and you are the only one that can release it.

Breathing is something that our body does automatically but we do have the power to make our breath shallower or deeper. Deepening the inhale and exhale will benefit the body and mind. Here are some times when it is important to remember to breathe deeply:

• When you are feeling sleepy.
• When you are losing your focus.
• When you want to flip the bird at the guy that just cut you off.
• When you are getting impatient from being on hold to the phone company.
• When you are waiting in line and you are hungry and just want to go home.
• When someone is complaining to you non-stop.
• When things aren't going your way.
• When you feel the stress creeping up.
• When you are scared.
• When you are nervous.
• When you are sad.

You get the idea. Basically when you are feeling anything else than happy, joyful and at ease remember to breathe deeply. If you are feeling happy and joyful and at ease then you are already breathing at just the right rate.

Happy breathing!

Tip #11 of 13 Tips to A Healthier Me

Take a break!

When things are getting stressful, when your muscles are getting stiff, you are losing focus, you are getting irritated or frustrated take a break. Walk away and change your environment to clear your mind, relax your body and let yourself refocus and re-evaluate.

Often we try to push through in an effort to get things done on time and make things happen quicker. These efforts are lost though when we are in a place of stress. The best thing you can do at this point is to give yourself a break. It doesn't have to be long, even a few minutes will help.

Here are some situations when it is a good time to take a break:

1. When your mind keeps wandering away from your focus.
2. When you are getting bored with what you are doing.
3. When you are procrastinating away from your focus and goals.
4. When you are getting frustrated or irritated with what you are doing.
5. When you feel like you are chasing your tail.
6. When you are watching the clock, waiting for the end of the work day.
7. When you are snacking and grazing while you are working or in the avoidance of work.
8. When your eyes are getting sore from staring at the computer.
9. When your butt is getting numb from sitting in front of the computer.
10. When you are getting a headache and feeling tension in your neck.

Here are some ideas of ways to take a break and refresh.

1. Stand up and walk, shake your limbs out or dance; around the room, around the block, wherever you can go.
2. Stand up and stretch or do stretches in your chair every 30 minutes.
3. Take 3 deep breaths (this only takes a minute).
4. Close your eyes, rub your hands together briskly and place them over your eyes.
5. Get a cup of herbal tea to replace your snacks. Enjoy it for 5-15 minutes in silence.
6. Change your environment with a plant, fresh flower, aromatherapy, a poster, a quote, good tunes, colour or art.
7. Tell your coworkers a joke, read a joke, or call your friend and tell him/her a joke.
8. Do something that inspires you.
9. Eat a piece of fruit and a few spirulina tablets to get your energy back and your blood sugar stable. If your blood sugar is low you are more likely to react to situations.
10. If you are getting stressed while driving then crank the tunes, sing loudly and remember that you are lucky to have the freedom of a car and that you are better off late than never and there is nothing you can do about being late or the rude, bad drivers. Don't join them in their misery; create your own joy.

Tip #8 of 13 Tips to A Healthier Me

Distract yourself from food with something positive.


Late night snacking can be a hard thing to beat. If you have already followed tip #7 and are still craving something sweet after dinner then it is probably emotional and not physical. Distraction can help you get past it. Write a list of things that make you feel good and bring you joy that aren't related to food and eating. Here are some of my positive, fun bringing distractions:

• Getting creative and crafty. Busting out the paints and the "Creativity" Flower Essence. You don't have to be a professional artist to express your creativity.

• Get outside. It may be a short walk, a hike, a bike ride or climbing. When I get moving I have more energy and feel good. See tip #5
• Hang out on the deck in the sun with my boyfriend.
• Read a good book or something funny.
• Call up a friend and ask for her/his best story of the day/week.
• Turn on some good tunes...loud...sing...dance
• Get out of town.
• Remember how good things actually are and appreciate that.

Create a list for yourself and have it handy for when you are feeling blah and wanting to eat the whole cake. Then once you feel good and happy have a piece of the cake and enjoy every bite. Food is about enjoyment not just nourishment and definitely not guilt.

My Two Nutrition Rules

Pizza is seen as such a junk food, something that we shouldn't have too often or we will be unhealthy or put on the pounds. I agree to this if the pizza is dripping with grease and it's only vegetable is the scant layer of tomato sauce. Yes this type of pizza, which usually sells for $2 a slice or something, is not exactly health giving. It is really more health robbing, pulling nutrients out of your body in order to be digested, creating indigestion and strain on the poor liver and causing reactions and stress that you may not see right away. Pizza that is loaded with veggies, made with a whole grain crust and has just enough goat cheeseor raw cheese on it, like the one shown here, is great for you.

I am pretty in tune with my body and I know that if I eat something my body doesn't like I am going to feel it and pay for it. Sometimes I eat it anyway, not the greasy pizza just something my body doesn't like, it's a good reminder. I have two rules that I follow: eat what I enjoy and enjoy what I eat. For me a greasy $2 slice of pizza has zero appeal, same goes for a snickers bar. They are foods that I used to eat and never thought anything of. Now that I eat mindfully my tastes have changed. Highly refined foods with artificial or altered ingredients taste really awful to me. I don't enjoy them so why would I eat them. I have found that since I have become a "nutritionist" many people around me have an impression that I only eat foods that are nutritious and that I follow strict rules. This also comes along with some health issues I have had and the dietary restrictions I did impose on myself to get better. That I follow strict rules is not the case though. Like I said, I only really have 2 and they are not that strict; eat what I enjoy and enjoy what I eat. The reason I choose not to eat the greasy pizza or store bought cake filled with hydrogenated oil is not because I see them as unhealthy and that I don't want to put that into my body. It is because I don't like the way they taste and I don't like the way I feel after. Why eat something that you don't enjoy?

I realize that the foods that I do enjoy are usually nutritious but that is because real, natural and whole food tastes good to me and fake, unnatural and refined food does not. I am sure you have noticed that I have a fair amount of dessert and treat recipes on my blog and I do enjoy sweets. The sweets I enjoy are made with wholesome ingredients, some of them contain sugar but in it's natural form. That's where the rule of enjoying what I eat comes in. I have been on a very restrictive zero sugar, zero fruit diet before. Some of you may know it; it is the dreaded candida diet. When I was on it and followed it exactly without cheating one teeny bit I became very stressed out and my symptoms became worse. It didn't work for me because the stress of it all actually negated anything good the diet could have been doing. That is why when I choose to eat something that may not be the most healthy, nutritious food I really enjoy it. I eat it when I am relaxed, I enjoy every bite and all it has to offer. I eat it guilt free and I feel okay after.

Try this, the next time you sit down to eat, really taste your food. Take a bite and put all of your awareness into it. Notice each flavour, texture and everything else it has to offer. How does it taste to you? Are you really enjoying it or are you simply eating it because it is there and you have to eat to live. Or are you eating it because you know it will give you quick energy or fill an emotional void?

Eating mindfully will change the way you see food and it will change the way you digest it. The way you eat is as important as what you eat. If you would like to learn all the tricks on how to eat mindfully and how it can change your health check out my workshop here http://www.ahealthierme.ca/events.htm