tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90366109523222307792024-03-14T07:59:39.494-04:00Eat • Be • Live WellAlix, Health Coachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01593989762863740880noreply@blogger.comBlogger109125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9036610952322230779.post-15614436605949073032018-12-04T09:13:00.005-05:002018-12-04T09:14:42.321-05:00It Is Never Just About the Weight<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Weight gain is so much more than just eating too much and not moving enough. For many people weight gain is a symptom, just like headaches or acne are symptoms of potential dehydration, lactose intolerance or hormone imbalance.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Unfortunately in our thin obsessed society, weight gain is demonized and the people who gain it are labeled as lazy or gluttonous or both. Yet, then why is the weight loss/diet industry a $63 billion industry? People can't be that lazy if they are willing to spend $63 billion of their hard earned money to be thin. There are numerous companies that promise if you eat this way, move that way, drink this chalky drink or swallow a magic pill that the weight will just melt away. And it will....for a while. But likely, as many of us know, who have tried the food, exercise, magic pill, fad diet, it comes back. It almost always comes back if we are just addressing the weight as the problem.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The weight is not often the root problem. The weight is often the symptom of a root problem not being addressed.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The ACE's study at Kaiser Permanente in California started as a weight loss study. The doctors leading the study thought they would be able to understand why their participates were overweight or obese and have continually yoyo dieted their entire lives in attempt to lose the weight, yet inevitably gained it back and then some. The initial point of the study was to treat the weight, but what the study ultimately found was that for a majority of the participants, weight was a symptom or even a sense of protection. Try as they might the doctors could not treat just the weight. Many participants initially had success on their limited calorie diets and regular exercise routines, some even losing significant amount of weight, but then something would happen and the participants would drop out of the study, never to return, some would "slip" and binge eat, other's couldn't explain it even though they were following the plan, they were gaining or not fluctuating. This flabbergasted the doctors leading the study.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What started as a weight loss study addressing the weight gain as the symptom turned into what is the well known now as the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) study, which identified that 75% of people who struggle with weight have had at least 1 ACE on the questionnaire developed during of the study. And that the more ACEs someone has, the more likely they are to be overweight and struggle with weight related illnesses. And anyone with 4 or more ACEs will likely have a whole host of health related concerns. With each ACE a person has, they have an increased likelihood for diabetes, cancer, obesity, heart attack, depression, etc.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Learning about ACEs and the study is really quite fascinating and once you learn about it is very hard to look at overweight and obese people with anything other than compassion. Weight is a symptom of suffering, of pain, of issues on a deeper level than that person may not care to share with anyone, perhaps, let alone themselves. Weight can act as an armor of sorts, a protection from connection, or intimacy, it can act as a physical barrier, it can physiologically be a sense of comfort to the hurting heart inside.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Even Weight Watchers, the leading weight loss company in the US, has adopted a new model recently. They are no longer focusing on numbers and calories. They have added community, mindfulness and psychological support to their programming, even changing the name to "WW". If a major weight loss corporation can see that we can't just treat the weight then hopefully we can begin to see, as a society, that it is never just about the weight.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For many people food is comfort. That's why we crave "comfort food" when we feel homesick or lonely, or tired, or it is just a Tuesday night after a stressful work day. Food can, for many, fill an emotional need. Turning to food for comfort does not make a person weak or gluttonous, if anything we are trained from a very young age to use food as comfort. Often children are offered a treat when they fall and get a boo boo. Food treats are given as reward too, for a job well done or getting a good grade. Food is central at a funeral and a wedding. We bring food to people who are grieving or eat mindlessly while we zone out in front of the TV. Food is central to everything we do. And we also associate a lot of foods with emotional times in our lives. It makes sense then, that we learn and default to patterns of food comfort as adults.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If we do not learn different coping mechanisms or don't address the emotions head-on (which is tough stuff!) we default to "I have a booboo" (physical or emotional) I need ice cream, candy, a treat to make it all go away and feel better. Which it does! That's the amazingly cool thing about our anatomy when it comes to our dopamine receptors. Next time you are feeling down or stressed and you turn to a treat for comfort, notice how your body responds. It will likely feel tight and tense to begin with, then you will decide you need a treat; there is the decision process, which is exciting and fun, and occupies your mind; then you get to enjoy your treat, which is glorious and delicious and relaxing; then you feel that rush of dopamine pleasure rush through your brain and body; reveling in the dopamine glow, you forget (at least for a while) what caused you to seek out the treat in the first place. Boom, the treat has done exactly what you sought it out to do in the first place. Comfort.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So the next time you feel yourself gaining weight or your pants don't fit anymore don't beat yourself up and call yourself lazy or bad for eating all the donuts, ask yourself, what is going on here? What is going on on a deeper level? Check in with your emotional state. Are you taking care of your emotional needs? Have you been triggered? Do you need to journal or talk to someone? A great trick before you eat the treat is to put a hand on your heart and a hand on your stomach. Take a deep breath, exhale, and ask yourself, is my heart hungry for this treat? Wait for the answer. Then ask, is my stomach hungry for this treat? Wait for the answer. Not that the answer will make you eat or not eat the treat, the act of pausing and checking in with your needs, potentially emotional, physical or both, is the goal.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">(To take the ACEs questionnaire <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2015/03/02/387007941/take-the-ace-quiz-and-learn-what-it-does-and-doesnt-mean" target="_blank">go here</a>. And to learn more about ACEs I would highly recommend two books, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Body-Keeps-Score-Healing-Trauma/dp/0143127748" target="_blank">T<i>he Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma</i> by Bessel Van Der Kolk, M.D.</a> (one of the leading doctors in the ACEs study) and <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Deepest-Well-Long-Term-Childhood-Adversity/dp/0544828704/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1543931314&sr=1-1&keywords=the+deepest+well+healing+the+long-term+effects+of+childhood+adversity" target="_blank">The Deepest Well: Healing the Long-term Effects of Childhood Adversity</a></i>, by Nadine Burke Harris, M.D.)</span><br />
<br />Alix, Health Coachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01593989762863740880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9036610952322230779.post-17823354755086885262017-11-30T08:34:00.000-05:002017-11-30T12:57:18.346-05:00What Being Vegan Means to Me and What I Have Learned so Far<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I am going on 2 months of a plant based diet, free of gluten, dairy and animal products (well except eggs). I am feeling amazing! I think this is really fascinating given the last time I went vegan for 3 weeks I was miserable. Several things factored into my misery last time, I believe, 1) I had no motivation other than my IIN Health Coaching curriculum suggesting we try different ways of eating throughout the year-long course 2) It was January in Maine (who doesn't crave meat and cheese and bread in the winter!? I know I certainly do.) 3) I didn't educate myself. I figured, I know about food. I know how to cook. I know how to eat vegan. But, actually I didn't. I needed to approach shopping, cooking and eating differently. And I needed to learn how to cook differently. 4) I removed a key macronutrient from my diet and didn't replace it with anything.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There are 3 macronutrients we all need to survive. Protein, fats and carbohydrates. Depending on the diet you follow and/or your dietary goals, you play around with the percentages of your macros. For a paleo or keto diet you would have protein and fats at really high percentages 60-80% and carbs super low. If you are on a plant based diet you will likely have a lower protein percentage of 10-20%. The key though is, we all need all macros. Remember in the 90s when carbs were vilified and people completely cut out all carbohydrates. Remember the bread rage? We all need some carbs, and just so we are all on the same page, vegetables are in that carbohydrate category. Actually, no one wants to completely cut out carbs, because vegetables are an essential part of any diet. Unfortunately, when most people think carbs, they think simple, refined carbs, like bread, bagels, crackers, pasta, etc. Vegetables are complex carbs and offer fiber, water and vitamins and minerals. Don't vilify carbs. Last time I tried a vegan diet, I just removed protein from my diet and upped my fat and vegetable carb intake. It worked for a while until I was ravenous and had dreams of dancing eggs multiple nights in a row. What I have learned is you can't just remove a macronutrient from your diet and not replace it. You can't just poof protein out of your diet and hope for the best, you will fail. Just like poofing all carbs or all fat, your body rejects this way of eating, and you turn into a hangry beast. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I didn't, and still don't want to eat a ton of soy products. I know there is evidence, especially circulating in the vegan world, that soy products are in fact, good for you. I don't know, evidence is great, but I am going to trust my gut on this one. While I have introduced some soy products into my life, they are not every day and are in very small amounts. And I still consciously buy products that don't have too much soy in them. (I need to go on a little side bar here, I can't with crap-filled, chemicalized, highly processed vegan foods. They are not healthier just because they are lacking animal products. I still firmly believe that we need to eat as close to how the food comes from the Earth. All the hydrogenated oils and highly processed "healthy" vegan foods are not good for anyone. I don't care how clean-vegan you are. Your body does not assimilate processed foods. I can't. And I won't. And you should seriously reconsider. The end.) With that being said, now that I have introduced some soy products as a form of protein I am feeling much better than with no protein at all. Vegainase makes a soy-free blend, which is awesome. Loving the hell out of that! I have even found 2 vegan cheeses, both of which are limited ingredients and very clean. 1 with soy and coconut, called Chao (side note, this cheese is the best! It actually tastes like real cheese, minus a faint coconut after taste) and Myiokos cashew cheese. I wouldn't exactly eat it on it's own, but it melts perfectly. This weekend I will attempting to make my own vegan cheese, which I am SO excited about! <a href="https://itdoesnttastelikechicken.com/melty-stretchy-gooey-vegan-mozarella/">I found this recipe</a>. </span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I'll let you know how it turns out.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNiRbgHIKDZ65yyK1_Mztj4xDBwAhTXyR3qpZzn_Rervk57f3dk9eoG0WkVEdRkf1P6mRAzM-Wno6q9igs8TUBeyAKoQjgLnosRsOt4Z_TV0RxxJe7TTHB5FuveQduwCxH4tawISTysZ_R/s1600/chao-cheese.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="779" data-original-width="1456" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNiRbgHIKDZ65yyK1_Mztj4xDBwAhTXyR3qpZzn_Rervk57f3dk9eoG0WkVEdRkf1P6mRAzM-Wno6q9igs8TUBeyAKoQjgLnosRsOt4Z_TV0RxxJe7TTHB5FuveQduwCxH4tawISTysZ_R/s320/chao-cheese.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxu-LzLouMZx5TUbZEZGdype6EFZWn44lQNRERmmC1dJ9nuwOIagCtDVzjyFRGDQDYpJ8Xs58m6MLy_5PBAorDnDuVeye0Zs_T2eyNDicHOqGqgl-1jvxppAQkovjaSGIPeag_31MuvY0f/s1600/th.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxu-LzLouMZx5TUbZEZGdype6EFZWn44lQNRERmmC1dJ9nuwOIagCtDVzjyFRGDQDYpJ8Xs58m6MLy_5PBAorDnDuVeye0Zs_T2eyNDicHOqGqgl-1jvxppAQkovjaSGIPeag_31MuvY0f/s1600/th.jpeg" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">I had to learn how to cook vegan food. I know this sounds silly. I am a well versed cook. I feel very confident in the kitchen. I rarely follow recipes, I use them more for inspiration, always tweaking as I go. The thing is, that didn't work for me with vegan meals. I couldn't just omit the animal products and gluten, and try a substitute. I actually had to do research. I had to follow recipes. 2 years ago that undertaking felt daunting. This time, I am feeling inspired. I want to expand my ability to cook. I want to learn new recipes. I want to understand how to make something creamy without any diary (cashews people, cashews are the best!). I joined the 22 Day Vegan Challenge suggested my James Aspey, more for recipe inspiration than anything. I ignored a lot of what was going on in the group, because I didn't need that support in the way they offer it, but I did find the recipes that were shared by the mentors and fellow participants super helpful. </span><a href="http://ohsheglows.com/" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Oh She Glows</a><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">, </span><a href="https://itdoesnttastelikechicken.com/" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken</a><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">, </span><a href="https://www.veggiesdontbite.com/" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Veggies Don't Bite</a><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">, </span><a href="https://simpleveganblog.com/" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Simple Vegan Blog</a><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"> and the </span><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/food-monster-5000+-recipes./id1052988561" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Food Monster app</a><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"> are all great resources I have found along the way. Trust me when I say you need resources if your are attempting a vegan lifestyle. I felt extremely confident that I knew what I was doing and realized that I didn't know as much as I needed too.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I love beans and beans love me. Not everyone can eat beans. Don't know? Eat some and see how your body responds. Also certain blood types digest beans better (As and Bs). If you are an O blood type, being vegan may be really, really hard for you. With that being said I don't think veganism is for everyone. I certainly will never be "that" vegan who advocates that everyone should give up all animal products. Yes, I think we could all cut down considerably on our animal product consumption, for our own health, for the animals and for environmental well being. But everyone is different. Every body is different. I think if you are going to try going vegan you need to know your self and your body well. You also have to continually check in with your intention and motivation towards eating a vegan diet.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Eggs. Yup, I said eggs. Die hard vegans would yell at me for still eating eggs. Sure, some could say I am not techinically a vegan becasue I am still eating eggs. First of all, I am not eating eggs every day. Not even every other. I eat them when I want them, which is a few times a week, and not even every week. The eggs I get are from a beautiful farm down the road. The chickens are free range, happy chickens, fed a great soy-free diet. I feel good about my eggs and my consumption of them. So curse me if you must, call me not a real vegan, but for right now that is what is working for me. Which brings me to another thought; strict, cold tofurkey veganism is a major shift for some, especially if you are not replacing your animal protein with plant based protein. So, in my opinion, if you need to gradually work towards veganism, because it is important to you, then slowly get there. Cut out things as you go. Listen to your body.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I have never been one for layering my foods. Unless it is a lasagna, I would make what I make and eat it. I would never add dressing and seeds and nuts, EVOO, and tahini, or peanut butter, etc. What I have learned this time around is layering your foods is important to feel satisfied, and also to get complete proteins. So for example, if I had sautéed greens in the morning with a half an avocado, traditionally that would be it, with some eggs perhaps, but now it is the greens, with a whole avocado, drizzled with tahini, sprinkled on hemp seeds, sunflower seeds and drizzled with more olive oil. Think about when you make oatmeal, don't just make oatmeal, but add coconut oil and peanut butter, while you are cooking it, then add nuts, seeds, non-dairy milk, fruit, etc. Leaving out the essential fats and protein combination leaves you with a high carb meal, which your body digest quickly, leaving you hungry a couple hours later. Haven't you ever been hungry 2 hours later after eating oats? You are missing the layering of fats and protein. Try it out!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Something interesting has happened over the last two months. I cannot stand the smell of meat. It is disgusting! It actually makes me gag. It smells like burning flesh. A has not jumped on my vegan bandwagon, although he will happily enjoy a vegan meal with me. He is still eating meat, which he cooks. Ugh, I can't. I roasted a turkey for Thanksgiving, it was disgusting. Having to unwrap it and dress it, and smell it cooking. I was seriously grossed out. It smelled kind of ok when it was out of the oven all golden roasty. I even ate a small piece, but spit it out. The texture, the taste, ugh. I was actually grossed out. It is not like I planned for this to happen. It just happened. It actually happened with bacon, BACON, to start. A made bacon wrapped blue cheese stuffed dates. I had to go stand outside. I was so grossed out by the bacon and the blue cheese. OMG, what is happening to me!!? I can't speak for anyone else, but man, this was not a shift I saw coming. I have ZERO interest in eating any meat. The smell is so offensive to me, why would I want to put that in my mouth?</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Cheese though, well it's cheese. Cheese is my weakness. Minus blue cheese, nope all set. That shit nasty. (Oh my god, who am I??!) Cheese is my crack. Actually they have done studies on cheese and it is actually addictive. It hits the same dopamine receptors in the brain as some drugs and sugar does. Who knew? Anyway, cheese has been harder for me. I had 1 piece of cheese the other day and man was it delicious, but I didn't need or want more, and I haven't had any since. Well except, we went out to a Mexican restaurant the other night and I really wanted a cheese enchilada, so I got one. Bad idea! I was so gassy and uncomfortable all night long. So totally wasn't worth it. That was the end of my cheese dreams. If you are lactose intolerant you know the cheese pain. It's never worth it.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">While not even a factor on this journey of veganism, I feel like I have lost some weight. My pants are fitting better, not so pinchy. I don't own a scale, so I don't know exactly how much, nor, do I care. That is not the goal for me. The goal has always been to feel good. To feel better than where I was. And that has been the case. The nagging back/sciatica pain is entirely gone, meaning I'm less inflamed. And I can workout everyday, squats, weights and all, and I feel amazing. It is really nice to be back at a mobility and fitness level I have always been at, but has been lessened over the last year due to nagging inflammatory back pain. That is how I got started on this vegan journey this time. That has always been my motivation, to feel really good and to get rid of that damn sciatica. It has been gone since week 2 of this vegan thing, so why mess with a good thing?</span><br />
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Alix, Health Coachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01593989762863740880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9036610952322230779.post-4838478257202357672017-10-24T09:14:00.000-04:002017-11-30T08:46:48.188-05:00How Back Pain led to Dairy Free and now Veganism<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">For over the last year I have had this aching, sometimes debilitating, but mostly just irritating sciatica. I have tried diet changes along with many other modalities such as body work, restorative yoga, Yamuna, aerial yoga, inversions, and nothing seemed to help for long. I even bought a sacro-belt and new orthotics for my shoes, which again helped, temporarily. Always a person who loves to workout, this nagging back issue has effected my ability to workout. Squats were out, lunges, nope, any form of weight lifting, ack. I have had this constant pain and started to succumb to the potential reality that sciatica would effect me for the rest of my life. In truth, I have had some sort of hip/back/sciatic/psoas issue since my teens, but never for very long and never as debilitating as over the last year. If I stood or sat too long it would get aggravated. If I lifted heavy things without my sacro-belt, it would get aggravated. If I worked in the garden too much, bending over pulling weeds it would aggravate it. Pretty much everything I did aggravated it. I mean I was able to go about my life teaching my group fitness class, exercising mostly, but avoiding all squatting motions, I even bartended this summer and did ok. But after my 3 back-to back-shifts though, and with a farmers' market booth in between, I was hurting pretty bad Saturday mornings.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Then one day I heard something about how bad dairy really is for inflammation. I mean, of course, I know that. But over the years, dairy has slowly creeped back into my diet. All lactose free or fermented dairy, so I thought I was doing well. I didn't eat much, but as the late nights after my bartending shift accumulated and I was awake and hungry when I got home, a quick quesadilla or grilled cheese would hit the spot. At the time it didn't feel like much, but in hindsight, it was a lot more dairy than I thought.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And then I spoke with a friend who recently cut out dairy and she said it literally made her sciatica go away in days! Really?! I couldn't believe that something as simple as cutting out dairy would make back pain go away. But always curious about the body and willing to experiment with dietary changes effecting the way I feel, one day I said, 'yup that's it, no more dairy.' I mean I know I shouldn't eat dairy. I know it is inflammatory. I know I am lactose intolerant. I know, I know...but the implementing is always the hard part. So one day, I just stopped eating dairy.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Now it has been about a month and half since I cut out dairy. And literally, I kid you not, 4 days after I cut it out cold turkey, my sciatica was gone. GONE! Not like kinda gone, but gone gone. I felt better, less lethargic, my bowels were better, but all I cared about was that nagging back pain that has irritated me for over almost a year was gone! So eventually I had to try my dreaded squats. I took it easy the first time. Nothing. No pain. No radiating irritation down my leg and up my back. Nothing. Gardening was a breeze. Even last night I took my first Brazilian dance class in a long time. It is a lot of hip action. I was nervous because after the class, as we were cooling down I could feel my back tighten up and get the sensation I used to get before the whole thing would lock up and I would be in pain for the next few days. Today, I feel great! I am sore from not using back, lower ab and hip muscles I haven't used in a while, but it is not like last year when I took this class, where I was out of commission the next day due to the pain.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So dairy free = pain free! At least for me. I kid you not! I didn't believe it either. Give it a try, if you are curious.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This whole body experiment and nutrition is a slippery slope I tell ya (in a good way) 😉, so I have been eating meat, but not much, actually, actively less since I have cut out dairy. Then I asked myself 2 weeks ago, why? Why are you eating meat? I have actively been reducing my meat consumption. I have never been a huge meat eater. I don't digest it well and I feel all over slowed/bogged down when I eat too much meat. Granted, I am only ever eating local, organic and/or grass-fed or pasture raised meat (ideally all of the above). So I have considered myself a conscious meat eater. But somewhere in the back of my mind, veganism has been swirling around. If you recall I gave veganism a try back in 2015, which you can read <a href="http://eatbewell.blogspot.com/2015/03/dreaming-of-eggs.html">here</a> and <a href="http://eatbewell.blogspot.com/2015/03/being-vegan-is-not-for-me.html">here</a>. It. Was. Hard. I have never craved eggs so much in my life. But this time it feels different. I am already gluten free (Always! Going on 8 years now!) and now completely dairy free and continually reducing my meat consumption, so how far off is being a vegan?</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I listened to @yoga_girl 's podcast recently with her guest speaker James Aspey on veganism and something clicked. I think maybe because I was toying with the idea already, I was more receptive. And it wasn't the horror stories James talked about in the meat and diary industry that did it. I've always disliked that freak-out tactic of veganism, but 2 things stuck with me; the way he and Rachel approached it was not forceful and both talked about veganism from a place of love, compassion and education. James didn't even shame Rachel, when she admittedly called her self a hypocrite because she too, has let dairy creep into her life. And who are we to determine which animals we eat. In some countries they eat dogs. I could never even consider eating my beloved dogs and yet I consider myself an animal lover. And pigs are just as smart and personable as dogs. So why do we eat them? And the dairy industry is just as awful as a slaughter house. I am not trying to convince anyone, because I believe everyone's journey is different and happens in its own way towards your goal of feeling your best. <a href="http://rachelbrathen.com/podcast-2/">So listen for yourself.</a></span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I am not one of those crazy vegans, forcibly telling people that you should know about all the horrible things that happen in the meat and dairy industries. I know scare tactics and forceful advocacy wouldn't work on me. So I would never do that to anyone else. For me, this is a personal journey, that started with removing dairy from my diet. Then realizing meat just didn't sit well with me, physically and consciously. Also, because I struggled so hard the first time around with veganism, I was kind of curious to see how I would do a second time. With that being said, I am still eating eggs. I feel without eggs I am doomed to fail and also I feel ok with my choice, because I am getting my eggs from my neighbor and I know they are free range and happy chickens. But to each her own. We all need to be conscious in our bodies and also conscious beings in the world. We make choices every day and I am currently choosing to do what feels best for me, my body, my mind, my soul and my health.</span><br />
<br />Alix, Health Coachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01593989762863740880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9036610952322230779.post-75806590087952642142017-03-18T11:37:00.000-04:002017-03-18T11:42:06.547-04:00The Power of Sleep<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Sleep is an amazing thing that most of us don't think much about and certainly don't pay enough attention to, nor appreciate enough, and yet most of us are sleep deprived most of time...</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As with anything in my life and my body I am putting myself through a current experiment with food, well more the, lack of some foods. I have been without alcohol or coffee for 2 weeks now. I am actively trying to find answers to a few things: </span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">• why my liver doesn't seem to be processing as well as it could</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">• why my cells aren't at optimal turnover and rejuvenation, given my age and good health</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">• paying more attention to how certain foods on the <i>Eat Right for Your Blood Type </i>diet do or don't effect me. </span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">All of this inquisitive investigation came from a visit with a new naturopathic doctor I met last month. She mentioned how impressed she is with all the lifestyle and dietary changes I have made over the years. So, unlike most of the patients that go to see her, we were able to talk about optimal health with a fine tooth comb and evaluate the nitty gritty of my diet and lifestyle. As always, I came home and did some research since I am an info junky, and now I am giving some of her ideas a whirl, plus adding in some extras of my own, including: eating my largest meal at lunch time, actively getting vegetables into each meal, drinking only 1 cup of green tea in the morning (that's all I want and need, as compared to my 2 cups of coffee), starting each morning with hot water and lemon, probiotics and yoga, having breakfast everyday (which happened naturally as soon as I cut out the coffee, I am naturally hungry within the first couple hours of waking).</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #660000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Per the ND's suggestion, I read up on Dr. D'Adamo's Blood Type Diet approach to eating. Of course I know it. I have learned about it, in fact, I did a report on it in school, way back when (again another hint in my academic career that nutrition was the path for me - duh!). Without thinking much of it I haven't had chicken in a month. Crazy, right!? I don't think I ever thought to cut out something so benign and common in my diet. (I guess I've cut out chicken before on the vegan diet, but all I could think about was eggs, read that funny post <a href="http://eatbewell.blogspot.com/2015/03/being-vegan-is-not-for-me.html">here</a>.). B blood types should avoid chicken, oddly enough there is a lectins in chicken, that Bs specifically do not assimilate well. I roasted a chicken with veggies the other night, man was it good. But the gas that immediately came after - yeah, not so much. I didn't eat the chicken for a day. Then had a very small amount yesterday, again, gassyness. Weird? Right? Who the hell ever heard of chicken making them fart? But something may be there. Maybe the blood type diet theory is onto something. I eat relatively close to it already, given a few changes, and switching out avoids for highly beneficial foods as a B. From a scientific standpoint it makes sense. We all evolved from certain regions in the world. And based on those regions we had limited resources to food. So our bodies adapted and evolved only knowing, eating, assimilating certain foods, it is in our DNA. It was not like it is now, where we have a global food marketplace and everyone eats everything. The Blood Type Diet focuses on our ancestry. Our blood types are a clue to our regional heritage and with that knowledge knowing how to eat based on how our ancestors ate and is optimal for our DNA. Interesting indeed!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I woke up this morning impressed by my quality of sleep lately. I have always valued my sleep. It is super important to me to get enough quality sleep. In fact, it is even more important for anyone around me that I get enough sleep. I am wretched if I don't. A couple years ago A and I stopped sleeping in the same bed and room because both of our qualities of sleep were being effected negatively that it was causing tension in our relationship. We both have different needs when it comes to the quality of our sleep; down to a difference in blankets, temperature of the room, waking in the middle of the night for water or to pee, lighting, moving too much; let me tell you it is amazing given our many, many sleep-need differences that we slept in the same bed as long as we did. It is not a reflection of the quality of your relationship if you do not sleep in the same bed, by the way! If anything, sleeping in the same bed may be some of the problems in your relationship. Just consider it.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It has always been a bit harder for me to fall asleep. I have to read in order to fall asleep. It is rare that I can crawl into bed and fall asleep. Typically I read for 30 minutes and then fall asleep. God be with you if you wake me up in the middle of the night. Man am I cranky. That also means I do not wake up in the middle of the night. I don't get up to pee or drink water. Occasionally I wake up because of stress and too many thoughts (but not nearly like I used to). And I used to wake up regularly on my period, but not <a href="http://eatbewell.blogspot.com/2016/12/lets-get-personal.html">since I started using the Diva Cup</a>. I kid you not, it has changed my periods forever! And for the last 6 months, I have been waking around 3 am most nights, and that was because of my liver. So, now that I am addressing that, no more waking in the middle of the night and I am so stoked about that. I also wake up slowly in the morning. Not groggy per say, just everything moves slow. I don't like to be jolted awake, I hate alarms for that reason. I like to lay in bed, stretch, keep my ear plugs in long after my eyes are open. I like to be silent in the morning, with little talking or interaction, except maybe with Addi, our golden boxer. That is one of the few times in the day she is cuddly, so sometimes she gets in bed with me as I read or write early in the morning.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I typically go to bed between 10-11 p,m, and wake anywhere between 6 and 8 a.m. For the last 2 weeks though, I have been up no later than 7:30 bright eyed and bushy tailed. Still not jumping out of bed and talking a mile a minute (like a certain someone else in my house ;) ), but I am waking very mentally clear and excited and energized for the day. I am eager to write first thing in the morning and eager to do yoga in my PJs and bathrobe. </span><span style="color: #660000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-align: center;">Normally I would get up, go get my coffee and lounge on the couch for an hour or so, depending on the day's agenda. But these last couple of weeks I am excited and energized to get up to start moving my body at 6 am! Speaking of moving, it is amazing my poop lately (yep, I went there, you can always count on me to talk about poop) it just falls out as soon as I wake up. No I am not pooping in my bed, don't worry! But seriously, I open my eyes, I fart once or twice and then I need to poop. And it just slides right out. Boom, done easy, clean. So cool! </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">If you had asked me over a month ago if my sleep was good, I would have said yes. In fact, I think I even wrote on my intake forms for my visit with the ND that yes, my sleep is good. But now, having such a close comparison, wow, what a difference! I am sleeping so much better now. My sleep is deeper and better quality. I am waking refreshed and energized and eager to move first thing in the morning, which is new for me. I have always had to wait to do my yoga until an hour or two after I woke up, because otherwise I would get nauseous. Now I am eager to get on my mat. I make my cup of green tea and roll my mat out. I sit with my tea for awhile, and then I slowly start stretching, which turns into a full yoga routine, always ending with inversions in my aerial silk. Never have I been able to do inversions in the morning soon after waking without extreme nausea. It is really fascinating. Similarly in the past, if I have to get up early, like 4 or 5 a.m. I woke up nauseous. Now, part of me is wondering if that was a condition of my lifestyle habits and it's effect on my sleep, more than the hour of the morning. Hmmm....</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bathrobe yoga is the best!</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="color: #660000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I haven't used an alarm in over a year. </span><span style="color: #660000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I am waking </span><span style="color: #660000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">naturally</span><span style="color: #660000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">.</span><span style="color: #660000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="color: #660000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I have historically fought waking up. I can feel it coming in a semi-conscious state. I can feel my body waking, my eyes fluttering, but I would resist as long as possible. Holding my pee as long as possible, forcing my eyes shut as long as possible, just for a few extra minutes of sleep. But these last 2 weeks. I wake up, eyes wide open, no resistance. I have clear, energized, exciting, creative thoughts and I am excited to start moving and creating and being in the day. Also I have spent a large part of my adult life waking up for coffee. I love coffee. I think coffee is a justifiably wonderful reason to get up in the morning, because I thought it would wake me up and give me that energized feeling, which I am waking up with now, still in bed, without the coffee. It is interesting to watch A get up and his first train of thought is coffee, in a semi-awake zombie state. I have done that same zombie shuffle most of my life too. I now have the comparison as a helpful reminder that I have the power to control what I put in my body and the where-with-all to pay attention to how foods make me feel and sleep. If the goal is optimal health, to live longer, healthier and to feel good, for me that is the most important; I want to feel good every day, why not take the steps towards improving the feel-goodness of life. And what's even more amazing is you don't know until you know, until you have the comparison in a point of your life where you felt like crap and each step you make towards feeling amazing.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Like I said, I would have said with conviction that yes, I sleep great, but I didn't know. Something didn't click until now. And yes, I have given up both coffee and alcohol, many times before in my journey, and yes at the same time, but for some reason this is different. It feels different. And it is so clear that I should have done this 6 months ago when my intuition was telling me that I could be sleeping better and that my liver needed additional support.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We undervalue the importance of sleep in our society. We overvalue busyness and waking up early, as signs of being more productive, but how efficient really is that perceived productivity if the quality of our sleep is crap? I think it is worth investigating. Poor sleep effects our brains, our bodies, our hormones, weight gain, brain clarity, creativity, digestion, productivity throughout the day, our cravings - particularly for sugar and carbohydrates (Let's take a further look at that: we are nation of obese people consuming massive amounts of processed sugar and carbs, and we all feel pressure to work hard, longer and more productively and yet no one is questioning why we all need, no crave, coffee, sugar and carbs - perhaps we should be talking about the quality of our sleep more than the perceived productivity we are all so eagerly chasing), the foods we eat, the amount of food we eat, our reaction times (there is a reason sleep deprivation is a form of torture) our moods, our tempers, yes, even our relationships, ever notice how much more annoying your husband, or kids, or the barista behind the coffee counter are after a crappy night's sleep? Sleep is really important! I cannot stress this enough and it is something in your life that you have power to change, make better or worse, and even make ideal, based on your lifestyle choices and diet.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Don't take my word for it, put yourself through a <a href="http://ariannahuffington.com/books/the-sleep-revolution-hc">sleep experiment</a>, you will be amazed!</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480px" mozallowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" src="https://embed.ted.com/talks/arianna_huffington_how_to_succeed_get_more_sleep" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="550px"></iframe>Alix, Health Coachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01593989762863740880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9036610952322230779.post-48075971778513134982017-03-10T08:35:00.000-05:002017-03-10T08:45:35.097-05:00Don't Ignore the Subtle Signs<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Our bodies give us subtle signs of things not working internally that go unnoticed potentially for years. Those symptoms will come and go, and even change, but often are pointing to the same weakness, something lacking or ailment happening inside. If ignored, and not addressed at the subtle symptom stage, often the weakness or ailment manifests into the scary things that it seems so many are getting diagnosed with recently.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Subtle symptoms include: sudden onset and/or constant allergies, onset asthma, rashes, sleep disruption in any way, hives, a very strong distaste for something suddenly, any form of digestive upset (yes, anything other than daily and "ideal" is concerning (reference <a href="http://eatbewell.blogspot.com/2013/11/your-farts-and-poop-are-talking-to-you.html">Your Farts and Poops are Talking</a> to you to learn more about what is "ideal" poop)), dandruff, itchy skin, waking at the same hour every night, excessive thirstiness, lethargy and a general lacking of energy, headaches, toenail fungus, ringing in the ears - the list can go on and on. Don't brush off an "odd" symptom as something fleeting, ESPECIALLY if you keep getting it or it won't go away. And just because your doctor tells you to take a medication or use a topical steroid cream to make the subtle symptom go away, really you should be wondering why it is there and why it is not going away.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Case in point, these are the subtle symptoms I have had for the last 6 months or so:</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I have had a small, traveling, red, itchy patch on my face. It is barely noticeable, flakey, itchy, slightly red spot, that just won't go away. I scratch off the flakes in the morning, slather it with coconut oil and go about my day. Meh, no biggie, right..well...here are the rest of my symptoms, I have dandruff, which is pretty normal in the winter, but even in the summer, it seemed kinda weird, meh, brushed it off. I have been craving bitter flavors and grapefruit. I have not been sleeping as well as I know I can. I wake most nights around 3 a.m. I am hot and thirsty and wide awake. I normally kick the covers off, take a sip of water and read until I fall asleep. I am not normally up for a long period of time (no more than an hour) but it is effecting me throughout the day. I have been extremely sensitive to smells (no I'm not pregnant), more so than normal, where strong smells are offensive to too me, make me nauseous and make me sneeze. I have always had sensitive sinuses, but this seems more sensitive than normal. My bowel movements have been fine, but not great, irregular in consistency day to day. Oh, and I had a nail fungus on my big left toe that was more ugly looking than problematic, although now that I think about it, I dealt with a constant ingrown on that toe all summer long...hmmmm....</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Pretty benign symptoms right? And with seemingly no connection. Just slightly random annoying bits of being human that don't bother my day to day functioning. I haven't thought much about any of them until recently. I went and saw a new naturopathic doctor, who was the first health care professional ever to say, "You know more about your body than I do. I am just here to support you."!!! I immediately loved her because she said that out loud to me as I sat on her exam table. So many of us fear our bodies, or view it as this mystery wrapped in an enigma that only people who went to medical school can understand and figure out. WRONG! If you are interested and curious enough, and willing enough to ask questions and trust your intuition, knowing what symptoms to look for; you know your body, and what it needs, far better than any health care professional can ever tell you. And no, I am by no means saying, go stick your tongue out at your doctor and say you know more than s/he. What I am encouraging you to do is to take control of your body, to get to know it, to ask those questions - why do I have this [rash, itchiness, sleep interruption, etc.] and make it your mission to figure out and start asking about those subtle symptoms rather than ignoring them.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">With that being said, most subtle symptoms are a sign of an imbalance and often a lacking in diet. So much of what ails us can be linked to what we are eating, or really not eating enough of. So many of us eat too much animal protein, too much sugar, and processed, chemicalized, artificial foods, that are giving your body zero of the nutrients it needs, and in fact, are taking away those that you do have. We should all be eating a mostly plant based diet, with lots and lots of healthy fats, some animal protein, some whole grains, dairy and fruit, and nary the occasional treat of a packaged item, or sweet, or alcohol. Unfortunately that is not how most of us eat, and in fact, our government tells us something different. Again trust your instinct here - it know what you should be eating.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So as a person who eats that way, mostly plants, lots of healthy fats, no gluten, only fermented dairy and hardly ever a packaged item. I do enjoy 2 cups of coffee in the morning blended with coconut oil and a glass or 2 of wine each night. Harmless, right? I am sure many of you could admit worse dietary habits and vices. And yet, I have had these weird symptoms. I am seemingly healthy, active daily and eat a particularly well balanced diet, and yet, 6 months ago, my intuition told me something was off. I wasn't sure what or how, just that I needed to make a change. So did I make a change...no. :( This post is just as much for me, as it is for you. It is so funny that we can see the sign, feel the symptom and brush it off for months and even years. I (we) can do better!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My intuition told me 6 months ago that my liver needs support. It isn't processing as well as it should. And yet I'm not a candidate for any liver issues. I am young and active. I eat well. I drink only 2 12oz cups of coffee in the morning, never more and never at any other time of the day. I enjoy a glass or 2 of wine most nights of the week, and occasionally a few cocktails when out, but hardly a concern along the lines of the alcohol effecting my liver that negatively, which is the default logic. The naturopathic doctor I saw, said exactly that, in our appointment, "You are really healthy and have no problems, but I would suggest we up your healthy fats intake and support your liver more."!! Whaaat?! I could have told me that - doh! It is awesome to have your actions and thoughts validated. I knew 6 months ago, I just didn't implement the changes I knew I needed to make and she just confirmed my hunch. So cool!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">She described the liver like an oil tank, where it continues to fill up with the toxins it flushes from our body. The level slowly rises from environmental toxins, to the toxins in our food, to the processing of our vitamins, minerals and medications we take every day. So while seemingly no issue arises, the liver reaches a tipping point, unable to keep up with all the toxic crap it needs to process and starts to overflow (metaphorically) and hence the subtle symptoms. We ask so much of our liver, just by living and breathing, and then add a potentially crappy diet, which leads to more medications, ie more liver hurt. And yet, what do we do to support our liver, not much in fact. And if you Google liver symptoms or issues, you get these horrendous, worst case scenario symptoms of jaundice and bleeding, that aren't helpful.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Every single one of my subtle symptoms over the past 6 months have pointed to a need for extra liver support. Red, itchy patch, toenail issue, waking at 3 a.m. every morning, irregular bowels, a recent extra sensitivity to smells, boom, signs that my liver is at the tipping point. Googling again for ways to support your liver in a natural way was helpful kinda, but I already know what I need to do, so this is what I am doing to support my liver, which is seemingly fine and healthy, and yet, if I continued to ignore these symptoms, perhaps, would manifest into something worse. I am all about prevention.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Ways to support your liver if you are already eating a clean, mostly plant based diet, with lots of healthy fats (or so I thought!) (We need far more healthy fats than even I thought was a enough (6-8T per day) - pass the EVOO!!):</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">• Remove caffeine and alcohol asap</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">• Add in green tea - it is a great detoxifier (and will help with the caffeine headache)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">• Up your healthy fats in your diet and with supplements - I am currently taking 10,000IU of VitD3, 2 daily capsules of fish oil, I am also slathering on the EVOO, flax oil and flax seeds like never before</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtJWNw5CqCuCmoo1-G9FMfX7OrKXOB0ktKVFylSACxo5YvHV8N_HUTUn38KGEBad2m34wtJ6ksveTi1mnTLZeCXRySQa9exmUCKgWjJ05EUAQcaLd7zpqNX4KoiLw3mSQPmJoV4lprJJ-r/s1600/9f4c6c3571750db04c3e9f87dcd2529f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtJWNw5CqCuCmoo1-G9FMfX7OrKXOB0ktKVFylSACxo5YvHV8N_HUTUn38KGEBad2m34wtJ6ksveTi1mnTLZeCXRySQa9exmUCKgWjJ05EUAQcaLd7zpqNX4KoiLw3mSQPmJoV4lprJJ-r/s200/9f4c6c3571750db04c3e9f87dcd2529f.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #660000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">• Milk thistle - is a great detoxifier and is crucial for helping your liver process toxins</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">• Evaluate the environmental toxins around you - run HEPA air purifiers and evaluate the mold levels in your home (this is crucial!)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">• Drink fresh pressed green juice daily that has a least 1, if not all these veggies (which are all great for the liver): celery, parsley, ginger, lemon, apple and beets</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8hBf-p7ivUshyphenhyphenmRLUOvpcWm38fpmR9ORjNuwv6pR2tA2ztAk0b6drosf0AR7r0FohBjI1m9-wWLXhvZnYDJatakmGv7Xb8BqjqBENbR74Z3OJsSbKUq2e66FCAfYbB_pgYmiw9QOVbtWg/s1600/th.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8hBf-p7ivUshyphenhyphenmRLUOvpcWm38fpmR9ORjNuwv6pR2tA2ztAk0b6drosf0AR7r0FohBjI1m9-wWLXhvZnYDJatakmGv7Xb8BqjqBENbR74Z3OJsSbKUq2e66FCAfYbB_pgYmiw9QOVbtWg/s1600/th.jpeg" /></a><span style="color: #660000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">• Grapefruit and lots of it, and/or grapefruit seed extract</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">• Bitter greens, like dandelion, mustard greens, broccoli rabe, celery, endive, etc.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">• Start each morning off with hot water and lemon</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It is so ironic to know these things (and Google didn't even have all in one place! Problem solved ;) ) and even have my gut tell me these things and yet, I didn't do it until now. I think we all can relate to knowing and not doing, and then one day, just making a change. Start paying attention to those seemingly benign symptoms, they are a clue, a sign of something going on that if you investigate can improve your health with some simple changes and avoid the scary potential diagnosis later down the road.</span>Alix, Health Coachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01593989762863740880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9036610952322230779.post-54212741707817133062016-12-20T09:31:00.000-05:002016-12-20T09:45:21.979-05:00The Not So Safe Safety Bubble<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">If you have allergies, try as you might to forget them in your day to day, you can't. I think if you have been living an allergy-free lifestyle for a number of years, it becomes part of your every day life. In our little gluten free, lactose free home and bubble, cross contamination is not much of a thought. Also if you are lucky to have a partner who is super supportive and hyper-aware of your allergies, then you forget that the rest of the world has gluten and lactose everywhere, and in everything.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I had family visit over the summer and I was reminded of how gluten and lactose free my bubble really is. We had bought some beautiful locally made artisan bread, which I ate when I was eating gluten. But simple things like using a common cutting board to cut the bread, using the common butter and knife for cutting, and then to not properly cleaning everything off. Even wiping off the knife with the common dish towel and putting it away. Ack! Simple things, really, not even a big deal, unless you have a celiac disease. They meant no harm, and probably weren't even aware, but what was evident to me, is that they don't live in an gluten free home. And man, was it obvious, just how gluten free my home is! And for the record, A, is not gluten free, and there is gluten in my house. He just has gone through my struggle with me, watched me suffer and is so keenly aware of cross contamination, that sometimes I take for granted how conscious he is. <3 <3 (He wins a gold star for sure!)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Even with my dogs, both of whom, have allergies, </span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">it too, has become part of our bubble of safety. It is just a part of life.</span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> N</span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">arrowing down dog allergies is a tricky, long process. (Read my collection of posts about that process </span><a href="http://eatbewell.blogspot.com/search/label/Our%20Dogs" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">here</a><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">.) There is sooo much that goes into dog kibble. So much bad stuff and fillers, that it has taken quite some time to figure out both of their allergies. Addi, our golden boxer (half boxer, half golden retriever) is allergic to gluten and chicken meal. Oliver, our French bulldog, is allergic to pretty much everything (it's a Frenchie thing): gluten, dairy, eggs, cheese, beef, chicken, duck, any red meat really, on top of his environmental</span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> allergies to everything and skin issues, his list is epic!</span><br />
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<a href="https://www.orijen.ca/foods/dog-food/dry-dog-food/six-fish-dog/?lang=us" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNhA9cL6zLeY29BR66gNy3APB0ayjn6bj-ytMX6DpJgqIlFrM7MGsoLrvB9hKofmsVqJAgVtHvjb8dWvDz5MXhuLKQIO0MQ7KivU5_D7ouHO_1hOiMGMnnt7DFU4AiSDN7FPMbve9CWVr6/s200/DS-ORIJEN-dog-Six-fish-fr-lg-1.jpg" width="162" /></a><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So what does he eat you might be wondering....after much time, trial and tribulation we landed on <a href="https://www.orijen.ca/foods/dog-food/dry-dog-food/six-fish-dog/?lang=us">Orijen</a> food. It is a very clean (and very expensive) kibble. And the only flavor he can eat is the Six Fish. Another thing that we learned along the way, is often there are multiple kinds of protein in dog food, which can cause allergy flare ups, finding a single protein food is very, very hard. The ratio of protein to carbs to fats, is also a very important factor. Most standard dog foods have too high a percentage of carbs in them. He also takes a daily plant sterol and probiotics. He gets no handouts and only the occasional treat. I know you're thinking, poor guy! But honestly he is a much happier and healthier dog now, than when we got him 2 years ago. If you look at the post from <a href="http://eatbewell.blogspot.com/2015/01/standard-is-not-only-way.html">January 18, 2015</a>, you can see just how red and swollen he was when we got him. And now...look at how handsome and healthy and not red he is! Cutie! <3</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Our household is a very allergy conscious home, and the doggies and I are grateful. And yet we are reminded how sensitive that daily balance is. We maintain the balance without effort, but when we travelled for Thanksgiving, the balance was knocked off. Our poor little Oli, had a pretty nasty reaction to a combination of things. To no fault of my mom, who watched after them. It was just evident that Addi, Oli and I live on a delicate tight rope of allergies, that doesn't take much to fall off, even when you are actively trying. Even a simple trip to the gas pump, where they offer your dogs treats, has to be an announcement of your allergies. Dog mom panic, "Don't burst the safety bubble!"</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">That is what is so frustrating, is when you are actively trying and yet you have an allergy attack. If you live with allergies you probably have a similar allergy-free bubble, where your house is safe, your immediate friends and family know and are as accommodating as possible, and you have your favorite restaurants because they are cautious and can accommodate your allergies. You learn to relax a little. To breathe. And trust that your allergy-free bubble is safe. And then you get symptoms! :'(</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Right now, I am having respiratory problems. I can't catch my breath, I am wheezing, and my breath is shallow. It's even effecting my sleep. Not fun. There is no glaringly obvious reason for my respiratory problems, which is my first sign of contamination, except the other night. We went out to one of our favorite restaurants, which has long been on the safe list, and yet the other night it wasn't. Something that we have ordered many times before came with breadcrumbs on this time!! Whaaa? Never before, and now all of a sudden?! Annd they skimped on the bacon! Whatthe*$5*grumble grumble! I didn't pay much attention either. I am used to them being safe. I was talking with the bartender and watching the game, until A pointed it out (again <3 him!), he leans over and asks if those are breadcrumbs, and on close inspection they were. Well shit!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So even when you think you are safe, you are not. Lesson learned, always, Always ask questions when you are eating out. And never assume that because it is a restaurant on your safe list, and you've gotten the dish before, that it will stay that way. Things change, restaurants change, heck for all I know if was a new chef! I just get a sad mopey face and am reminded that again my safety bubble is not as safe as I believe.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">For people with allergies the holidays are particularly hard. There is so many social events and opportunities for cross contamination. From Thanksgiving on, try as you might, the likelihood of some cross contamination is likely. Unless you are a hermit and don't socialize, or maybe, you are lucky, and have friends and family that are allergy-aware. I am surprised by my current allergy breathing symptoms, but at the same time I guess I shouldn't be. The time of year and a more unusual diet, for me at least, with some likely cross contamination, boom, symptoms. It sucks, because you want to just enjoy the festiveness of the season and eat all the yummies (that you think are safe) around you. You can't. And it is really unfortunate timing too. Christmas festivities are within a few days and really I need to go on a strict cleanse to get rid of whatever is backed up in my body causing my respiratory problems. Bah humbug! </span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As much as I want to ignore my symptoms, not being able to breathe is really, really scary. And if I think about it, I am also having digestive issues and not so good poops. So obviously it is all connected. The signs are there, my body is telling me, and now I have to help it out. Part of the process of discovering, managing and living with food allergies is learning your body's symptoms. They are there, however subtle, your body always has a way of saying, "hey that's not working for me," you just have to learn the signs. And once you do, and you figure out your trigger, the symptoms become more obvious, even in the slightest onset.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Good luck throughout your remaining holiday festiveness. I hope you are able to navigate and stay symptom free. And I know, because you are like me, you are hyper-vigilant about cross contamination, but be wary of your vigilance slipping. I think we all want to relax and trust and believe what we know to be, will stay the same, but unfortunately it doesn't. If you have lived allergen free for a long time, and you do have contamination, the likelihood of horrendous symptoms will be less, but still be on the lookout for the more mild symptoms. They are there. Always be on the lookout for daggers that are going to poke your safe, allergy-free bubble.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Alix, Health Coachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01593989762863740880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9036610952322230779.post-64990302462735698672016-12-01T18:40:00.001-05:002016-12-02T09:47:15.088-05:00Let's Get Personal<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Let's get personal...personaal (totally intended in the tune of Let's Get Physical by none other than ONJ (that's Olivia Newton-John, BTdubs)). </i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">For some this may be TMI. And I don't care. I'm going to talk about periods, menstrual cycles, because I have to. Bye all y'all dudes, now is the time to bail. I know "lady stuff" makes you squeamish. For those that stick around and keep reading, you get a gold star sticker, especially if you share this with a lady in your life.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Periods are part of every woman's life. They are normal, they are natural and there is a noticeable difference between a good period and a bad period. Ladies, you know what I am talking about. Some months are awful; cramp-y, cranky, throat-punchy, where every one sucks, you get that massive red zit on your chin that hurts like a motha', you can't eat enough chocolate, wine and potato chips to make the pain stop or make you like anyone, and to top it all off you bleed through everything, on everything, when you are sleeping (hello, more crankiness), when you are out in public and there is abso-fucking-lutely nothing you can do about it, you just hope you have a sweatshirt in your car to tie around your waist. One of Those months...I get it! I've been there! Shit, we (being the proverbial ladies "we") have ALL been there! Some months are certainly better than others.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I have to say as a woman who has spent most of her life on the side of miserable during my period; insane cramps that had me doubled over in pain crying, bloody messiness that is uncontrollable, and the sore rawness that comes with that much clean-up, PMS like no body's business, diarrhea, changing your sheets in the middle of the night, you name it, I've suffered it. To now, being on the other side of miserable periods, let me say, there is hope! Diet and lifestyle changes have made a night and day difference in my life when in comes to my period. Seriously! It seems so simple and unbelievable, but seriously, remove the foods your body doesn't like, give it more whole veggies, fruits and gluten free grains, let me tell you, my periods are totally different than they were for the last 15 years. I remember not going to school, not being able to formulate sentences between sobs of agony and writhing in pain, to regular trips to the toilet for constant diarrhea. I cannot even count the number of times I bled through while sleeping and out in public. I just figured my period was "normal". It was not! At least it doesn't have to be! </span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Tuning into your body and listening to it's needs, and making considerable lifestyle changes can make for a much happier period, ie you.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My period is no longer an epic geyser of torrential pain and hormones, it is manageable now. Actually, dare I say, pleasant. What used to be a heavy flow for 5 days straight with epic cramping. I now, have a few cramps on my first day and typically again on my 3rd (which makes no sense to me), but after the first 2 days of a regular flow it lessens considerably the last 2 or 3, to where a panty liner will suffice. This is a huge difference from where I started at 10. Perhaps it is because I am of "childbearing age", but I am not so sure that is only factor. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As you well know, if you've been following me for some time, I went gluten free, lactose free, and reduced meat, little-to-no processed foods and sugar almost 6 years ago. In that time, every aspect of my life has changed, from my weight, to my seasonal and environmental allergies, to my skin and hair, to my quality of sleep, to my quality of poop and periods, to the clarity of mind, and even a career shift! Phew! It. Is. Amazing. What. Can. Change. If. You. Listen. To. Your. Body.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So the whole reason for this post is something new I am trying and I am so excited to share: for the first time ever, seriously ever, I was excited for my period to start (no, it wasn't the excited, oh shit, I may be pregnant, excitement/fear), it was legit excitement. Why, you may ask, with a side tilt of your head....I bought a Diva Cup! </span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">For those of you who don't know what a <a href="http://divacup.com/">Diva Cup</a> is, it is a menstrual cup that takes place of the standard tampon or pad. It is an eco-friendly, reusable, silicone cup that gets inserted into the vagina to collect the blood during menses. Grossed out yet? I know, I know, just keep reading...</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I heard about a Diva Cup from <a href="https://www.instagram.com/yoga_girl/">@yoga_girl, Rachel Brathen,</a> whom I love and admire and have been following for a couple years on Instagram. She inspires me in life, love, spirit and in yoga. And during a Facebook Live session she and her friend/business partner Olivia, talked about Diva and Moon Cups. The name had floated through my brain a few times prior, but never stuck. This time it did. So I did some research and was intrigued. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Sure, I was excited at the prospect of not having to purchase tampons and pads again, and being eco-friendly, but honestly what progressed my interest more, was for the last 6 months to a year, I've been having a problem with tampons. No matter where I am in my cycle, no matter what day, I can always feel the tampon. It was uncomfortable and noticeable. It made me ache and cramp, even smaller ones. They just hurt. It was almost like it felt full all the time, but when I took it out, it never was. As soon as I took the tampon out I would be fine. Cramps, achy-ness, gone. So for the last few months I have been dealing with pads, uggh. Pads suck! I've always slept in pads and used them on light days, but to use them for your entire period is awful. They rub, they make noise, I inevitably bleed over the edges, no matter how many damn wings and "no leak" edges those suckers have, leave it to my body, I leak over those no-leak edges. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Now I'm gonna get technical-personal, but I guarantee there must be other women like me, women with bodacious backsides. I'm talking about being bootylicious. Let's get real, butts are awesome, and some junk in the trunk is awesomer, but let me clue in into something, as a women with some junk, pads. do. not. work!! If you have a larger derriere that is tight, and you wear a pad, blood comes out between your butt cheeks. There I said it, it's out there. I can't be alone here?? Right? Try as I (I'm hoping we) might in a pad, I walk, I sleep, it goes out your butt and gets everywhere. E.v.e.r.y.w.h.e.r.e! And it is a fucking pain in the ass, ha (couldn't not with the bad pun). Soo, if you are like me and you can't wear tampons because they hurt and pads, well, pads are just useless, unless they wrap around from my belly button to my lower back, I needed an alternative.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I've been seeing those period panties lately, but dude, I don't trust those. Just how, how can there not be leakage? And isn't that more diaper-ish than a pad?? I dunno. So, I bought a Diva Cup. And I've been excited for my period since then. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Today is day 1, one of my heavy days. I've had it in all day. And it is AWESOME!! Best period ever! I can't even feel it. It doesn't even feel like I am even on my period, or that anything is in there. No cramps, no aches, nada, zilch! I am so excited I am doing a happy dance. I look forward to tomorrow, day 2, my heaviest day, and I'm going to workout too! Today I felt like writing and drinking wine, instead of working out. I had to share with y'all my exciting news! I did walk the dogs, and no leakage, anywhere, all day. I wore a panty liner, just in case. But nothing! I've checked the cup a few more times than I probably needed to (I wasn't sure when it would be "full"), and it was no where near close to full. So now I am leaving it in longer. There was concern about insertion being difficult and leakage. No problem for me. I think you have to be well acquainted with your vagina to even consider using a Diva Cup, because, yes you will have to touch your vagina and even put your fingers inside to adjust and rotate to secure it in place. So if you are not that kind of woman, first let me ask why? And then, I will suggest, maybe work up to a Diva Cup. Go familiarize yourself with your vagina first. I went with Model 1. I am 30 and I've never had a child, but Model 2 just didn't seem right for me. I know I have a narrower vagina, so I was worried that Model 2 may be too big. Again, you gotta know your vagina before you can even purchase a Diva Cup. And really, as woman, shouldn't you be well acquainted with your vagina? I digress. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I am also really excited to sleep in my Diva Cup! They say you can leave it in for up to 12 hours. At first, that seemed wrong, too long. I would never, ever leave a tampon in that long, but it is not the same. The Diva Cup, sits much lower in the vagina opening and it isn't "absorbing" anything, hence no toxic shock syndrome of a tampon left in too long. Sleeping in a pad as a side sleeper with a tight ass, is a nightmare, literally! I get up all the time in the middle of the night during my period. I have to check it and even sleep with my hands wedged in between my legs to make sure the super, sized nighttime pad plus two liners behind it, don't move, it is awful! And even then, I regularly bleed through. I may for once be able to sleep the whole night through on the first night of my period. Mind blown!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I am beyond excited for my experience and not too ashamed to share it with you all. We need, no, we must talk about this stuff! There is no shame. We are women and we SHOULD have happy periods. Until day 2, wish me good, leak free, stress free sleep tonight. I'll post more tomorrow.</span>Alix, Health Coachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01593989762863740880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9036610952322230779.post-50575978065601379182016-11-22T11:33:00.000-05:002016-11-22T11:33:50.203-05:00Recognizing Presence<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I recently had a wonderful conversation with one of the teen girls I work with as part of a mentoring program:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We paired up to interview each other, asking fun questions like, "What is your favorite cereal?" and "What show do you like to binge watch?" to more intimate questions like, "What is your advice to live by?" We were paired together because of the odd number of students. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What came of the fun questions was a great conversation about life–all aspects of it, parents, siblings, respect, honesty, chores, sexuality, body image, being introverts, all in all an amazingly beautiful, honest conversation. I like real conversations. The stuff that makes you you. Not the BS adult chit chat, gossip-y conversation that normally ensues. I fucking hate small talk! Talk to me about your passions, what you are doing, your family, your dogs, pretty much anything other than, "Oh how are you? Good. You?" Ughhh! Makes me want to scream. This is why I love teens, they just talk. Sure it is hard at first to get them to open up, but once you do (the secret is food and ask lots of questions) the flood gates open and you learn more than you would ever think possible. I love, love teens for this reason. The pretense, the BS, the showmanship of one-upping each other, nada, we are just two people connecting talking about everything under the sun.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One of the questions on the interview was, "What famous person do you like?" I said Ashley Graham. For those of you who don't know who Ashley Graham is (have you been living under a rock, JK) she is a "plus size" (seriously sarcastic air quotes here, because what is deemed plus size in the fashion industry really is anything over a US size 4, when the average American woman is a 14-16!!). She has graced the cover of Sport Illustrated, Glamour, Elle, and so many other major media publications, which is her job, she's a beautiful model, but what I love her for is her activism. Her body positivity and debunking the fashion industry myth that only skinny is pretty. She is real–cellulite, stretch-marks and all. She's a size 16 and she prances around in lingerie and bikinis in shoots and on the beach. She is graceful and beautiful, yet goofy and humble. She is relatable and I think so many of us are looking for relate-ability in media now.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The girl I was speaking to, didn't know who Ashley Graham is, so I hope she looks into her and finds inspiration like I do (or at least a source that is relevant to her), but she said something amazingly profound about how we feel about ourselves based on the people we surround ourselves with. This is true! If you surround yourself with people who love themselves (not in an egocentric way), but truly love self and accept their self as they are, being around them, innately makes you feel more comfortable in your skin.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Being a teen is incredibly challenging for that very reason, you are not sure of yourself. As are none of your peers. Most of teen years are spent comparing, adjusting, judging yourself to those around you, who are just as unsure of them selves! </span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">(Are adults really any different??)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That's why I think role models, regardless of that buzzy term, let's say people in media, must show the diversity of who we are. Beauty comes in all shapes and sizes and colors. Stretch-marks, cellulite, rolls and all. Celebrities are unattainable and often not relatable, yet so many of us look to them for a sense of self-worth or something to compare to or judge against, but really what anyone really needs is someone to relate to. To see a bit of themselves in that person.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>"If you are drawn to [someone], it is because there is already enough presence in you to recognize presence in another." Eckart Tolle</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There is a level of acceptance and comfort in your own skin that comes with time, and also with stopping the rampant comparison of each other. I spent so much of my youth wishing I was shorter, had smaller boobs and butt and thighs, that my stomach was flatter and, and...but at some point you have to realize this is your body and it does amazing things for you each and every day. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We take our bodies for granted, continually hating on the parts, not nourishing it properly, talking badly about it, sucking it in and wrapping it up, and yet it is still there each morning, pumping blood to your heart, allowing you to breathe and get out of bed. You can either spend the rest of your life self loathing and hating that body or love the pieces that make up the whole. I am by no means saying it is any easy, overnight process. It takes time. Self-love. Self acceptance. Self reflection. Movement. Proper nourishment and some meditation. And even then, some days are better than others, but we have to take them in stride. We are all our own worst critics. It is a life lesson for all of us to really be in our bodies. To accept it as it is, or change it if you really want, but in real, loving, healthy and supportive ways.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We see beauty in others and compare ourselves, often in the negative, rather than seeing the beautiful parts that are also in us. Tolle has it right, there is something in someone else that draws us to them, and you have a bit of that something in yourself. If you can see it in someone else, work to try to see it in yourself.</span>Alix, Health Coachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01593989762863740880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9036610952322230779.post-83400234462455528102016-10-10T12:02:00.000-04:002016-10-10T12:02:01.916-04:00How to Control Your Seasonal Allergies Symptoms with Diet<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have a love/hate relationship with fall in Maine.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yes, it is beautiful, the leaves, the cool air, the lacking of tourists and bugs, but with fall comes allergies for me. In fact researchers think nasal allergies affect about 50 million people in the United States. And allergies are increasing. They affect as many as 30% of adults and 40% of children. <i><a href="http://www.aafa.org/page/allergy-facts">www.aafa.org/page/allergy-facts</a></i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've always had allergies, it is only until I moved to Maine that they became a major problem in my life. Spring and fall have been dreaded seasons for me since I moved here and until the last few years were debilitating months.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I remember one fall being so sleep deprived because of my allergies and congestion that I couldn't sleep and when I would finally fall asleep I would wake in a panic unable to breathe lying down. All I could do was sleep sitting up with a fan directly on my face. The combination of fear of suffocating in my sleep, the exhaustion and overall stress still horrifies me to this day, as in, I never, ever want to go back to a time like that.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I know so many people who suffer with seasonal allergies and the symptoms are getting worse, not better. I used to be a statistic until I made radical lifestyle changes. Sure I can pop an OTC antihistamine or use my rescue inhaler, but that doesn't feel right for me, in fact, both are last resorts. I haven't had an active rescue inhaler prescription for the last 3+ years and I take Allegra only in a dire situation.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have changed my approach with my seasonal allergies, as something my body is telling me, but also as a time for me to reset, which actually feels natural and in sync with the changing of the seasons. With these changes, </span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have been able to have mild to no seasonal allergy symptoms for the last 2 years with seasonal changes in my diet alone. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I noticed a considerable difference in my seasonal allergy symptoms when I identified my gluten and lactose intolerances and removed those foods from my diet 6 years ago, but now I can mitigate further seasonal aggravations by eliminating nightshades and alcohol as well.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Nightshades contain alkaloids which can aggravate or even mimic seasonal allergy symptoms. Nightshades include potatoes, peppers (all kinds except black pepper), eggplants, tomatoes, tobacco and some more esoteric things like goji berries and some version of blueberries or huckleberries. Unfortunately, fall is also harvest season in our garden and almost everything coming out of the garden is a nightshade. Nightshades allergies are a problem for some even when seasonal allergies aren't being triggered and can look and feel similar to seasonal allergies, year-round. Nightshades cause inflammation and joint pain, specifically lower back pain (dead ringer for me there). The research available on nightshade allergies is abundant when you search Google, so I will let you do your own research, however, this time of year cutting out nightshades for me is a night and day difference when it comes to my allergy symptoms, so perhaps you might consider doing the same.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If I stick to a strict vegan-paleo diet, aka Pegan, coined by Dr. Mark Hyman, with no nightshades or alcohol, that is heavy on veggies, gf whole grains, beans and some animal protein and fruit, I have considerably less allergy symptoms, and I can't recall the last time I took an OTC antihistamine.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Seasonal allergy sufferers are on the rise, unfortunately, and beyond the environmental allergens around us, especially in a heavily wooded place like Maine, there are allergy inducing, inflammation triggering foods we eat every day. If we limit our intake of those foods, especially when the environmental ones are high, you have the power to control your own symptoms. It is actually a really cool revelation to have come to this point where I can see directly the foods I eat, the time of year and how by controlling what I eat in the fall and spring actually allows me the ability to not dread the standard seasonal allergy seasons. I can see fall for all it's colors and beauty instead of dreading it for all the pollen and sneezing it used to make me suffer through.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There is great power in knowing your body well enough and knowing that nourishing it with foods that support and sustain health, rather than aggravate and inflame, is amazing. It is amazing to know that if I wake up in the morning and have a congestion and a sneezing fit, all I have to do is look at what I ate the day before to realize what the culprit was.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The ability to recognize your sensitivities and triggers does not happen over night, nor are you able to associate your seasonal allergy symptoms as being triggers by potatoes or gluten or dairy, without first knowing what it feels like to not have those foods in your system, causing potential inflammation. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The journey is challenging, but you don't have do it alone. I find the power of food and the way it makes us feel, in particular to allergies, seasonal and food related, is fascinating. It is a journey everyone should be willing to explore because knowing you have the ability to make yourself feel better just by the food choices you make in a day is powerful. You aren't relying on a pill to temporarily brain-fog-alright the symptoms away. You can learn that by simply removing a trigger for a short period of time can alleviate a multitude of symptoms that you would otherwise have to sniffle, snort, and wheeze and generally feel like crap through.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To learn more about how to control your seasonal allergy symptoms with diet, contact me at <a href="mailto:alixhealthcoach@gmail.com">alixhealthcoach@gmail.com</a> or visit <a href="http://eatbelivewell.com/">eatbelivewell.com</a>.</span>Alix, Health Coachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01593989762863740880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9036610952322230779.post-12168623734679803692016-08-28T16:56:00.000-04:002016-08-31T09:47:48.284-04:00Health Russian Roulette<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I have been playing Russian Roulette with my health and diet lately. Ignoring all the past-month warning signs has led to the explosive (literally :o) misery of the last 2 days. Ugghh... :(</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I have been thoroughly enjoying my foodie filled summer of sunny days, long nights, plenty of BBQs and social gatherings. With these indulgences I have been lax in my typically regimented eating. I am normally gluten free and lactose free always. Minimal meat and dairy. Lots of veggies and whole gf grains. But lately, yeah...not so much. Eat it all has been my MO, cross my fingers, and hope for the best, so far it hasn't caught up with me...</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Especially given the bounty of our glorious garden this year, one would think I would I would be eating veggies all-day-erry-day, which I am, BUT I am eating mostly nightshades–peppers, tomatoes, eggplants and potatoes–all of which we are harvesting aplenty right now. While I love these veggies, hence why they populate most of our garden real estate; did you know, nightshades aggravate seasonal allergies? Who knew, right?! Ever notice that your allergies are awful in the fall, ever notice how many garden fresh tomatoes you are consuming at that time, weird correlation. Nightshades cause an inflammatory response in the body and when your body is already on high inflammation alert because of the environmental allergens, the double whammy is a double sniffly-uck-fest for all those seasonal allergy sufferers. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So while we have been subsisting on nightshades for the last month–hello fresh pasta sauce, caprese, eggplant parmesan, all of which of course must include an abundance of cheese (another food I must avoid). I have been extra "allergy-y" lately and ignoring the signs. I wake up sneezing, having sneezing fits regularly, extra drippy nose, taking my seasonal allergy meds daily, regularly feeling achy in my hips (huge red flag: In fact, scientific research suggests that up to 90% of individuals who suffer from any form of pain or discomfort in the body are sensitive to nightshades–which can trigger an inflammatory response.) I have even had this weird rash around the corners of my mouth (which in Chinese medicine is a sign of a stomach/intestinal infection/discomfort) and yet, keeping on eating my tomatoes and eggplants and cheese, and...</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A cheese stuffed pepper and tomato dinner Friday night, led to horrendous gas, lower back and hip aches, and ultimately explosive, diarrhea that has lasted for 2 days now. Gross, ew, don't talk about that stuff, I know, but seriously, we have to talk about it. I have been blatantly ignoring what my body has been subtly telling me for over a month, and now here is my payment, shitting water and stomach cramping for 2 days. I am even telling myself, "I told you so!" </span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Isn't it so funny how we play Russian Roulette with our health and the way we eat? We all know what makes us feel better and what is good for us–lots of water, a diet of mostly veggies, limited meat, dairy and processed foods, exercise daily, good restful sleep, yada, yada, yada–we get it! We all know what we "should" be doing and yet we don't do it. Or we do, but on a short term basis. We'll "be good" for a month, 3 months, 6, whatever the timeline is, yet most of us (there are the few that have iron-clad will power and discipline–aliens?) will test our limits, "fall off the wagon", challenge if dairy really gives me gas that clears the room as I writhe in pain, that " 'one piece of fresh whole wheat bread and butter won't kill you' "– but in fact it will. We all know our body's limits and yet we continually test them. Why is that?</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We all know when, what, how and why our body is mad or explosively diarrheating all over the place because you ate too much cheese, and yet we still eat the cheese. It is funny how we do that! I know personally I get SO sick of being aware, of having to worry about bringing my own snacks, literally everywhere I go, of having to say, "Oh that looks delicious but I can't", of being the "gluten free girl" the "lactose free girl", the "what crazy thing don't you eat now, girl". I just want to eat and enjoy and live, goddamnit! I don't want to have to worry about my butt exploding or my stomach retching from the inside, or zits appearing as a warning sign that my insides are not happy! Why does my body hate all the foods I love so much?!? </span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I know, I know, pity party for one. My rant is over. It has to be, as does my episode of "falling off the wagon". For the last month, that little voice in my head has been very vocal–"Oh, you know, you should really be eating better." "Umm, hello, you can't eat that!" "You'll be sorry if you keep eating like that." "You know, fall is coming–which means, heinous allergy season, you better clean up your act girlie!" What!? You don't have a guilt-tripping-nagging voice in your head all day tell you what you know is better for you?</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiWUjA2RWj4xYm-ckTSyj7Ia0ujbX_vshiNelthMIBqXvZD6ouVrN0jw-6v2ucUDJMlqXuhC1gCJP3t1UwbnozCyeof_fITmFeV9Dv2osORPwSe3ZobY4Vuvp7plaVzZ-Iq7mIwj0flMHM/s1600/20160828_145340.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiWUjA2RWj4xYm-ckTSyj7Ia0ujbX_vshiNelthMIBqXvZD6ouVrN0jw-6v2ucUDJMlqXuhC1gCJP3t1UwbnozCyeof_fITmFeV9Dv2osORPwSe3ZobY4Vuvp7plaVzZ-Iq7mIwj0flMHM/s320/20160828_145340.jpeg" width="180" /></a><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So, fine. I am waving the white flag, since the bright neon red flags have been evident for over the last month. I surrender. I must be good or else...dun..dun..dunnnahhh! The last two days of misery are enough of a "sign" to shape up. As I write I am drinking a glorious (although horrible tasting) green juice, from all fresh veggies from our garden (and no nightshades). Side note: I have this theory that the worse it tastes, the more your body needs it. Ever notice how some green juices taste awful, while others are delish, and how even the exact same yucky one will taste fine the next time you make it? I think the same thing about wheatgrass shots, if it tastes awful and you gag at the smell of if, do it, drink it up and maybe do it again. While green juice is the last thing I want right now, I really want potato chips and wine, but given that I haven't eaten for two days, I am thinking green juice is the right nutrient boost my insides need, yes, it might give me more diarrhea, but at this point, what's a little more ammo for the explosives.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My moral of this shitting water story for you, (please learn from my lessons), our body's give us signs, small at first, then very obvious. Some of us ignore the signs, unknowingly perhaps, or intentionally. We, you, me, we all, know what our body's need. Each of us is unique in our needs, and only you can know and identify those needs. We must know those needs and also our limitations so that when the signs are there we know how to right the path. To be our own arbiters of health. To know how far you can push yourself (regardless if we should or not). </span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It is a choice to choose health, and also to ignore health. If you know the difference and learn to trust that your body is your guide; so long as you learn your signs, we are all be able to achieve our optimal health.</span><br />
<br />Alix, Health Coachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01593989762863740880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9036610952322230779.post-24116325130580638842016-07-16T10:39:00.000-04:002016-07-16T10:39:57.326-04:00Movement with Intent<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am not initially sure what drew me to to my yoga mat. It certainly wasn't my childhood experiences with yoga. Yoga sucked when I was a kid. All the loud breathing and ohm-ing and laying on the floor for no reason. I wanted to run around outside.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For years my athletic ability has been hard, fast and competitive. Push harder, be stronger, test the limits of my body, stamina and endurance.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I think I even may have been drawn to yoga as an adult because of the fancy poses. I really, really wanted to master a headstand, handstand and crow pose. All of which I can do, but I've realized that's not it. I also started to turn to yoga for my nagging sciatica and psoas troubles. Regular practice has made the nag non-existent, well that, and a new bed! Seriously, totally digressing here, I thought I was just working out too hard, sitting too long or holding my pigeon pose for too long. Nope! It was my bed. A recent trip to CO shed some light on the potential that my bed might be the issue. I had little to no pain while traveling and sleeping in foreign beds, yet as soon as I got home, bam, sciatica and psoas nag back in full force. We all underestimate the value of a quality bed and in turn quality sleep. If you wake up stiff or with aches and pains, consider a new bed. Seriously! So simple, but literally transformative. For months I was thinking my issues were getting worse. Each morning I was so stiff and achy. 'I must be getting old.' Nope, got a new bed; all aches and pains gone. It just occurred to me this morning that I haven't paid any notice to my sciatica in weeks! When it used to be a daily constant nag. Craziness I tell you.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">OK, digressing aside, something has changed with my approach to movement. Sure there will be days where I want to do a sweaty spin session or go for a run, but lately, I would rather be more in touch with what my body is telling me than how hard my mind wants to push. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My yoga practice lately has been more meditative and spiritual than fancy and bendy. I am more interested in poses that restore me and center me, than standing on my head. My new alter is bring a new spiritual awareness that I have never felt so strongly. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Something has shifted and I can't even really put words to properly describe the shift. But the take-away I hope to share, is listening to your body. So many of us need to push harder, be stronger, sweat more, but there is something about connecting with your body, soul and spirit in your movement. Sure you can sweat. But do what feels good, not what you "should" be doing, not another rep to finish the round or holding chaturanga until you collapse.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There is something to be said about movement with intent, with love, and I think that is the true practice, move your body because you love it, not because you want to punish it, or yourself. Sit still and listen to your breathing because you want a deeper connection with loving yourself.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sometimes the harder we push the more resistance we get, maybe stop pushing so hard. Maybe surrender. I know, it's hard and surrender is scary, but so is learning to love self. Surrendering to yourself and then "shoulds" and the self-competition is healing. Don't worry if your definition of "exercise" is the same as anyone else's. And also allow it to change. As a person who has spent years pushing my body as hard as possible until it ached, I think there might be something to listening, embracing, loving, accepting and moving my body and mind to connect more to my heart. Move with the intent to love self. And listen to your body, it will tell you the movement you need.</span>Alix, Health Coachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01593989762863740880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9036610952322230779.post-90158748222759251812016-06-14T16:05:00.000-04:002016-06-14T16:05:12.447-04:00We All Have Shit Days<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This morning I woke up cranky. Like binge-watch crappy reality TV, stay in my PJs til 3 pm, eating a bowl of popcorn the size of my head, and drinking before noon cranky. </span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I didn't want to see anyone, do anything–even the dogs were annoying me! That is saying something!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So I angry cleaned, but that didn't even work. Cleaning was making me crankier, whaa?! Angry cleaning often makes my mood better, or at least the clean house does.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So I just surrendered. I accepted my cranky bitchiness, plopped down on the couch and watched embarrassingly bad reality TV. It was deeply satisfying. After some leftover heated up scalloped potatoes, scrambled eggs and too many cups of coffee, I still wanted to throat punch everyone that crossed my path (no I did not actually throat punch anyone, I stayed home for this reason); </span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I mustered up some energy to get the few things I needed to do today, done. I reluctantly peeled myself off the couch, half-assedly put on yoga pants, like somehow that is an acceptable equivalent to PJ pants (trust, I contemplated</span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> wearing PJs in public today. NO I did not, don't judge) and ventured out, hoping to holy hell I saw no one and didn't have to talk to anybody. Don't even get me started on the irritation level when I got to the place and had to wait 30 minutes because they were closed for lunch, "Seriously, who needs to eat lunch?!" (See the irrational anger of the day!)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I finally got home which took longer than expected, I barely dressed enough to be seen in public and 30+ minutes was passed the point of safely not running into someone I know.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Of course the dogs are pleading for their daily walk, "Fuckiing dogs! God why did I get dogs?? DoggsAH!! I don't like doggsah, whhhatt do you waaant from meeeee??!" (It's bad people!)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But I took them on a walk to the post office, which is not a regular walk for us. It is relatively short and on a really busy road with no sidewalk, but they seemed to enjoy it, and shockingly so did I.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now that I had my "must dos" done, it is time for the PJs to go back on, the wine to come out, the buttery, salty goodness to coat my finger tips and epic bitch battles of all that is reality TV to commence...but wait...that is not exactly how it played out.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I came home. Doggies panting and happy. I didn't get the buttery salt kernels going, instead I made an Asian coleslaw with napa cabbage, red cabbage, sliced, raw poblano pepper, fermented cabbage, ginger, carrots, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, garbanzo beans in a white miso, honey, garlic, rice vinegar, Braggs liquid aminos, and sesame oil dressing. It was delicious and crunchy and salty and nutritious (clearly not an important goal of mine today). And surprisingly I am less eager to drink wine, shame watch TV and shove popped corn in my mouth.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The takeaway as to why I am sharing with you my irrational ire that has perpetuated throughout this crappy day...acknowledge, accept and even embrace where you are emotionally. Don't try to ignore it. Say out loud, "I am feeling fill in the blank (crabby, bitchy, cranky, moody, emotional, throat punchy, hangry) and I love and accept myself." It is okay to have a shit day, a shit mood, hell, a shit period in life, it happens to everyone. Rather than unleash the self hate and loathing; acknowledge, love and accept that you are human, that you have emotions, hormones or a deeply twisted relationship with popcorn and just allow yourself to be that. It too shall pass. Or maybe it occurs to you that you are PMSing hard core and that explains all the craziness! Seriously don't mess with a bitch PMSing, get her whatever she wants and slowing back out of the room. Even saying out loud, especially to your significant other, "I am PMSing hard right now," is SO valuable! To you and your significant other AND your relationship. They don't take it personally. They understand your need to eat everything in sight and will be more likely to do a junk food run for you. Win, win. And no petty fights.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Don't be ashamed of your emotions, head space, or general meh-ness. Accepting it, allowing it space to be, then pass and even kindly reminding those around you that you aren't always a heinous bitch, will allow them to give you space, and still love you once it's passed. Oh, and a little bit of exercise really, really, like really, helps with a shitty mood. Yes, I know, it is the last thing you want to do, but even 5-10 minutes, seriously, just walk, you'll be amazed! Seriously, I am somewhat amazed that I don't have butter running down my chin right now.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lastly, my whatever meh-ness today reminded me of a simple interaction while standing in line at a cash register yesterday. The woman in front of me had two fussy kids, a cart full of baby necessities, and a bunch of cards and coupons in her hands. The kids were flailing and fussing. The mom scanned each item with her phone before placing it on the conveyer belt (coupons?) and then ended up paying with 5 different cards. Every few seconds telling her kids to be quiet, or sit still and wait. I stood watching the whole thing, thinking well poo I picked the wrong line, thinking 1 person would be faster then the other line of 3, ha ha. Rather than switch lines, rather than judge, I stood there and observed. The mom got more and more irritated. The kids couldn't do anything right. The kids were getting louder and louder and the cashier was judging SO hard, that by the time I got to the register she made a noise, an eye roll and a geez-head nod, like "get a load of that." I didn't engage immediately as I think she was hoping, you know, get on the judge-y train. Instead I said, "She looks like she is having a rough day." The cashier looked surprised and then went, "Awww." Like how sweet, I guess. I didn't think much more of the interaction, other than we ALL need to be less judgmental of each other (me included!). If we interact with everyone with compassion and love, then judgment doesn't have a place.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So I sincerely hope that in all my bitchy, throat punching thoughts, ire-filled morning while running my few errands, no one was judging me and not understanding I really would rather have been on my couch in all my PJ-princess, bitchy glory. We all have those days. For all you know that is the day the lady in front of you in line with the screaming kids is having.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Remember compassion for self and others. This has been my lesson over the last two days.</span>Alix, Health Coachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01593989762863740880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9036610952322230779.post-3042181552687285142016-06-09T07:40:00.001-04:002016-06-09T07:43:05.949-04:00Love = Change<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There are so many different ways to define, look and be healthy. We are all different and thus health looks, feels, moves, acts, IS different for all of us.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There are standard health guidelines: eat real, whole foods regularly, move daily, be happy, have meaningful relationships in your life, have a spiritual connection to your needs/soul/God/higher power, do something that fulfills you – be it your passion-filled career, or a job that facilitates your passions outside of work. Lastly, drink water, the occasional glass of wine and remember to slow down, breathe and get consistently "good" (whatever is right for you) sleep. Oh and an orgasm from time to time never hurt anyone (well maybe, but, you know what I mean), a healthy sex life is important too.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">That's it! That is living a "healthy life". We all fulfill those guidelines differently and each guideline carries more weight than others, and we all prioritize accordingly. Nowhere do you see maintain ideal weight, have chiseled abs, defined biceps and triceps, flowing long, perfectly highlighted hair, fake but real looking long-ish nails, a perfect relationship, a perfect job – seriously forget, no better yet, REMOVE THE WORD PERFECT FROM YOUR LIFE! Seriously! The word alone is setting you, me, everyone up for failure and disappointment. Perfect is bullshit and there is nothing such as "perfect"!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">If we remove perfect we focus on being easier on ourselves. We all need to be easier on ourselves! I am by no means preaching, this is just as much a reminder for me, as it might be for you. I think everyone struggles with this. We are all our own worst critic. We pick ourselves apart, we are constantly striving for perfection (there's that evil word again), we are never enough, doing enough, trying hard enough, and then we compare to others and that ups the ante even more, we need, want, must be something that what we aren't right now. It's gotta stop.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We must all accept ourselves as we are RIGHT NOW! We can't continually live for the "if, then's"....if I lose 50 pounds, then someone will love me. If I work extra long hours, then I will get the raise I deserve. If...then, if...then...if we all continually live from if to then, then we will never really be living our lives now. Right now.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There are so many amazing body positivity campaigns, models, progressive movements in media right now, which is AHMAAZING! It is about time we show diversity in media – size, color, sex, gender – the more we see that we are all different, unique, beautiful, and embrace different definitions of beauty and success, we might all learn to be a little easier on ourselves. To learn to love ourselves more. And I'm not talking about ego here, I am talking about genuine, heart-felt, compassionate, non-judgmental, forgiving love towards self.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Change comes from love – externally and internally – I am thinking this might be an amazing mantra for our world right now. Without getting political and global, addressing the overwhelming amount of hatred and anger and horror and sadness in the world, imagine if we approached ourselves with love and compassion, we could only approach others with a similar love.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There is a preponderance of professing self-love in media (or maybe it is just what I am aware of) which is awesome and completely necessary, but I worry about this possible trap: the need to publicly declare self-love because it is the hot thing to do. </span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Any positive self-talk makes a difference in your perception of yourself (side note: please, please, please for yourself and everyone, stop the self depreciating, breaking-yourself-apart-talk. You might think it is funny or somehow will allow you to save face in front of someone, but the more you do it, the more you absorb it, mentally, emotionally, physically and the more you believe it. If you are your own worst critic and you are constantly cutting yourself down, then you know what, you actually believe it.) With that being said, don't lie to yourself either; if you are not feeling positive about yourself and you are hating on you, you are much better off saying nothing – out loud or mentally – then the funny, self deprecating comment. If publicly decreeing your self-love, or your no thigh gap, your bulbous-y toes, your small boobs or your dad-bod then by all means, do it, sing it loud and proud, show it off and be you! But don't do it, don't lie to yourself because you think you "should".</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">If change comes from love, no amount of self-hatred, self-depreciation, or faking it, saying "I'm loud and I'm proud," but still cutting yourself down inside your head or in front of the mirror naked, will facilitate real, lasting change. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Accept, love, embrace, acknowledge yourself as you are right. this. very minute. Say it, say it now, out loud, "I love and accept myself, as I am right this very moment." Don't add a "but" or a "..." to the end of that or an "</span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">if, then," say it over and over and over, and if you know anything about Emotional Freedom Technique (</span><a href="http://eatbewell.blogspot.com/2016/03/new-things-ive-been-trying.html" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" target="_blank">see my post</a><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">) tap while you profess your self-love. Do it now. Do it daily. Do it whenever you feel the self deprecating comment lurking.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">If you want to change – your body, your mind space, your job, your life, your relationship, your dread of exercise – those changes will come from a place of love, a place of full acceptance, as is.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As we can see, not much changes inside us, within our immediate circles and in the bigger world from hate. No change comes from hate, self-deprecation, or cutting yourself or anyone down.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">If we all learn to work on loving self more, perhaps, perhaps will learn to love others; and then real change is possible.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Alix, Health Coachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01593989762863740880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9036610952322230779.post-48129821455012264092016-05-10T14:33:00.000-04:002016-05-10T14:38:37.663-04:00Cheat Days<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Everyone loves a cheat day! It's the day of the weak that the fat kid inside all of us gets to come out and gorge with the excuse, "Oh, it's okay, It's my cheat day!" as you shove another doughnut in your already full mouth.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It's a day to go hog-wild, eat and drink what you want, of all you have been deprived of all week long. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">While I am all for indulgence, I think cheat days are dumb. Yeah, I said it! What!?</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I know plenty of diets and people who live for their cheat day. I get it, one day to let loose (well kinda) and eat that which you have been avoiding the remainder of the week. But really all you get is 1 day! One day!? Does no else see this as a major design flaw to massive overconsumption?</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">If it works for you, great, keep at it, everyone is different. But if you are enticed by a cheat day diet plan, I say don't go there. I think it is ridiculous to restrict a whole week's diet and then indulge on one day. Most people I know who are unsuccessful with cheat day diets are those who eat everything and anything in sight on their cheat day. While I can't say I'm surprised, if you are have wicked cravings all week long and then you get one day, you are gonna eat the whole bag of chips, the whole tub of ice cream, the entire bottle of wine and then some.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Cheat day diets are not addressing the core problem that any fad diet has, which is restrict, restrict until goal weight then gorge, and likely gain more weight than before. Your relationship with food and your weight can't be that up and down; or that indulgent and then super restrictive. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">What you eat and the diet you choose to follow should be centered around balance. We should aim for balance in all aspects of our lives, especially around food. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">If we only get this one life, are you really going to be satisfied on your death bed because you ate salad every day and were your goal weight your entire life, probably not. That's not what's going to matter at that point. What will matter are the memories with your loved ones around a Thanksgiving dinner table, or enjoying cake as you watched your 1 year grandchild rub frosting in their hair, or the night you got pissant drunk on your girls night out. So what if you were never your goal weight (don't even get me started on scales!!) So what if you are perpetually 5-10 pounds around your "goal weight". At the end of it all, what will matter is if you were happy, if you loved and felt loved, were fulfilled on a soul level and were balanced!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It is actually FAR worse to swing from super "good" to super "bad". To go from a strict vegan diet to I-eat-everything-in-sight cookie monster diet throughout your life. You screw up your metabolism, your cells get all confused and if anything, your body freaks out and holds onto more fat because it is so unsure the next time it is going to get a proper meal. Your immune system, heart, brain and metabolism are all compromised when you eat on a constant pendulum of restrict-gorge.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So rather than aim for a goal weight or to fit into a tight dress for a special event, think long term, think about balance throughout the rest of your life, not just the next few months.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">If you are having a craving look at it. Observe it. Question it. But without judgement! That is the hard part for most of us. Think of your craving as if you were an unbiased, third party observer. Ask yourself why you think you might be having a craving for chocolate–you need intimacy in your life? Carbs–you've been sleep deprived for 2 months? Caffeine–maybe a regular workout routine is in order? Alcohol–lets consider your stress levels. Cravings are not bad, they are a clue! Often that clue points to something in your life that is missing in love, relationships, career, movement, or spirituality.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Again balance is key; in your personal needs in life and your food needs. If you can identify a craving as associated with a key aspect in your life, that is huge! To make that connection mentally and emotionally is groundbreaking for many. And if you know fulfilling that craving in a small way will help because at that moment you can physically fulfill that need, then I say, indulge (in moderation).</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">But that leads me to my last point, it's not about deprivation. Have a glass of wine with dinner out with friends. Enjoy a piece of birthday cake. Eat a bowl of chips. But balance it out. Have balanced meals more often than not. Eat real, whole foods and lots and lots of veggies. Drink green juice. Exercise daily. Find love in your life. Build relationships that are meaningful. Try to like your job more days than you don't, and if you can't, get a new one. Find a way to connect with yourself, nature and your "god" on a regular basis. All these are crucial to leading a balanced life where cheat days shouldn't be the day you look forward to each week.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Live this life, now. Do what you need to find balance and joy, even if that means having a piece of chocolate from time to time (just make sure it is the best damn chocolate you can afford, seriously, quality makes a huge, huge difference!).</span><br />
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Alix, Health Coachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01593989762863740880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9036610952322230779.post-74123497914066143862016-05-02T14:33:00.000-04:002018-01-31T14:26:55.276-05:00To Supplement or To Not Supplement<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Dietary supplements are debated. Do? Don't do? Necessary? Not necessary?</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I think everyone is different and everyone has unique needs. Rather than base your dietary supplement decisions on articles or blog posts, experiment for yourself. Curious about adding a supplement to your daily regimen, then try it out for a few weeks. Most natural vitamins and supplements will only do good, however, if you are on some prescription medications check with your doctor first before experimenting with dietary supplements, there are some supplements that don't mix well with medications.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I am a firm believer in dietary supplements. I take a handful of supplements daily. Even though I eat a very veggie heavy, balanced diet, of almost all organic produce, I feel supplements make a significant impact in my overall wellbeing and general feeling of good health. I also load up when I am feeling run down or a possible cold coming on, often kicking it in the butt before I become a gooey mess.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The argument is that if you are eating well and enough of a balanced diet then you should not need to supplement with dietary vitamins, minerals and supplements. I disagree. Food is just not as nutrient rich as it once was. With such a large population to feed and depleting the natural resources of the soil, unfortunately veggies don't have the same vitamin and mineral profile they once did. Again this is where buying organic and/or growing your own veggies is greatly beneficial; more nutrients. Even if you are an avid juicer like myself, still, you are probably not reaching your daily needs for most essential vitamins and minerals. (Check out <a href="https://www.reviews.com/juicer/" target="_blank">https://www.reviews.com/juicer/</a> for a helpful juicer review.)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Yes, foods nowadays are fortified with vitamins and minerals. However, if it is fortified, it means a few things: 1) it is likely highly processed 2) it likely is coming out of a container of some kind 3) the naturally occurring vitamins, minerals, etc. were probably stripped out during the preservation process 4) foods consumed as close to as how they come from the earth don't need to be fortified. Fortification sounds like a good thing, but it's not. Your vitamins and minerals occurring in your foods shouldn't require a label, just a glorious color–green, yellow, orange, purple, red–eat your colors = lots of naturally occurring vitamins, minerals, supplemental goodness.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So with that understanding of doing your best to eat really nutrient dense, colorful veggies and fruits, with a few superfoods sprinkled in, you will be well on your way to getting more goodness than most.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I have read many articles and books on this topic, because it is of interest to me, and like I mentioned above, I am always willing to try a new supplement and see how it affects me. Here is a list of supplements <u>everyone</u> should be taking daily. While it is still debated, there is increasing evidence that everyone needs, and is severely deficient in this areas, so if nothing else, try adding this supplements to your diet for a month and see how they make you feel. It's a good rule of thumb to add one supplement/vitamin at a time. This will give you a clear representation of if the supplement is working for you or not.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">10-20billion CFU probiotic (preferably the refrigerated kind)</span><br />
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<li><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Probiotics and gut health are a hot topic right now, as it should be. The living microbiome we all have in our guts are our immune system hub. If they are not happy you are not happy. The slew of angry microbiome symptoms is long and wide. If you have ANY digestive issues, and even if you don't, add probiotics to your daily life. If you have brain fog, lethargy, general meg-ness, add probiotics to your life. They will make a noticeable difference. Promise! You can get probiotics from fermented foods like kefir, sauerkraut and kimchee, but why not do both and take a high CFU capsule everyday too. Your mind, gut and butt will thank you.</span></li>
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<li><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Almost everyone, seriously everyone, is Vitamin D deficient. Even the recommended USDA 1,000-2,000 IUD/day is probably too low for most, especially in the winter, especially if you live a colder, darker climate. Vitamin D deficiencies can manifest in depression, lethargy, anxiety, the list keeps going. I would say start with the upper recommended dose of 2,000 IUD/day and experiment from there. I have read some even suggest upwards of 10,000 (!) IUD/day. Do what works for you, but make sure you have a VitD supplement in your daily life regardless of where you live, also make sure it is gel capsule, which is better absorbed.</span></li>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A daily multi-vitamin </span></div>
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<li><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">You want something that is well rounded and has a high percentage of your daily recommended intake for vitamins and minerals. I personally like the Solaray brand for many of my supplement needs.</span></li>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Omega 3s</span></div>
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<li><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Again a huge laking here for most people of these healthy fats. Good fats make your hair shiny, skin clearer, helps lubricate everything from joints to, brain synapses to bowel movements. Most diets are skewed in ratio of Omega 6s to Omega 3s. Omega 3s are the good fats and are naturally occurring in cold water fish, walnuts, flax seeds, chia seeds and so much more. Either take a supplement and, better yet, take a supplement and add these awesome superfoods to your daily diet too (I love to throw all my O3s in my mornings smoothie)</span></li>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Dietary Fiber</span></div>
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<li><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It is recommended that we need 25g-38g (women vs men) of fiber everyday. You know what, most of us aren't getting that with the things we eat. So double up here. Eat lots of veggies, fruits, gluten free whole grains that all have naturally occurring fiber AND take a supplemental dietary fiber. Your bowel movements will never be the same.</span></li>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Turmeric</span></div>
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<li><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Turmeric is a natural anti-inflammatory. It is a spice commonly used in Indian cuisine. It gives curries that bright yellow-orange color. Turmeric is nature's ibuprofen. I have noticed a huge different in my general inflammation and body achy-ness, especially after a strenuous workout by adding turmeric to my daily supplement list.</span></li>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">If nothing else, add these bad boys into your daily regimen and notice the difference in how you feel.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Another tip, which may sound odd, but I swear...Listen. To. Your. Body. I only take supplements when I resonate with them. I know, I know, that sounds wonky, but it is true. I will hold the supplement in my hand before I take it. And I tune into my body. If I have a general icky feeling or no feeling at all, I won't take the supplement. I take this as my body's way of telling me I don't need it. Sometimes if you take the same supplements everyday you can hit a point where you have sufficient levels, it's okay to back off. Listen to your body. Hold your supplement in your hand, tune in and your body will let you know if you need it or not. You don't have to be super rigid about your daily supplement and vitamin intake, trust your intuition, don't be afraid to experiment with your body and see what is working for you and what isn't.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">That leads into one last point, when adding new supplements, vitamins and minerals into your life, first do your research, figure out why you want to take something, what are the benefits, what are the side effects, could you be getting that from food? But know, sometimes you will get digestive upset when adding a new supplement to your life. This is normal and should clear up pretty quickly. With added fiber you may get gassy. Some supplements may give you the runs. Others may make you feel woozy when not taken with food. Don't exceed the recommended dosage on the container and it is always a good rule to take your supplements with food (expect probiotics, take those on an empty stomach, like first thing in the morning, to let them work their full magic). If your digestive upset doesn't clear up in a few days, stop taking the supplement. This is where introducing new supplements one at a time will help you easily identify the culprit of the upset. I tried taking a resveratrol supplement for a while and I would immediately get diarrhea. I have allergic reactions to drinking red wine, I thought, I will get the benefits from the capsule, nope, the diarrhea was immediate. So I stopped taking them. You can try to find a different brand, or maybe if you tune in, your body will tell you, "Nah, I don't really need that." So listen.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Here are the other supplements I use in my daily life, in case you are curious. If you are curious as to why I take these, you can contact me <a href="mailto:alixhealthcoach@gmail.com">alixhealthcoach@gmail.com</a> or visit <a href="http://eatbelivewell.com/">eatbelivewell.com</a> for more info:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Magnesium Glycenate - an essential mineral many are deficient in</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Quercetin - nature's antihistamine, great for allergy sufferers</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Vitamin D - a must if you live in the Northeast</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Turmeric - anti-inflammatory</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Probiotics - happy gut</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Superfoods. Sprinkle them on your salad. Add them to a smoothie. They are awesome! You need these in your life:</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Chia seeds</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Flax seeds</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Hemp seeds</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Flax oil</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Liquid minerals</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Spirulina</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Chlorella</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Bee pollen</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Freeze dried organic greens or JuicePlus</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Potato starch - natural resistant starch</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Alix, Health Coachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01593989762863740880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9036610952322230779.post-68859508537970432882016-04-07T15:12:00.000-04:002016-04-07T15:18:20.785-04:00Stop Should-ing Yourself<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My mind lives in a constant state of "shoulds". You should be like this, you should have that, you shouldn't want that, you should because...shoulda, woulda, coulda. Fuck shoulds! I say!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">If you are like me your are swayed by societal expectations, standards, judgments, whathaveyou of what we "should" all want, need, be, aspire to, define success by, the list goes on and on and on! Ack! How are we expected to get out of bed in the morning with all these shoulds?</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Shoulds are a judgment. They are a comparison that somehow where you are right now is not enough. That. Is. Not. OK! You should not should yourself or others. Especially ourselves! Again if you are anything like me you are hardest on yourself more than anyone ever could be ever; and when someone says something, or constructively criticizes you, you snap, because you have spent so much time putting yourself down and should-ing yourself long before the loving person said something simple like, "You know, you should..." cue tears.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I just had a radical thought... I SHOULD not be anywhere then where I am right this very moment! Mind blown?! Radical thought, right?! </span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Being caught in shoulds means it is impossible for you(me) to be present. You are always comparing to the past or expecting something in the future. A shit load of shoulds. Be now. Live now. Accept you as you are RIGHT NOW, without any shoulds, comparisons, judgments, or expectations. You are exactly how you should be right now and love that self entirely!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We do not change out of disgust or hatred towards self. We change out of loving-kindness for ourselves. We change out of loving our self enough to want something different, something positive, perhaps, dare I say better (but there are hidden shoulds and comparison in better) so, change comes when we love yourselves enough to be open to growth.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Practicing loving-kindness towards ourselves is SO much hard than loving-kindness towards others. It is also so much easier to forgive others' faults, missteps, shoulds, yet somehow we can't extend the same empathy towards self.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">To that I say stop should-ing yourself!! (Another glorious anthem I learned at this past weekends' <a href="http://eatbewell.blogspot.com/2016/04/soaked-almonds-and-loving-kindness.html" target="_blank">NVC seminar</a>). </span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So my current should directed at myself is I should be healthier, thinner, more fit. Hell I'm a Health Coach right, I gotta look the part. Well yes, I need all those things from a place of good health, but I am no means unhealthy. I am just carrying more weight than I like to. So I've been beating myself up, "You should..", " You should...", and then I said, excuse me, but if I were talking to ANYONE else, a client, a friend, a loved one, I would never should them! I would never tell them to be anywhere else than where they are right now, and yet I can't extend the same courtesy to myself, WTF?!? Right! How cruel can we be to ourselves?! </span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The past 2 years have been very emotional and straining, and to pow, expect Cameron Diaz' body in a mere 3 months of starting to heal and take care of myself, after 2 years of building frustrations, sadness, stress on top of stress, etc., that's a big f-ing should, madness I tell you. Madness! So I just honored myself and my beautiful body for it's strength and courage to embark on a journey that is scary–self-employment in a burgeoning, some may call a woo-woo field, but I believe in it and I believe that this is my true passion and calling. So what, if I am a work in progress while I am helping my clients who are also a work in progress? It does not mean that I don't have the education, knowledge and ability to support my clients. I can and will be a Health Coach even if my health is something I work on daily.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I think health is like yoga, both should be thought of as forms of practice. You never achieve perfect health. You never achieve perfect yoga nirvana bendiness. Both are practices of surrender, loving-kindness towards your body and breath, and what they both do for you now, at this moment in your life and on your mat. Health and yoga are not end goals, they are daily reminders to practice loving-kindness, maitri (my new favorite word), towards self, to nourish your body with clean, good whole foods, and yoga is practice with your current amazing body, building strength, groundedness, and an ability to move and breathe in gratitude and acceptance of you, as you are NOW.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Stop should-ing yourself and I will too. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We are beautiful right as we are this very moment–writing blog posts in pj's, glasses, no makeup or bra, loving myself because this is the one body I get. I am taking care of myself, addressing past pent up emotions, eating well, moving daily and growing and nourishing from the inside out, because for the first time in my life I feel like the path in front of me, although foreign, is bright and encouraging and extremely exciting to be on.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I should not be anywhere but where I am right now.</span><br />
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<br />Alix, Health Coachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01593989762863740880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9036610952322230779.post-78247955389928589472016-04-04T14:04:00.000-04:002016-04-04T14:06:10.650-04:00Soaked Almonds and Loving-Kindness<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There is so much to write about because there is so much going on – good stuff, building my business and growing self and my spirituality – all awesomeness!!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: inherit;">First an oops - learn from my mistake lesson....</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I have read over and over the value and ability to get more nutrients from nuts and seeds by soaking them. Soaking helps remove the naturally occurring toxins on most nuts (hey they are meant to be planted to grow a new plant, these toxins protect the nuts and seeds) and also helps the nutrients, minerals and vitamins be more available for you to digest. </span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Read more about the philosophy and way to soak your nuts from </span><a href="http://wellnessmama.com/59139/soaking-nuts-seeds/" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Wellness Mama</a><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">, she explains it well.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So I purchased some beautiful, organic raw almonds and covered them with water and a bit of salt for a little over 24 hours. I rinsed them until the water ran clear and then I spread them out to dry. I skipped the suggested step of drying them in the oven, it seemed counterintuitive to me to "dry" the nuts in the oven after you just uncovered all the goodness. I thought maybe it would bake away the goodness, that, and I don't follow directions well :-P, I'm a do-it-yourselfer, and sometimes I pay the price.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So I let my almonds sit out to dry for the better part of most of a day, maybe 10-12 hours, then I threw them in a glass jar.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">They were delicious, creamy, juicy (who knew a nut could be juicy?) and I also noticed I could eat fewer as a snack and feel more fulfilled and for a longer period of time. I'm sold, soaking nuts is the way to go!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So I attended a seminar this weekend, more on that in a bit, but I grabbed my jar full of soaked almonds, threw it in my bag to take with me. On one of our breaks during the seminar I realized my nuts we starting to mold - eew! So I picked out the few and went about eating my nuts. Well today, they are filled with mold, double eew! So yeah, I guess the drying process in the oven is necessary, and I suspect the super low temp (150˚ I think) won't likely do much nutrient zapping and will likely save you from having to compost your entire batch of gorgeously, soaked organic almonds.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFcrP6FN3niLFnVTip9l0doBFpWNGWS3pPWlPqOmuSEY1JAwOEOO_qOiiAGz9GwIRteUYXEWw0hOODVq-ozALrgziEPhyphenhyphenQgiWT-z7eZEC2Q4J64BJJXMTzdbTKm6jzU2nUELT9231VDSBO/s1600/20160404_122348.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFcrP6FN3niLFnVTip9l0doBFpWNGWS3pPWlPqOmuSEY1JAwOEOO_qOiiAGz9GwIRteUYXEWw0hOODVq-ozALrgziEPhyphenhyphenQgiWT-z7eZEC2Q4J64BJJXMTzdbTKm6jzU2nUELT9231VDSBO/s320/20160404_122348.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Nice pic of almonds you might think.....but no, see the yuckiness?! Wahh! :(</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Learn from me kids! Don't waste your money and FOLLOW DIRECTIONS ;-P.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: inherit;">So this seminar....</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I took a seminar on <a href="http://opencommunication.org/" target="_blank">Open Communication</a>, also known as <a href="http://www.cnvc.org/" target="_blank">Nonviolent Communication</a> with <a href="http://opencommunication.org/about.html" target="_blank">Peggy Smith</a>, at the <a href="http://thegreengem.org/" target="_blank">Green Gem in Bangor </a>this weekend. What a beautiful, eye opening, expansive experience. It was so amazing to learn how imperfectly we communicate and how we so easily say words and judgements, often not even intending to, but being hurtful to or triggering the recipient. Hence all the conflict in the world! :o While I did learn about active listening or empathic listening in my <a href="http://www.integrativenutrition.com/health-coaching" target="_blank">Health Coach course at IIN</a>, I had the ability to practice it this weekend and so much more. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I would highly, highly recommend as a universe we learn more about nonviolent communication. It should be taught in schools early on. If we all were more in touch with our feelings and new that there are universal needs we all have, we could avoid SO much conflict. It was liberating to learn that there are core universal needs that all humans have, and no this does not mean are "needy", but that we all have basic needs that are associated with every. single. feeling. we have. When we have a feeling it is because it is associated with a need being or not being meet.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">NVC is a beautiful practice and a glorious tool because communication is imperfect, but if we learn to approach each other from a place of empathy, openness and curiosity the world would be such a better place.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Lastly this ties into a book I have been reading each morning upon waking, <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/687278.When_Things_Fall_Apart" target="_blank">When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times, by Pema Chödrön</a>. It is an illuminating and insightful book. While I can not due it justice in a mere few sentences, what is really resonating with me right now is Pema talks about maitri the sanskrit word for loving-kindness. Loving-kindness for ourselves, which so few of us actually practice and believe is even a possibility, extrapolating into loving-kindness for each other.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I think both the book and my recent attendance to the seminar illuminates my need, but also the universal need for loving-kindness towards self, everyone and everything in this world. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">But let's each start with loving kindness to our selves.</span><br />
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<i><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">What makes maitri such a different approach is that we are not trying to solve a problem. We are not striving to make pain go away or to become a better person. In fact, we are giving up control altogether and letting concepts and ideals fall apart.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The most difficult times for many of us are the ones we give ourselves. Yet it's never too late or too early to practice loving-kindness.</span></i></div>
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<br />Alix, Health Coachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01593989762863740880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9036610952322230779.post-11361609325692587802016-03-04T18:45:00.000-05:002016-03-04T18:51:30.572-05:00Info Fiend Find: Don't Fear Fat<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsgEAgLAf2OTFAU5MPe5Ql1YRTDTgHMXE8sFMPY1x5m5IUrvxNSTXv9MeWaq424tAPmhLRr9vkNkCDWMBvpHmNqhHB_BSct6zSuJaXWKVg_P8zXTIqohDLpAAt1uPW9NrmEtTcDgkueUy4/s1600/well_book-articleInline.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsgEAgLAf2OTFAU5MPe5Ql1YRTDTgHMXE8sFMPY1x5m5IUrvxNSTXv9MeWaq424tAPmhLRr9vkNkCDWMBvpHmNqhHB_BSct6zSuJaXWKVg_P8zXTIqohDLpAAt1uPW9NrmEtTcDgkueUy4/s320/well_book-articleInline.jpg" width="204" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><a href="http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/03/04/making-the-case-for-eating-fat/?_r=1" target="_blank">EAT WELL</a></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/03/04/making-the-case-for-eating-fat/?_r=1" target="_blank">Making a Case for Eating Fat</a></span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">By ANAHAD O'CONNOR</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">MARCH 4, 2016 5:45 AM March 4, 2016 5:45 a</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">For years Dr. Mark Hyman was a vegetarian who kept his intake of dietary fat to a minimum. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Whole-wheat bread, grains, beans, pasta and fruits and vegetables made up the bulk of his diet, just as the federal government’s dietary guidelines had long recommended.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">But as he got older, Dr. Hyman noticed something that bothered him: Despite plenty of exercise and a seemingly healthy diet, he was gaining weight and getting flabby. At first he wrote it off as a normal part of aging. But then he made a shift in his diet, deciding to eat more fat, not less – and the changes he saw surprised him.</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">He lost weight, his love handles disappeared, and he had more energy. He encouraged his patients to consume more fat as well, and many of them lost weight and improved their cholesterol. Some even reversed their Type 2 diabetes.</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Today, as the director of the Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Functional Medicine, Dr. Hyman has become an outspoken advocate about the health benefits of eating fat. He promotes it on talk shows, educates other doctors, and has even managed to wean his close friend Bill Clinton off of his previously prescribed low-fat vegan diet.</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Now in a new book called “Eat Fat, Get Thin,” Dr. Hyman takes a deep dive into the science behind dietary fat, making sense of decades of confusing health recommendations and building a case for why even saturated fats, which have long been vilified, belong in a healthy diet. Dr. Hyman argues that Americans have been misled about the benefits of fat because of a disconnect between nutrition science and food policy. In the book he challenges the nutrition orthodoxy while also exploring the food industry’s outsize influence on official health recommendations.</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Recently, we sat down with Dr. Hyman to discuss his thoughts on the gap between nutrition science and health recommendations, the reason you should always plan your meals, and why he never leaves home without a stash of “emergency foods” in his backpack. Here are edited excerpts from our conversation:</span><br />
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</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv-I7rdxtUe8S1-hLG5mrzAIgWP5YsjB1xH5lCMGSV6zcGvIHBXMJZXuav09CwbxdFdSRsOTmM_d7kxj3f5l4bHDORdBUu_nd5pRhCwtk0HpBXC1dB2hsQNBdHnmE-qOiwX6kxSAL3pIjm/s1600/well_hyman-articleInline.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv-I7rdxtUe8S1-hLG5mrzAIgWP5YsjB1xH5lCMGSV6zcGvIHBXMJZXuav09CwbxdFdSRsOTmM_d7kxj3f5l4bHDORdBUu_nd5pRhCwtk0HpBXC1dB2hsQNBdHnmE-qOiwX6kxSAL3pIjm/s1600/well_hyman-articleInline.jpg" /></span></a><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Q.</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Why did you write “Eat Fat, Get Thin”?</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A.</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I wrote it because we’ve been suffering from 40 years of bad advice about fat that’s led to the biggest obesity and diabetes epidemic in history. The myth that fat makes you fat and causes heart disease has led to a total breakdown in our nutritional framework. I felt it was important to tell the story of how fat makes you thin and how it prevents heart disease and can reverse diabetes. I think people are still very confused about fat.</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333;">Q.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In the book you argue that nutrition recommendations are often contradictory. How so?</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A.</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This year, for example, the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for the first time removed their longstanding restrictions on dietary fat. But they still have recommendations to eat low-fat foods. They say total fat is not an issue, but you should drink low-fat milk and eat low-fat dairy and other low-fat foods. It’s a schizophrenic recommendation from the government, and it’s the same with other professional organizations such as the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association. There’s a mismatch between the science and the government and professional recommendations.</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333;">Q.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">What’s driving this disconnect?</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A.</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I think the government based its recommendations on some very flawed science, which took hold. It became policy that was turned into the dietary guidelines and the food pyramid that told us to eat six to 11 servings of bread, rice, cereal and pasta a day and to eat fats and oils sparingly. It’s very hard to overturn dogma like that. It’s embedded in our culture now. It’s embedded in food products. The food industry jumped on the low-fat bandwagon, and the professional associations kept driving the message. Unfortunately the science takes decades to catch up into policy and into practice. And I’m trying to close that gap by bringing awareness to the latest science on how fats and carbs work in your body.</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333;">Q.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">You reviewed hundreds of studies while writing this book. What is your conclusion on saturated fat?</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A.</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It’s a huge area of controversy. But large reviews of randomized trials, observational research and blood-level data have all found no link between saturated fat or total fat and heart disease. Yet there are still recommendations to limit saturated fat because it raises total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. But it also raises HDL, and it increases cholesterol particle size, so you actually get a net benefit.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333;">Q.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">What do you say to scientists who argue that saturated fat does in fact cause heart disease?</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A.</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I think the challenge with the research is that a lot of the data combines saturated fat in the context of a high-carbohydrate diet. The real danger is sweet fat. If you eat fat with sweets – so sugar and fat, or refined carbohydrates and fat – then insulin will rise and it’ll make you fat. But if you eliminate the refined carbs and sugar, that doesn’t happen. I think saturated fats can be bad in the context of a high-carbohydrate diet. But in the absence of that, they’re not.</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333;">Q.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">What foods do you eat and recommend to your patients?</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A.</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">What I eat is a cross between paleo and vegan diets. It combines elements of the two, so I call it a “pegan” diet. It’s low in sugars and refined carbs, and it’s very high in plant foods. About 70 to 80 percent of your diet should be plant foods. It should also include good-quality fats like nuts and seeds, olive oil, avocado, coconut oil and fatty fish. It should basically include whole, fresh food that’s unprocessed and high in fiber and phytonutrients. I always say that vegetables should make up 50 to 75 percent of your plate.</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333;">Q.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In a world where fast food is everywhere, wouldn’t that be fairly difficult for most people?</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A.</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It’s actually very easy to eat well if you just know what to do. The reason most people don’t succeed is they don’t plan their food. They plan their vacations, they plan their kitchen redesign, but they don’t plan out what they’re eating, and that’s a recipe for failure. I always think through how and where I’m going to get my food every day of every week. I also carry with me a set of emergency food so that I’m never in a food emergency.</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333;">Q.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">What are the “emergency foods” that you carry?</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A.</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I have to protect myself from myself because I’ll eat whatever if I’m hungry in an airport. So I always carry packets of almond butter, cashew butter, an Evolution bar, a Bulletproof bar, a Tanka bar and a KIND bar. I basically have fat and protein as my snacks, and I have enough food in my bag to last an entire day so I don’t make bad choices.</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333;">Q.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We talked a lot about fat. But what is one overarching message you would most like people to understand?</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A.</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I think we have to get rid of the prevailing dogma that all calories are the same, and that we just need to exercise more and eat less, which is what the food industry and the government promote. The truth is that you can’t exercise your way out of a bad diet. Metabolism is not a math problem. It’s a hormonal problem. Food is not just energy. It’s information. It’s instructions that turn on or off different switches in your body that regulate hunger and metabolism. Obesity is not about how much you eat. It’s about what you eat. If you just focus on quality, not calories, then the quantity takes care of itself.</span><br />
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Alix, Health Coachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01593989762863740880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9036610952322230779.post-32433779652139474642016-03-04T10:41:00.004-05:002016-03-04T18:51:55.663-05:00New Things I've Been Trying<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Health and wellness is a lifestyle. You don't just, boom, become
healthy, or fit, or muscular, or clear headed, have clear skin, poof, brain fog is gone day, it takes time. Just think about how long it took you to get acne, or
that extra 15lbs, or regular bowel irritability; none of it happens over night,
it takes time to break down, just as it takes time to build it back up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">With that said, little bits daily, over time make a huge impact.
Like eating a salad for lunch every day. Or moving every day, simply just going
for a walk or taking the stairs, it adds up! And we all know that there isn't
enough time in any of our days for 30-1 hour chunks of time to workout, or take
a walk, or make your lunch instead of grabbing a fast food lunch, but think about it, if
you took little steps each day, slowly, but surely, one day you'll have health
and wellness, almost without even noticing it. The more you do little each day
perpetuates healthier choices for the rest of your life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">It comes down to self-care. Which so many of us are horrible at.
Don't feel bad, we all do it. We put everyone's needs before our own. We worry
about our kids, our spouses, our family, our friends, our coworkers, even our
boss, before we worry about ourselves. It is only when someone points out that
you should be taking better care of yourself, or something bad happens (knock
on wood), like a perpetual cold, or a injury, or creepy chronic illness; that
we take note, slow down and say to ourselves, "Hey, maybe I should take
better care of myself."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">So let's not get it to that I-must-take-care-of-myself-know-place-or-I-might-fill
in the blank (get diabetes, gain another 15lbs, have high blood pressure, die!)
because little things each day add up and make a difference! AND the more you
start taking care of yourself the better you will feel, the more you will want
to continue to take care of yourself (ie make healthier food choices) and it
will make taking care of all the those people around you easier. Trust.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">So here are a few things I have been adding to my daily routine,
that I am really liking:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13.5pt;"><b><u>Daily Dry Brushing</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Dry brushing is exactly as it sounds, you brush your dry body with a dry brush. It sounds kinda weird and like it may hurt a little, but it feels great. You do it right before you get in the shower. I like to let the hot water run a bit to get the bathroom all warm, then get neked and start brushing in long smooth, gentle strokes from your toes to your neck. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpZFwwt9Umgd-gGxYS7w5ddb3mXwlTJNLMNj6mW-ykBSVjBJZopd8R7Nzu8vhrEWMyMhTlXhJV1RvsYEo7oBKZxIIx6MjsditXUJNDjTGbgAoLS_PEfjJeAfWxJHWATrMPgCb78eOsTslj/s1600/benefits.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpZFwwt9Umgd-gGxYS7w5ddb3mXwlTJNLMNj6mW-ykBSVjBJZopd8R7Nzu8vhrEWMyMhTlXhJV1RvsYEo7oBKZxIIx6MjsditXUJNDjTGbgAoLS_PEfjJeAfWxJHWATrMPgCb78eOsTslj/s320/benefits.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">I know it seems weird, but seriously give it a try. Buy a soft bristled, natural brush and give it a whirl. You know that typical winter skin tightness and itchiness that won't go away no matter how much lotion you put on - gone! Seriously, my skin is not dry or itchy and I am not going through every lotion known to man this winter. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Dry brushing has a slew of benefits from increased circulation and blood flow, getting rid of dead skin cells (hence the no itchiness), reducing cellulite (who doesn't want that!?), </span><span style="font-size: 18px;">exfoliation</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">, and all around general self love (you can't hate on yourself, while you are brushing, it's not possible, it feels too good). Learn more at from </span><a href="http://wellnessmama.com/26717/dry-brushing-skin/" style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Wellness Mama</a><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">, a great blogger I follow.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit; font-size: 18px;"><b><u>Coconut Oil in Coffee</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">If you haven't seen my IG posts about this deliciousness or haven't tried it yourself - you gotta! It's like Starbucks at home, but better. I swear, who doesn't want a frothy latte each morning in your pjs from your own kitchen! It's amaze-balls.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">I stopped drinking coffee for a little over a year when I realized I was lactose intolerant. I stopped putting cream in my coffee and almond milk, try as I might, was just not good (all those who say otherwise - you lie!) and soy, yeah, no, I try not to eat too much soy. So I got rid of coffee in my life. It was sad, because I have always loved coffee. And really it has never given me much strife. And they say either you can drink it or you can't and your body will tell you. It never kept me up at night, I didn't get coffee poops (Google it), I didn't get jittery or anxious; and I love everything about coffee! The smell, the taste, the subtle nuances, the different roasts, I kinda became a coffee aficionado, so to give it up was a sad, sad day. To me there is nothing better than waking up, curling up in your pjs with a hot cup-o-joe, such an awesome way to start the day, am I right!?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">So when I saw something recently about coconut oil coffee I had to try it. I'm in heaven. I still only drink 1-2 cups max a day but coconut oil makes it SO much better. Everyone knows coconut oil is the new wonder oil - slather it on everything right - we've all seen the memes. But seriously I love, love coconut oil, and no don't worry about the fat, it is the "good for you fat". </span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">Take a spoonful of coconut</span><span style="font-size: 18px;"> oil (figure out your preference, start with a teaspoon) throw it in a blender, add hot coffee and blend for a few secs, pour into a mug and enjoy your frothy, latte, only slightly coconut-y, coffee and go to heaven. One tip, I like my coffee super hot, and I found that if you put all your coffee in the blender it cools it down too much, so I pour half my black coffee in my mug, then blend the other half with coconut oil, it stays nice and hot that way.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXpA36CnLMiVgRff-ntw0_li3iX4UE6rBJqi6zPfKOp8j0EiGO7U3qE9xxd3SmlHw9lSY65ibeN_AUhorRt07gYIXukcNq9vkf2ctMMPbO6Pm2fLwByveiaqYbEXXe-PSqOUP8AIik2agI/s1600/eft-tapping-points.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span></a><br /></div>
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BBQxFNpmYBy/" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Coconut oil coffee!! OMGEEE so delish! First time I tried it this am. Awesome!! I stopped drinking cream in my coffee (and coffee for almost a year) bc of being #lactoseintolerant 😢 but this makes up for it!! Take 1-2Tbsp of #coconutoil, preferably #organic, put in blender, add hot coffee. Blended deliciousness frothiness!! ☕☕😲😍🙌 love it!! #coffee #coconut #latte #coffeenevertastedsogood #neverneedstarbucksagain</span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A photo posted by Al St. Cosine (@alstco) on <time datetime="2016-02-01T23:24:22+00:00" style="line-height: 17px;">Feb 1, 2016 at 3:24pm PST</time></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">Apparently there are health benefits (an added bonus, read more <a href="http://thecoconutmama.com/coconut-oil-coffee/">here</a>) but I am just so excited to be able to have my morning coffee everyday and it is better than ever.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit; font-size: 18px;"><b><u>Ginger Tea with Meals</u></b></span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">It is recommend in Ayurvedic medicine to drink ginger tea with meals. It aides in digestion. For someone who has off and on digestive problems adding ginger tea to each of my meals for the last few weeks had made a noticeable difference. I don't get gassy or bloated. Even if I start to get gassy after a meal, if a drink a cup of ginger tea the gas goes away. It is recommended to drink a hot cup of ginger tea with each meal or after each meal, if the ginger flavor doesn't go with the meal, I will enjoy it after (an added bonus for those with a sweet tooth, it kinda is like dessert, if you need it sweeter add a spoonful of honey.) I would highly recommend everyone add ginger tea to your daily meals.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">Lastly, I've learned about:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit; font-size: 18px;"><b><u>EFT</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">Also known as Emotional Freedom Technique or Tapping. I could write a whole blog post on EFT and I probably will do a follow up. It is amazing! EFT is recognized by the CDC for treating PTSD better than talk therapy for veterans. But it does so much more than treat PTSD. You can use it for everything - from daily stress, to menstrual cramps, to physical pain (do you know that 85% of physical pain has an emotional connection??), to emotional pain, for weight loss, and fears, you name it, I bet you EFT will help.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgushJDjNnLaPWlmbh3T2ZIr6iL3Uq-qD9fAYknZQNnAAi9uk8YeEspYOQ8FsCa8-VWgXw6HbjpjO-C5rS2UJvZO7X8TZmboVHnhHbUkuIx03MIAQ1vOgzthznqOCJy77nIy5GoOCRnMKyO/s1600/eft-tapping-points.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgushJDjNnLaPWlmbh3T2ZIr6iL3Uq-qD9fAYknZQNnAAi9uk8YeEspYOQ8FsCa8-VWgXw6HbjpjO-C5rS2UJvZO7X8TZmboVHnhHbUkuIx03MIAQ1vOgzthznqOCJy77nIy5GoOCRnMKyO/s200/eft-tapping-points.jpg" width="181" /></a><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">EFT has pressure points that you tap while focusing on the stress, pain, fear, anxiety, what have you, and it actually changes the energy pathways in your body and brain. Almost like acupuncture without the needles. The rhythmic tapping helps you process the stress or emotion and actually rewires your brain to not register "it" as intensely. Your brain does not know the difference between being chased by a bear or nightmare or movie of a bear chasing you. EFT allows you to help your brain and fight or flight reponse to calm down. With as much stress as we all live with each day, our brains and body's are constantly triggering the fight or flight response, so it burns out and we can't tell the difference between a real or stress or a perceived stress. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px;"><br /></span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">I know it might sound crazy and even looks a little silly, but seriously it works!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">I can't say enough about EFT and if you are interested to learn more read <a href="http://www.emofree.com/eft-tutorial/tapping-basics/what-is-eft.html">this article</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">If you would like to know more about any of these tools that I am loving right now, or are interested in any others, send me an </span><a href="mailto:alixhealthcoach@gmail.com" style="color: #783f04; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;" target="_blank">email</a><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">While these daily things might not be for you, I urge you to find yours, find little healthy things you can add to your day to day, and trust me they will add up and make a difference in your overall health and well-being long term.</span></div>
Alix, Health Coachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01593989762863740880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9036610952322230779.post-37156903900232453502016-02-16T14:31:00.000-05:002016-02-16T14:37:50.809-05:00Info Fiend Find: How Your Food Choices Are Influenced by Outside Factors<br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">A great article about how so few of the decisions we make about food are actually ours!</span></h1>
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<a data-id="" href="http://lifehacker.com/how-your-food-choices-are-influenced-by-outside-factors-1759127446" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: black; line-height: inherit; margin-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">How Your Food Choices Are Influenced by Outside Factors</a></h1>
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Christina Roberto & Mary Gorski</div>
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<time class="meta__time updated" datetime="2016-02-15T14:00:00-08:00" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #aaaaaa; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><a class="js_entry-link js_publish_time" href="http://lifehacker.com/how-your-food-choices-are-influenced-by-outside-factors-1759127446" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #aaaaaa; line-height: inherit; text-decoration: none;" target="_self" title="2/15/16 2:00pm">Yesterday 2:00pm</a></time><br />
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Following a healthy diet can be hard. From deciding when and what to eat to how much food you actually put on your plate, the average person makes over<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0013916506295573" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #709602; line-height: inherit; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">200 food-related decisions</a> each day, most of which are automatic. These automatic choices–dubbed <a href="http://mindlesseating.org/" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #709602; line-height: inherit; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">“mindless eating” </a>by some experts–happen when we eat and drink without consciously considering what kind of or how much food to consume. We’ll keep eating from a bowl of chips past the point of fullness simply because they’re in front of us.</div>
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<em style="box-sizing: inherit; line-height: inherit;">This article was originally published on <a href="https://theconversation.com/hungry-food-choices-are-often-influenced-by-forces-out-of-your-control-46303" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #709602; line-height: inherit; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.</em></div>
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Even the most disciplined consumers are not fully in control of what they eat.<a href="http://www.smallplatemovement.org/doc/MindlessEating-PB2010.pdf" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #709602; line-height: inherit; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Studies </a>have shown that decisions such as when, what and how much to eat are often shaped by subtle forces outside of our awareness or direct control. These environmental forces can cause us to overeat by taking advantage of biological, psychological, and social and economic vulnerabilities. This helps explain why <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #709602; line-height: inherit;" target="_blank">two billion</a> people worldwide are overweight or obese, and why no country has yet been able to reverse their obesity epidemic.</div>
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There’s hope. Research has <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736%2814%2960460-8" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #709602; line-height: inherit; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">shed light</a> on the major forces that encourage overeating, including biological, psychological, social, and economic. Now that we know more about them, we are in a better position to intervene.</div>
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How Biology Influences Our Appetites</h3>
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Why do humans tend to crave items like chocolate over salad? Taste preferences such as a “sweet tooth” are innate to human biology, and they can change over the course of our lives. Children, for example, have a stronger preference for sweet foods than adults do.</div>
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The modern food environment has introduced an influx of processed foods filled with sugar, fat, salt, flavor enhancers, food additives, caffeine and so on. These ingredients are manipulated to try to maximize our biological enjoyment of them and satisfy those innate taste preferences.</div>
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For instance, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2011.32" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #709602; line-height: inherit; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">research </a>is finding that certain highly palatable foods, like a chocolate milkshake, can trigger brain responses that are similar to people’s reactions to addictive substances, giving new meaning to the idea of a “sugar high.”</div>
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But processed foods are also frequently stripped of components such as water, fiber and protein that cause us to feel full, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0117959" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #709602; line-height: inherit; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">making it difficult</a> for our bodies to regulate food intake and maintain weight.</div>
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Your Brain Loves Food</h3>
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In addition to our biological enjoyment of highly processed foods, there’s a lot to love about them psychologically. From McDonald’s Happy Meals toys to Coca-Cola’s global “<a href="http://us.coca-cola.com/happiness/" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #709602; line-height: inherit; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Open Happiness</a>” marketing campaign, examples abound of the link between food and pleasure.</div>
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Companies spend billions of dollars marketing foods to create strong, positive associations with their products. <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1542/peds.2009-3433" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #709602; line-height: inherit; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">One study</a> found that children actually think the same food tastes better when it is adorned with a cartoon character like Dora the Explorer or Shrek.</div>
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There are also lots of small ways our environment can promote overeating. People eat more when <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17557991" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #709602; line-height: inherit; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">served </a>larger portions, regardless of how hungry they are. Unhealthy foods are also very noticeable and desired because they are everywhere–in schools, restaurants, convenience stores, supermarkets and vending machines. They’ve even infiltrated stores selling office supplies and home goods.</div>
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The places where we make many of our food decisions can be overwhelming for busy consumers (there are 40,000 different products in a typical supermarket), and most psychological cues in our environment signal us to eat more, not less.</div>
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For example, large portion sizes, food prices, the placement of food items in stores and promotional strategies to market foods all affect our dietary decisions on a daily basis. Consider <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1447051/" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #709602; line-height: inherit; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">portion size</a> alone: Drinking Coca-Cola in the 1950s meant consuming a 6.5-ounce glass; today the 7-Eleven Double Gulp is roughly 10 times that size and contains nearly 800 calories.</div>
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But for food, out of sight often means out of mind. Google provides free snack foods for employees, and found that employees were eating too many M&Ms. So they placed the M&Ms in opaque containers and made healthier snacks more visible.</div>
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Simply placing M&Ms out of sight from the 2,000 employees in the New York office meant they consumed 3.1 million <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/google-crunches-data-on-munching-in-office/2013/09/01/3902b444-0e83-11e3-85b6-d27422650fd5_story.html" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #709602; line-height: inherit; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">fewer calories</a> in just seven weeks.</div>
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Your Environment Influences What You Eat</h3>
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Unhealthy foods are often <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2013-004277" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #709602; line-height: inherit; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">inexpensive</a>, making them especially appealing to those on a tight budget. But fast food and ready-to-eat convenience store items are also widely available and quicker and easier to prepare than home-cooked meals, which makes busy consumers vulnerable to overeating them. Food companies also engage in targeted efforts to market to certain groups. For example, recent reports have shown that soda companies are increasing their <a href="http://www.sugarydrinkfacts.org/resources/SugaryDrinkFACTS_Report.pdf" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #709602; line-height: inherit; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">spending in the US on targeting black and Hispanic youth</a>, a concerning strategy as these groups have greater rates of obesity.</div>
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The good news is that public discourse about obesity and policy-making is starting to reflect science. The public and policymakers are realizing that health issues like obesity and its related chronic diseases are not just about people’s individual food decisions. People are prone to over-consume unhealthy foods because our current food environments exploit biological, psychological, and social and economic vulnerabilities, undermining people’s ability to be personally responsible for their food choices.</div>
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Because weight loss programs often lead to limited weight loss that is difficult to maintain, bolder efforts are needed to prevent overweight and obesity in the first place. Fortunately, policy-level interventions are being introduced.</div>
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In the US, the Food and Drug Administration will require large chain restaurants to <a href="http://www.healthaffairs.org/healthpolicybriefs/brief.php?brief_id=140" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #709602; line-height: inherit; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">list calorie content on food menus</a> in 2016 and it has proposed<a href="http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm455837.htm" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #709602; line-height: inherit; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">adding a Daily Value for Added Sugars</a> on food labels to limit consumption.</div>
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Although research on the influence of calorie labeling and food choices is mixed, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.2014.9239" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #709602; line-height: inherit; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">current evidence suggests</a> that calorie labeling promotes lower calorie food choices for some consumers, some of the time, at some restaurants.</div>
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The FDA has also taken action to <a href="http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm372915.htm" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #709602; line-height: inherit; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">remove harmful trans fats</a>–which increase the risk of heart disease–from processed foods.</div>
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The US, United Kingdom, Peru, Uruguay and Costa Rica have all enacted policies to remove “junk food” from public schools (out of sight, out of mind).<a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304773104579270523572200790" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #709602; line-height: inherit; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Mexico </a>recently enacted a one peso (8 cents) per liter tax on sugar-sweetened beverages to curb its obesity epidemic. Berkeley, California passed a US$0.01 per ounce excise <a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/my-town/ci_28141086/berkeley-soda-tax-first-months-take-116-000" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #709602; line-height: inherit; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">tax on sugar-sweetened beverages</a> in 2014 and expects to generate $1.2 million from it this year.</div>
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<a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304773104579270523572200790" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #709602; line-height: inherit; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Chile and Peru</a> have banned toys in Happy Meals. McDonald’s, Wendy’s and Burger King <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-burger-king-kids-meals-0311-biz-20150310-story.html" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #709602; line-height: inherit; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">all dropped soft drinks</a> from their children’s menus.</div>
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These are important first steps in tackling the obesity epidemic, and more research is needed for us to understand which interventions will work best. Innovative policies are needed to change what and how much we eat, alongside voluntary efforts by the food industry to make healthier choices easier and more desirable.</div>
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<a href="https://theconversation.com/hungry-food-choices-are-often-influenced-by-forces-out-of-your-control-46303" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #709602; line-height: inherit; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Hungry? Food choices are often influenced by forces out of your control</a> | The Conversation</div>
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<em style="box-sizing: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><small style="box-sizing: inherit; font-size: 0.88rem; line-height: inherit;"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/christina-roberto-157294" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #709602; line-height: inherit; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Christina Roberto</a> is the Assistant Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences and Nutrition, University of Pennsylvania. <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/mary-gorski-185284" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #709602; line-height: inherit; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Mary Gorski</a> is a PhD Student, Health Policy, Harvard University. Disclosure: Christina Roberto receives funding from the National Institutes of Health, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and The Wellcome Trust foundation. Image by <a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-234143317/stock-vector-a-few-hands-offers-women-a-healthy-and-junk-food-flat-style-vector-illustration.html?src=q-AkBI4zJDg1J7MM6eq8vQ-1-13" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #709602; line-height: inherit; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Aniwhite</a> (<a href="http://shutterstock.com/" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #709602; line-height: inherit; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Shutterstock</a>).</small></em></div>
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Alix, Health Coachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01593989762863740880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9036610952322230779.post-6403257598726891242016-02-10T10:00:00.000-05:002016-02-10T10:00:03.674-05:00Help! My Green Juice Gave Me...<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I just started drinking fresh pressed juices and smoothies</span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> (sometimes both) </span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">daily again. After the last 6 months of madness, I am getting back on track and for me that includes nutrient-rich juices and smoothies on the daily. Yummy!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My digestion however is a little off and of course when it comes to poop it makes me wonder..."What's going on?" </span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Side note: You should always think "what's going on?" when your bowel movements change, even slightly. I sincerely hope you will wonder when you have explosive diarrhea, but subtle changes mean things too....consistency, frequency, buoyancy, hard to pass, runny, lumpy, oh and color and odor too, take note, ESPECIALLY if it different from your norm. Need more poop advice read my post <a href="http://eatbewell.blogspot.com/2013/11/your-farts-and-poop-are-talking-to-you.html">Your Farts and Poop Are Talking to You.</a></span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In the wondering, I thought, " Duh, crazy rush of nutrient-goodness passing through me," hence the poop rush. I am not talking explosive diarrhea by any means, no pain or discomfort either, just more frequency and a little runnier than normal. My theory is that the influx of goodness in all that kale, carrot, ginger, parsley drinking and loads of added fiber, in the form of chia seeds, flax seeds, flax oil, sunflower seeds, etc., in my smoothies, is getting everything moving. And that is a good thing!! You don't want waste sitting around inside for too long - it causes more problems than just a stink-bomb left behind in the bathroom after you flush. You wanna get that stink out!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I also recall a while ago that I went to a recently opened juice place nearby, so excited there was such a place in our wee town, and I got diarrhea right after. At the time I blamed it on the establishment for sanitary purposes or contamination, but perhaps not. Maybe it was just something my body needed and all that good was flushing out the bad. (Although I do recall some cramping - ie not good (see below)).</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I have another theory when it comes to nutrient-rich goodness, that I will leave you with before you read this helpful article: the more repulsed you are by something or the worse it tastes, the more your body needs it!!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Crazy thinking perhaps? I dunno...but think of it this way, when we are talking about good-for-you-foods, like green juice, or bitter greens, or kimchee, or wheatgrass (especially wheatgrass) there are times where it tastes downright yucky, and other times you love it (OK maybe just like it). My thought is eat it, drink it, as much of "it" as you can when it is yucky to you, it means your body needs to to flush out the yucky inside.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Cogitate on that...and read a little more about digestive upset with changes in diet with juicing from <a href="http://www.rebootwithjoe.com/juicing-and-digestive-upsets/">www.rebootwithjoe.com</a>.<span id="goog_1626896901"></span><span id="goog_1626896902"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.rebootwithjoe.com/juicing-and-digestive-upsets/" style="background: 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #49166d; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;">Juicing and Digestive Upsets</a></h1>
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By: Claire Georgiou, Reboot Naturopath, B.HSc ND</div>
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<a class="cboxElement" href="http://www.rebootwithjoe.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Juicing-and-Digestive-Upsets.jpg" style="background: 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #5a9622; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-44804" src="http://www.rebootwithjoe.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Juicing-and-Digestive-Upsets.jpg" height="302" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin-bottom: 12px; max-width: 100%;" title="Juicing and Digestive Upsets" width="603" /></a></div>
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Sometimes when people start juicing in addition to their normal diet or on a Reboot, they can experience many different digestive upsets or changes. This comes from making any type of dietary change such as including more fruits and vegetables in the diet, different fiber content, foods that may be stimulating the liver and gallbladder, new foods that may irritate an already irritated stomach or intestinal lining, new flavors and textures and detoxification symptoms.</div>
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These changes or upsets are almost always temporary. As your body adjusts to any type of new plan or dietary change the irritation or symptoms will stop. Symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, bloating, flatulence, reflux, bad breath, increased odor to bowel motions and urine, mucus in the stool, constipation, diarrhea and worsening IBS symptoms. All these symptoms will depend and vary person to person. </div>
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<b>Often a person’s weak point will be aggravated during a Reboot and in many cases it can be the digestive system.</b></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Here is a list of suggestions to help with any upsets that may be occurring:</span><br />
1.) It is very important for any symptoms experienced to make sure you are including plenty of additional water as well as your juices. This can lessen the detoxification symptoms experienced.</div>
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2.) If any juices are too strong and potent and you feel are upsetting you then I would suggest trying them diluted as you get use to them. Such as a 50% dilution with water then slowly increase the amount of juice consumed with less water.</div>
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3.) Including warm/hot water with fresh lemon and freshly grated ginger can reduce nausea and vomiting. Ginger is also considered a herbal carminative which means that it will reduce irritation to the gastro-intestinal lining and it will reduce nausea.</div>
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4.) Removing or reducing the gas causing vegetables such as cabbage, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, broccoli, onions and garlic. This is due to the high sulphur content although cabbage traditionally has been shown to reduce ulcers (very old studies) and irritation as it contains high amounts of glutamine so in some cases cabbage juice may help rather than aggravate but this can vary person to person.</div>
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5.) Drinking smaller quantities more frequently can help symptoms experienced such as 10oz (300mls) 6-12 times daily.</div>
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6.) Chamomile, Peppermint, Licorice, Spearmint, Aniseed and Fennel tea – these carminative herbal teas can reduce reflux, abdominal cramps, flatulence, bloating and IBS.</div>
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7.) Marshmallow root tea is an excellent soothing agent although this needs to be simmered on the stove top for 15 mintues rather than steeped.</div>
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8.) Fruits and Vegetables to reduce irritation – fennel, apple due to its pectin content, celery, pear and cabbage.</div>
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9.) Including herbs & spices in your juice – such as ginger, turmeric, parsley and mint (not all in one juice) these are particularly beneficial for any digestive upsets.</div>
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10.) <a href="http://www.rebootwithjoe.com/warm-up-with-juice-pulp-veggie-broth-recipe-of-the-week/" style="background: 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #5a9622; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;">Vegetable Broth</a> & <a href="http://www.rebootwithjoe.com/thai-infused-vegetable-broths-recipe-of-the-week/" style="background: 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #5a9622; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;">Thai Infused Vegetable broth</a> – also adding some extra freshly grated ginger as you simmer the vegetable pulp may help any upsets. Warming foods can reduce upsets.</div>
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11.) L-Glutamine can be useful to reduce irritation to the stomach and intestines. L-Glutamine is food for the intestinal villi and can help improve the integrity of the mucus membranes of the digestive tract.</div>
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12.) Slippery Elm – is an excellent demulcent fiber that will reduce inflammation in the throat, stomach, intestines and large bowel. As this fiber passes through the digestive tract due to the polysaccharide content it reduces irritation on contact.</div>
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13.) Aloe Vera – This is also very healing to the mucus membranes of the digestive tract. Aloe Vera also contains polysaccharides that have been shown to improve the integrity of the digestive lining and reduce inflammation and improve nutrient absorption.</div>
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14.) <a href="http://www.rebootwithjoe.com/the-power-of-probiotics/" style="background: 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #5a9622; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;">Probiotics</a> – these very specialised bacterium will help reduce inflammation, stool formation and will enhance gastric mucosal function.</div>
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15.) Gentle exercise such as walking, yoga and stretching has been shown to reduce stomach and digestive upsets.</div>
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16.) Unfortunately, <a href="http://www.rebootwithjoe.com/stress-what-it-really-does-to-our-bodies/" style="background: 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #5a9622; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;">stress can have a significant negative effect</a> on the digestive system so any type of healthy activity to reduce stress is always an excellent idea such as mediating, reading, gardening, taking a bath containing Epsom salts, having a foot massage etc…whatever activity that helps you to switch for mind off.</div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Note:</span> Any suggestions can have the opposite effect in some small groups of people. If this occurs, stop immediately.</div>
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Claire Georgiou, Reboot Naturopath, B.HSc ND</h5>
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Claire Georgiou is an Australian Naturopath, Nutritionist and Herbalist who has completed a Bachelor of Health Science (Compl. Medicine) and an Advanced Diploma of Nutrition, Naturopathy and Herbal Medicine. She has more than 14 years of clinical experience specializing in liver disease, autoimmune disease, thyroid conditions, diabetes, insulin resistance, digestive disorders, chronic infections, children’s health, fertility and pregnancy care. Claire consults in private practice in Sydney and also offers consults out of area and is an accredited member of the Australian Traditional Medicine Society. Claire has worked closely for many years with Dr. Sandra Cabot, who is known as the “Liver Cleansing Doctor” and has written more than 25 health related books. Claire writes health related articles, creates healthy recipes and is one of the nutritionists who runs our <a href="http://www.rebootwithjoe.com/rebooting/guided-reboot" style="background: 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #5a9622; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;">Guided Reboot programs.</a></div>
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Alix, Health Coachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01593989762863740880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9036610952322230779.post-51927439240593406622016-02-08T16:35:00.001-05:002016-02-08T16:35:38.369-05:00Yummy Goodness Coming 'Attcha<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Here are two recent recipes that are just delish!! Mostly vegan (easily adjustable to be so), always gluten free and yum-o! </span></div>
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<a href="http://eatbewell.blogspot.com/p/recipes.html"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Visit my Recipes tab for the </span><span style="color: #38761d;">details</span><span style="color: #38761d;">.</span></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://eatbewell.blogspot.com/p/recipes.html">"Cream" of Broccoli Soup</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://eatbewell.blogspot.com/p/recipes.html">Big-ol Pot of Beans</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Note: beans are needed for broccoli soup recipe</span></div>
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Alix, Health Coachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01593989762863740880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9036610952322230779.post-90746969172308149192016-01-19T14:10:00.002-05:002016-01-19T14:17:28.565-05:00Yep, There Really is Power in Now<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My mom gave me <a href="https://www.eckharttolle.com/books/now/">The Power of Now</a> over a year ago. At the time I had no resonance with it, I actually was kind of like, "Ugh, thanks mom Another self-help book" (cue the eye roll). (My mom is going through a similar spiritual journey as I am at this time in our lives and she loves to share those books that resonate with her - which I am eternally grateful to her, and it is also very fun to be on a unique yet separate journey to someone you love and can talk to). I read it anyway because great people I admire and aspire to be, swear by this book. I thought I should jump on the bandwagon (seeing as I am fully aware of my problem with worrying a little too much about the future).</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So I picked up the book as my night time reading (haha, laughing at myself now) and got 3/4 of the way through the book throughout the year. But it was like pulling teeth. The questions seemed redundant. The passages a little woo woo (whatever that means ;p ), but I HAD to trudge through and keep reading. I am going to be spiritually enlightened god damn it! And this book will get me there!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Tried as I might, I just didn't want to pick up the book and each night as I fell asleep (quickly I might add) I was a little more annoyed with it.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Granted a little over a year ago, the idea of self-reflection and enlightenment were not an option. I was miserably unhappy and the emotional turmoil of my career situation ate at me on a daily basis that when barely scratched, would bubble over the top as emotional sludge. In hindsight, while I thought I "should" be reading this book to find enlightenment in that current moment, that now was so far from who I am, that having that mirror reflected in my face made it even more painful. I was SO tired of my story, so stuck in my story and so negative.</span></div>
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<i><span style="color: purple; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">To complain is always a nonacceptance of what IS.</span></i></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Yep, and SO what I was doing.</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Wherever you are, be there totally. If you find your here and now intolerable and it makes you unhappy, you have three options: remove yourself from the situation, change it, or accept it totally. If you want to take responsibility for your life, you must choose one of those three options, and you must choose now. Then accept the consequences. No excuses. No negativity. No psychic pollution. Keep you inner space clear.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So the mostly read book sat by my bedside table, eventually collecting dust, and eventually got filed on the bookshelf among the already read books, and forgotten. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A lot has changed for me in the last year and that story, that thing, that job that was the unhappiness, the ongoing complaint - required action. I was not able to accept what was, at the moment, nor, could I accept a future of the same. So I acted. As scary as it was, as Tolle says you must chose one of the 3 options, <i>all else is madness</i> (which it was). I had also come to a heart-felt space. I was no longer angry. No longer did I feel taken advantage of. Not seen or heard. Not appreciated. I had encapsulated the experience and learned A LOT about myself - identification of my own self worth and necessity to establish boundaries.</span></div>
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<i><span style="color: purple; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Action arising out of insight into what is required is more effective than action arising out of negativity.</span></i></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">For whatever reason last week, I went right to where the book was on the bookshelf and decided to read it. From the beginning; with fresh eyes, an open heart and mind. It is funny because I completely missed some passages in the intro of the book the first forced read-through, so much that when I read it this time, I laughed at myself out loud as to how oblivious I was! </span><br />
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<i><span style="color: purple; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I trust that this book will find its way to those who are ready for a such radical inner transformation and so act as a catalyst for it. I also hope that it will reach many others who will find its content worthy of consideration, although may not be ready to fully live or practice it.</span></i></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And</span></div>
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<i><span style="color: purple; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Until you are able to experience what I speak of, you may find th[e] passages somewhat repetitive. As soon as you do, however, I believe you will realize that they contain a great deal of spiritual power, and they may become for you the most rewarding parts of the book.</span></i></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And</span></div>
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<i><span style="color: purple; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">..any teaching that puts the spotlight of attention on the workings of the ego will necessarily provoke egoic reaction, resistance and attack.</span></i></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I read past the 3/4 of the folded over page from the initial, laborious reading a year ago, in one day! I took notes, wrote in the margins, folded corner after corner of pages, cried, laughed, smiled at myself and completely forgot to eat or pee. I got it! I get it! This book is profound!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">That day for me was profound. My life is SO entirely different from where I was over a year ago and now my heart and self are open to this journey I am on (albeit scared when I think about it too much), but right Now all I am is excited and grateful.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">That day my heart resonated with my mind and my body with the universe. I read most of the book. I walked on a cold icy beach with my puppies. Sat in the sun on a piece of driftwood, felt only the warmth of the sun on my face, even though it was only 24 degrees out and meditated and felt gratitude and abundance. Then I came home and did yoga. I felt fulfilled and nourished (although I barely ate or even thought of food all day) and was at peace and eternally grateful for my Now. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN7FU7y1_OjWRAuMUkRNByHehiaUqUhAwMr3Km9aRwc1w2lcWWLZMcIxoZjOY9-76d9nNScfdZCGSgum-FSyd1eHVHpodzjsblMA6z9-TTf5o1Vt0eiNu7-ck9uj2C6hyphenhyphenAFz3Vf3qgXeex/s1600/20160114_123915.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN7FU7y1_OjWRAuMUkRNByHehiaUqUhAwMr3Km9aRwc1w2lcWWLZMcIxoZjOY9-76d9nNScfdZCGSgum-FSyd1eHVHpodzjsblMA6z9-TTf5o1Vt0eiNu7-ck9uj2C6hyphenhyphenAFz3Vf3qgXeex/s320/20160114_123915.jpg" width="179" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFcovfz5YCL2xURxxNBkri7vbd87cT3xnyPtv1BOO5-dh0XuQeLNQFsS-YMQqpbc1pquHAYKIl-H-Gk5Ik3EUP73mjTBqiL9y7ju4FTnMegopDI9XPzkhcM2MKZhyphenhyphenRmr4XbsPGB43XUww_/s1600/20160114_122841.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFcovfz5YCL2xURxxNBkri7vbd87cT3xnyPtv1BOO5-dh0XuQeLNQFsS-YMQqpbc1pquHAYKIl-H-Gk5Ik3EUP73mjTBqiL9y7ju4FTnMegopDI9XPzkhcM2MKZhyphenhyphenRmr4XbsPGB43XUww_/s320/20160114_122841.jpg" width="179" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I am so blessed to have this Now. And I know for my entire life I will have to focus on the Now. I often get worried and caught in the unknown of the future. Failure scares me. The what-if's of the future, of failure hold me back from doing. I think it is a bunch of BS when I hear people or see memes about letting things come to you or surrendering to the abundance or whatever. No, you work hard for what you get. You make shit happen, you make your life what you want, you make yourself successful with hard work and trudging through - but now I am not so sure....maybe there is something about surrendering. About asking for abundance rather than forcing it or demanding it. Maybe synchronicity isn't woo woo.....</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I am forever changed by this book and will probably be one of those people who goes on and on about how transformative it is. But it is so true - you have to be open and receptive and for each of us, the journey is different and unique. All I say is don't have resistance. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Live in the now. Love in the now. Because that is all there is.</span></div>
Alix, Health Coachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01593989762863740880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9036610952322230779.post-29691982730172315432016-01-12T14:22:00.000-05:002016-01-12T14:57:40.139-05:00How Much Will I Let the Fear Take the Wheel and Steer<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Fear.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Scared shitless. Or motionless.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pit in your stomach, lump in your throat F.E.A.R.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It sucks! It's scary! But it's there...</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Acknowledge it. Embrace it. Jump feet first into the deep end.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://yogagirlbook.com/">Rachel Brathen <i>Yoga Girl</i></a></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We are held back by our fears. Some even live their entire life fearful of the "what if" so they don't do, go, say, be.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What if we stopped being so fearful of being our authentic selves? Why do we worry so much about what others think or say? Or are doing better than us? Why do people feel the need to shoot others down? Fear. Be you. I'll be me. And if we all just be who we know in our hearts we are meant to be and embrace fear with love - wow! what a world it would be!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am not one to even begin to talk about embracing fears. Fuck that, I quit, I'm staying in bed today! I hate fear and I spend a lot of time contemplating fear - emotionally, logically and intuitively, swinging between all three before I finally make a decision. I figure there is nothing scary about jammies, and cozy blankets, fuzzy socks, and puppies sleeping on my feet, yup that's where I am staying!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Okay, well not really, because as tempting and comforting as it is to hide under the covers, if we don't embrace our fears and take that leap of faith how will we ever grow, manifest, build, change, create beauty and light and love?</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We are all unique. If we embrace our authentic selves and just put it out there we will get authenticity and love back. (right?? I hope....eek)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And I am not writing this post as a preachy you-should-finger-wagging, nope this one's for me. This is a step toward letting go of my fears. For if I say them out loud and publicly, maybe they will be less scary (maybe).</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Doing this, alone is a fear of mine! Posting a post about my fears! Ack! I am such a private person. Notice any profile pics with my face? Nope, scary. Notice that there is a level of personal information but only so much? Yep, fear. I am afraid to put myself out there. I am afraid of the loss of anonymity (yet I want to grow and become a public figure one day. Yeah, I know, I know, oxymoron walking!) I am afraid of failing (this one's bad!). Of not making money. Of the unknown. I'm afraid of the fact that I (finally!) quit my well paying (yet, I hated it) job and not "making something of myself". I'm afraid of disappointing the people and loved ones that are rooting for me. I'm afraid that if I start showing my face, body and yoga videos on social media that I will be judged and bullied by the horror-story-cyber-bullies you always hear about. And I am afraid that if I put it all out there and fall flat on my face publicly, I will be doomed to the under-the-covers-cozy-bed-of-fear for the rest of my life.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To all I say Fuck it! I cannot and will not live under the fear covers for the rest of my life. I. Can. Not. Because if I do, I will get to the end of this life with regrets and what ifs. We cannot die wondering what if. And if this is the only life we get then we must not spend it running from fears, hiding under the covers and wondering forever about the what-ifs. So embrace your fears. I'll embrace mine and together fear will not be the driving force for the decisions we make. Let love and intuition be the driving forces in our lives.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKf98hjZWjRY3GahPuS6HrN7TAO1PBLCiHnxr5NltdwMyvqZYs-CbHGDA-tOxFVzf2Q7B8vA4ymYSVVgWq7A71RTMS8iQlvW7RxXaHWUAF2VbE20KXj_SJMhntkPTkQrSHp7KTEOnZStEF/s1600/20160112_131249.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKf98hjZWjRY3GahPuS6HrN7TAO1PBLCiHnxr5NltdwMyvqZYs-CbHGDA-tOxFVzf2Q7B8vA4ymYSVVgWq7A71RTMS8iQlvW7RxXaHWUAF2VbE20KXj_SJMhntkPTkQrSHp7KTEOnZStEF/s320/20160112_131249.jpg" width="259" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://yogagirlbook.com/">Rachel Brathen, <i>Yoga Girl</i></a><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I leave you with with some inspiration about embracing fears and change. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Flying Trapeze, by Danaan Parry’s Warriors of the Heart, excerpted from © INTEGRATIVE NUTRITION, INC.</span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Sometimes, I feel that my life is a series of trapeze swings. I’m either hanging on to a trapeze bar swinging along or, for a few moments, I’m hurdling across space between the trapeze bars. </i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Mostly, I spend my time hanging on for dear life to the trapeze bar of the moment. It carries me along a certain steady rate of swing and I have the feeling that I’m in control. I know most of the right questions, and even some of the right answers. But once in a while, as I’m merrily, or not so merrily, swinging along, I look ahead of me into the distance, and what do I see? </i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>I see another trapeze bar looking at me. It’s empty. And I know, in that place in me that knows, that this new bar has my name on it. It is my next step, my growth, my aliveness coming to get me. In my heart of hearts I know that for me to grow, I must release my grip on the present well-known bar to move to the</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>new one. </i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Each time it happens, I hope – no, I pray – that I won’t have to grab the new one. But in my knowing place, I know that I must totally release my grasp on my old bar, and for some moments in time I must hurtle across space before I can grab the new bar. Each time I do this I am filled with terror. It doesn’t matter that in all my previous hurdles I have always made it. Each time I am afraid I will miss, that I will be crushed on unseen rocks in the bottomless basin between the bars. But I do it anyway. I must. Perhaps this is the essence of what the mystics call faith. No guarantees, no net, no insurance, but we do it anyway because hanging on to that old bar is no longer an option. And so, for what seems to be an eternity but actually lasts a microsecond. I soar across the dark void called “the past is over, the future is not yet here.” It’s called a transition. I have come to believe that it is the only place that real change </i></span><i style="color: #741b47; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">occurs. </i><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>I have a sneaking suspicion that the transition zone is the only real thing, and the bars are the illusions we dream up to not notice the void. Yes, with all the fear that can accompany transitions, they are still the most vibrant, growth-filled, passionate moments in our lives. And so transformation of fear may have nothing to do with making fear go away, but rather with giving ourselves permission to “hang out” in the transition zone – between the trapeze bars – allowing ourselves to dwell in the only place where change really happens. </i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>It can be terrifying.</i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>It can also be enlightening.</i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Hurdling through the void, we just may learn to fly.</i></span><br />
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Alix, Health Coachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01593989762863740880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9036610952322230779.post-26201420110966055002016-01-05T13:31:00.002-05:002016-01-12T12:43:56.989-05:00Integrative Nutrition Health Coach<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Click the title link to see my new Health Coaching Badge! Click on the badge to learn more about what it means.</span><br />
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