What we learn with pleasure we never forget. -Alfred Mercier
How confident and competent you feel in doing a task will determine how easy or hard that task is for you.
Maybe you’re thinking, “Okay… What does that mean?!”
For our health, it’s less important that we require ourselves to learn all new techniques to eat well and lose weight. Instead let’s focus on becoming more confident in what we already know.
We know fruits and vegetables are good for us. We know eating out too often will probably not help us achieve our weight-loss and fitness goals. We know the recommendations include at least 30 minutes of physical activity most days.
The more confident you feel in any task depends on how easy it is for you to engage in said activity. Whether it is exercise, cooking, making healthy food choices or playing a sport – it’s likely we are less apprehensive if it feels “normal”.
A few tips to make it easy:
1. Put together a plan. Each week I plot out a few simple breakfast ideas and prepare at least 1-2 dishes for quick dinner-fixes.
2. Put it on the calendar. You’ve likely heard it before, but scheduling your exercise will greatly increase the chance you will get it done.
3. Keep healthy food handy. There are always apples, oranges and salad greens in my refrigerator. This means I have healthy snacks to take on my next adventure and the base of a colorful meal (because any leftovers on top of salad greens = delicious!).
Food for thought:
How confident do you feel in your health and wellness choices?
What is one thing you can do this week to make it easy?
While listening to a mindful eating podcast I heard a fantastic message and I wanted to share it with you today.
After eating we should not feel tired and lethargic because our food is fuel.
If you find yourself sleepy or low on energy after a meal it’s important to remember that the purpose of eating is to energize us.
From personal experience I find after a full meal I need to relax for about half an hour. This is is reasonable, after all, we are not supposed to swim for at least 30 minutes after eating, right? Hehe ;-).
Here’s another perspective on approaching mindful eating from the
podcast mentioned above – briefly written out and a link to the podcast in case you’d like to listen to the whole experience shared by
Chel Hamilton.
Picture yourself in a banquet hall looking at a table full of food. This food piled up on the table is everything you’ve eaten for the past year… Somethings you feel proud of because there are healthy choices on the table! Others maybe you wish you hadn’t eaten.
Now is your chance, start to take off those foods that didn’t fuel your body and put them in the trashcan. When you come across those delicious brownies or Philly cheesesteak I don’t want you to feel obligated to throw the whole thing away, but instead keep a small serving of that delectable food. There’s always room for our favorites even if they’re not “healthy.” Once you’ve cleared off the table take a survey of what is left. Notice if there’s anything missing, maybe you don’t see any fruit or it’s lacking lean protein sources? Fill in the empty spots with whole food choices (things that appear as close to their natural state as possible).
There’s more to this exercise in
the podcast and I hope you’ll check it out!
Food for thought:
What is on your table? Does it look as colorful and delicious as you would like?
Are there less healthy options crowding out space for more nutritious choices? We all have the chance to set a new table this year. How would you like yours to look?
“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart. Wishing you happiness.” – Helen Keller
—————————————————— |
|
|
|
It’s joyful! It’s merry! It’s full of excitement!
Sometimes the holidays can also feel overwhelming and stressful.
This crazy time of year often leads to less healthy actions – including my third trip to the Christmas cookie collection in the freezer last weekend. Or else we are too busy to take care of ourselves.
I believe the best way to navigate smoothly and successfully through the holidays (and the rest of life!) is to have plenty of tools in your “tool-box” to work through times of frustration and emotionally charged situations.
Relaxation Technique:
Think about a stressful situation that you are facing right now. It might be a major life event or something small that affecting you in this moment. Close your eyes, scan your body and identify where you’re feeling the tension while thinking about this tough situation. Especially be sure to check the neck, shoulders, abdomen, jaw, eyes and chest.
[Take a moment here to pause, close your eyes and see what and where you are feeling the tension]
Relaxation Technique cont’d: Rest your hand on that place of tension. Take a deep breath in and out – imagine your breath flowing in and around the spot. Exhale naturally, all the way out. Repeat for a few more breaths, letting the breath take you right into the center of your tension; your hand will help remind you to direct the breath.
[Pause again, let the breath offer a gentle release of your stress or tension]
This technique is available to you anytime, anywhere, with your eyes open or closed.
Food for thought:
How are you handling the holiday festivities?
Even if (like me), you have found yourself caught up in dwelling on an uncomfortable situation, the exercise above can help pinpoint the emotions.
In case you’re feeling like this holiday season is slipping by too fast or not going “according to plan,” I found the poem below to helped me press the reset button.
I hope it speaks to you too.
“Today is an opportunity to do something positive. Today’s your chance to add new value to your life and to your world.
Make the commitment to fill this day with meaningful richness and purposeful effort. This is your day to live, so do so with vigor and enthusiasm. Live today in such a way that tomorrow you will have no regrets.
Work with discipline and focus to transform the possibilities into real, lasting value. Rise above the petty complaints, frustrations and inconveniences. This is your day to give your best to what truly matters.
Today, you have good fortune to play a positive and active role in your own life. Fulfill that role with joy, gratitude, compassion, persistence and love.
The opportunity of this day has already been delivered to you. Graciously except and embrace it, and make it into something magnificent.” -Ralph Marston
Food for thought:
Remember, all we have is today.
What if we lived every day as this poem offers? Joyful, grateful and compassionate. How simple and beautiful that would be…
