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When you eat rushed and distracted, you set yourself up for bad digestion.
Even talking with your mouth full creates problems (and not just with your dinner companions).
A few weeks ago I had the privilege to be the opening speaker for the Spring Nourished Festival. The Festival had over 10,000 people just like you.
It all started because I was trying to fit in … with my family. It created a cycle of Striving. Judgement. Shame.
But also the excitement of “this diet might work” and the false-camaraderie with fellow calorie-counters.
If you stop dieting, won’t you lose control with food?
That’s just one of the 10 reasons you’ll learn in this video.
From Skinny Thinking to French Women Don’t Get Fat — there is a book that will jump start your journey into a new relationship with food.
“I hope this new diet will work, but …
I’m tired of trying and failing diets.”
“I’ve got this new healthy eating plan my friend tried. I wonder if it will work for me - or if I can stick with it.”
First, what is healthy eating, anyway? How do you define it? It’s different than a co-worker or friend.
And if you add weight loss as a goal, the answers to that question get even more diverse.
Second, if 95% of diets aren’t stuck with (which is a true stat), is it you that fails or is it something about dieting that doesn’t work?
Third, most important, IS there a way that actually works to improve your health and without adding stress but adding joy to your life?
The first diet I went on was basic calorie counting, when I was 9, to lose 2 pounds. Simply because that’s what the women in my family did.
Following that were several other diets …
Yes. Next week I’ll share in detail about getting free from food jail and all of the benefits. For now, here’s the #1 benefit I’ve experienced in breaking out of food jail. My mind is free to enjoy, experience, and live life.
Is a meal kit subscription worth it? Is it right for you? What are the pros and cons? Honest review, not affiliated.
I’ve tried Hello Fresh and Green Chef … here is what is Fantastic and what is a Flop.
(Unfortunately, there is also one Fail.)
Choose your meals from a pre set selections
Recipe cards are step by step
Reuse the great menu ideas
Eat out less
Learn to cook
Ship to a new location when you travel
HUGE Fun family activity
Gift idea for wedding gift or baby shower
Cannot choose ingredients specific (and some of the ingredients are “if-y” as you’ll see in the video)
Very little vegetables and lots of starch, not in line with Powerful Plate. Plan to add your own vegetables.
Time waster: Remember to choose meals IN ADDITION to still grocery planning and shopping for breakfasts, other meals and snacks.
Green Chef - says “organic” - but actually the veggies are organic, the meats are conventional. You are what your dinner ate.
New to cooking or want fewer meals to plan - definitely try it.
Want to switch from eating out as often? Definitely try it
Want new ideas for menus? Yes.
Travel a lot? Yes.
Want something the kids can get in with you easily? Yes.
If you cook often already, have a mix of menus you are already happy with, have ingredients you are particular about, it is probably not a fit.
I’m not going to tell you exactly what to eat … that would be crazy.
But I am going to share how you should eat for energy. It does not involve living on carrot sticks. You know me better than that.
Can the Paleo Diet and Lifestyle exist within the framework of Intuitive Eating?
It’s about “why” you re choosing a Paleo Diet. It’s about recognizing the danger of any set way of eating triggering the diet mentality.
Are you eating Paleo “mindfully” - or just chewing on some chicken while you walk around the house and think “I’m healthy.”
Several “weeds” can be safely eaten, even with medicinal benefits.
Red and white clover are two. Red clover especially has phytonutrients that can adjust with hormones. Which means some people will benefit and others would not - so check with your doctor before consuming on a regular basis.
It’s also high in vitamins and minerals. Great in teas or salads.
While growing up I suspected I had developed an unhealthy relationship with food – and sometimes even exercise. But it was years later at a work potluck Christmas party that I knew I absolutely had a problem and had to change.
Everyone else was at the buffet ooh-ing and ah-ing over different dishes colleagues brought.
“If I eat that _____ I’ll have to workout extra tomorrow. Who knows how many grams of ____ it has.”
“I want to try ____ but if I do I’ll probably not be able to stop eating it.”
“I’ll be good and just have the veggies I brought. If I break my diet I’ll lose control.”
I realized I was the only one, apparently, who did not feel she could enjoy the food, the people, or the party and I stayed as far away from the table as possible. Why? I thought something was wrong with me.
By that party I had spent almost 20 years fine-tuning my “diet mentality,” through the various diet and exercise rules I learned from the media.
I wanted to exercise just because it felt amazing and made me strong and healthy. Not because it burned calories I’d eaten the day before.
I wanted to eat a balanced meal because it was satisfying.
I wanted to enjoy a cookie without fear of eating five.
I wanted to go to a party and enjoy it all.
Scratch that.
I didn’t even know that was possible. All I could fathom was maybe not being consumed with worrying about every morsel, gram, or repercussion after a party.
Thankfully, that part of me is a distant memory, because …
I found my path to THRIVE.
I released a course where I’m going to share with you the mindset, principles, techniques, tools and skills practiced by people who find – and follow – their unique path to health, wellness, and a Thriving Life.
It’s called …
While there are so many health benefits to this way of life, the most surprising benefit has nothing to do typical health-parameters.
It has to do with relationships and accomplishing life goals.
Huh?
Let me explain. Envision that same work party where I locked myself away in the bathroom. If my mind had been free from food-fear, I would have been mingling with colleagues and enjoying getting to know their families, enriching my relationships.
And when my mental and emotional space is not cluttered with how many calories I eat or burn or how much I do this or that, my mind is free to be creative and pursue dreams. Plus, there is way less stress.
Here are the six reasons you need to find your own path …
You can learn the difference between physical and emotional hunger.
Food was created to bring you pleasure, but it is not what heals hurts or brings peace.
Exercise has many ways that it lifts your mood, but there is a point of using exercise to escape struggles vs. helping you overcome them.
When you sit with discomfort and find what actually fills you emotionally, your strength of self grows. Your confidence to live and handle difficult situations increases.
This one is huge.
When your mind is cluttered with searching for the next diet or exercise program, or finding recipes that fit the new fad, or shopping for the latest exercise gear you cannot focus on what really matters most to you in life.
It may even go deeper. If you are staying focused on analyzing food / exercise to avoid dealing with something else, it is time to move forward.
If you are hiding your best self behind counting this or that, trying to control every bite or workout, it is time to open the curtain and step out on your stage.
You sleep well, you wake up with energy, and it stays consistent throughout the day so you can accomplish your goals and still enjoy family and friends at the end of the day.
Food police? Exercise drill sergeant? No more. Either from others or yourself.
You confidently handle critics.
You also are able to tell yourself “no” when a choice does not value you.
When your excitement comes from discussing the latest fad exercise or diet, it is a boring life.
However, when you have recent adventures or a book you read or a funny family gathering or ____ to talk about, conversations have life in them.
You meet up with people, confident as you accept yourself and others, with less judgement.
Social situations around food are no longer stressful.
You have the physical fitness to enjoy the adventures you want.
When you learn what works for your body and your lifestyle, and you have the tools and techniques to stick with it, you reach your goals.
You feel successful along the journey because you are living what you value.
#7 – This is a bonus reason because I recently had a conversation with a client and this reason came up – so I added it:
This client was waiting on the inspiration to make changes to come from his circle of family and friends. I challenged him “Think about who you want to be. Do you want to be the person who waits to be led or do you want to lead? Do you want to be influenced or do you want to influence?” I challenge you, too. When you find your path to Thrive, you will inspire others to do the same.
This is what finding your path to THRIVE brings you. It is one of the most amazing adventures you’ll ever go on.
This incredibly simple recipe is always a winner. At every party, there is never any to bring home and I get asked for the recipe multiple times.
1 head of romaine lettuce (organic if possible), chopped (pre-bagged is great!)
8-10 oz bag of organic spinach leaves*
1 can crushed pineapple, drained
¼ - ½ cup organic raisins*
½ cup almond slivers (or chopped walnuts, pecans, or pine nuts as desired)
Mix all. Chill for an hour or longer.
Best dressing options: Ranch, Italian, and Fruit-Based (organic, if made with soybean oil*)
Mix in dressing prior to serving, or serve dressing on the side.
*Spinach and grapes are typically on the “Dirty Dozen” list of high pesticides, so organic is preferred. Soybeans are often high in pesticide residue, so dressings made with organic soybean oil is preferred.
Have you ever wandered around a Farmer’s Market, curious but not really sure how the whole thing works? Or, worse, not even gone because it felt too intimidating.
Here’s 7 tips to get you shopping at the outdoor markets like a pro!
Don’t buy the first things you see. Unless it is the last 15 minutes of a market, there is plenty to choose from. Walk around and see how has the best looking and variety of produce. Sometimes I initially bought a lot of squash from one vendor, then found out 4 stalls down someone had perfect green beans - but I didn’t buy them because I didn’t want to go to the trouble of freezing the squash. (And it is not cool to try to “return” food …)
Bring bags. The vendors usually have bags, but bringing your own makes it nicer for you. Some vendors charge for bags, too.
Bring a little cash. Most vendors take credit cards, especially higher ticket items like meat. But some are cash only.
4. Always ask vendors for advice. They love to share. (If they don’t, move on. The next one will.) Recipes, when a piece of fruit will be ripe, and how food is grown are perfect questions. Many vendors are not certified organic because of the cost involved, but they grow organically.
5. If you are going to be out for over an hour in the hot sun, bring an ice chest for frozen meats and fish.
6. Wear comfortable shoes. Ladies, if you are going after work and are in heels, bring out that pair of walking shoes you keep in the car. (You do keep a pair of walking shoes in the car for impromptu walks, right?)
7. Last, if you can plan a few minutes to enjoy the music or watch kids play games, most markets have some type of outdoor entertainment.
Shopping outside can be such a pleasure and when you know what you are doing, it is easy.
Sometimes I experiment in the kitchen … the ones that turn out great, I share with you. This stew uses a lot of spices great for digestion, plus some unusual ingredients from the garden. (Yes, I include some dandelion that was growing by the mint and it turned out tasty.)
Complete a 5K?
Feel more confident when you walk into that meeting?
Be able to lift your kids (without hurting your back)?
Be around for your kids when they have your grandkids?
Lose 20 pounds?
And to change your habits you have to believe you can, right?
This past week I learned a powerful technique to changing your beliefs and I want to share it with you:
Whatever habit you are wanting to upgrade, write what you need to believe concerning it.
For example -
GOAL: Complete a 5K
HABIT: Run/walk 4 days each week according to training plan
BELIEF: Exercise is important to my life and I am able to stick with the training plan
BELIEF STACK: Write out 50 reasons that belief is true. Yes. 50.
The first 10 or so will be easy to write out…
“I have followed a walking program before.”
“My kids want to walk with me a couple of nights/week.”
“I like how I sleep better when I exercise.”
But the power comes when you have to dig deep to get all the way to 50 reasons. And sometimes you have to turn an excuse into a reason.
“My work is so busy that I don’t have time” becomes “I come up with creative solutions while I run, so I actually work faster.”
What goal and habit are you working on? Try Belief Stacking and let me know your results!
How do you create a culture of wellness when you are the only employee or have just a few people working for you?
Anytime you are working on “you” and not on your business, do you fear you are getting behind? “Yes” is a common answer, but the truth is different.
When you work on you — including your health — you will grow your business. This is not pleasant to think about, but you are not your most effective working from a hospital bed that you could have avoided.
The flip of that? In this video I share how I helped a business owner move from scared he wouldn’t have enough money on a monthly basis — to stable and growing because he changed ONE thing: how he took care of his health.
You can do it, too!
Does your workplace have a healthy breakroom and wellness culture?
It’s Employee Health and Fitness Month. Let’s create some fun and fitness in your workplace. This week the focus is on creating a culture of wellness in companies.
When you hear Mindful Eating what do you picture? A group of monks contemplating the grains of rice in front of them? Of course, it is not the other extreme of driving, yelling (in love) at your kids in the back seat to quit fighting, while eating the burger you picked up in the drive-thru.
Mindful Eating is not about having candlelight at every meal - but it is about the emotional environment you create.
Let’s go back to your high school biology class. (I know: moan, groan.) Remember the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems? Only one of these systems can be dominant at a time. When you are agitated, excited, upset, in crisis, angry, or stressed the sympathetic nervous system is kicking into gear. This means that the parasympathetic system is not able to function well. You may recall that the parasympathetic system controls your digestive system.
Uh, oh. We have a situation. The exciting movie you are watching with dinner, the argument you just had with your teenager, the mulling over what your co-worker did, the worrying about whether someone accepts you, or the report that is due at work tomorrow each keep you from digesting your food well. Even just looking at the picture above probably tenses your stomach.
Living in peace and joy is important anytime, but especially at mealtime! God wants you to be healthy. He knows that for you to digest your food well, which allows you to absorb the nutrients to “renew your youth,” you need to be joyful and peaceful when you eat.
This also includes allowing God to be the emotional lift that you need. Many of us (especially those of us who were chronic dieters) have trained ourselves to dull (or distract) negative emotions through eating. When you are angry or sad or bored, before you open the pantry out of habit, tell God what you are feeling. Ask Him to show you how to process your emotions. God will give you strength to tolerate the discomfort until it naturally passes, which it often does. He will give you wisdom to change the thoughts causing the emotions. He will show you answers to stressful situations. God will heal your heartache.
Now that you have the staples and spices you need to stock your pantry and you have the boxes/bins to organize them (Part One), it is time to invest part of a weekend cleaning out and organizing.
Why? It is so much easier to cook when you can get to everything you need quickly, without having to reach over other stuff or have things knock over.
So here’s your final step:
When my husband saw this transforming, he said two things -
“This makes it look appealing to cook.” (So, I get more help in the kitchen.)
“Now I know where to put something back.” (Which means I don’t have to look for things later.)
This seems to be the time of year for deep-organizing house projects. It is too cold or rainy to be outside, or even open the windows, so everyone is cleaning out closets and junk drawers. I challenge you to makeover your pantry this weekend - it is one adventure that will help you eat healthier the rest of the year.
To really deep-organize your pantry for healthy meals, I teach a simple six step process. You’ll need parts of two weekends, so I’ll walk you through this in a two-part series.
This weekend focus on Steps One - Five. Next weekend is Step Six.
Step One: Review your menus for a Powerful Plate. Do you have enough combinations of vegetable, protein, fats, and complex carbohydrates? What ingredients do you need to stock up on?
Step Two: Purchase the foods you need for a Powerful Plate and order any specialty items so they will arrive by next weekend.
Step Three: Look through the food in your pantry. Begin to organize it in your mind. What goes with what? For example, “protein powder” for me could go with protein snacks (since I use it as a shake) or with breakfast/oatmeal (since I use protein powder in my oatmeal every morning).
Step Four: Take measurements. Both of the shelf space and of any items that you are going to group and crate together. For example, if you usually keep 20 cans of fruit, vegetables, and tomato sauce in stock, measure how wide a bin you will need to store them.
Step Five: Decide on the supplies you need and then go shop. Shelf liner? Plastic bins? Wood crates? Glass jars? Shelving unit pull-out for a deep pantry?
Step Six - next weekend is clean out and organize.
Eliminating the hassle of expired ingredients - or simply not having healthy options on hand - will make these two weekends worth your effort. Turn on some music, get the family involved … whatever it takes to make it fun and make it happen.
Celebrating National Heart Health Month … let’s talk about 10 ways to improve your heart health and decrease your risk of cardiovascular disease.
Step number one: When was your last annual check up with your doctor? If it has been over a year, stop reading this and call to set up your appointment. Getting your baseline “blood work” (blood sugar, cholesterol, etc.) and talking with your doctor about your heart health is foundational.
While you are waiting for the appointment day, start walking 20 minutes a day for 3 days a week. In a 2001 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association even “1 hour of walking per week predicted lower risk” of heart disease.
3. Got that baseline walking as a habit? Then let’s build up the walking to 20 minutes to an hour on 5 days per week. This will lower your risk even more.
4. Trouble fitting in the extra walking? No worries. Your heart doesn’t care how it gets worked, it just wants to get worked. Try cleaning house at a brisk pace or washing your car by hand or push mowing your lawn. Or try these other ideas.
5. Needing some family time? Playing tag and throwing Frisbees can get your heart pumping. (Especially if you are like me - walking to get it when I don’t catch it.)
6. Smoking? Exercise can help you kick the habit. Seek the help you need to stop.
7. An apple a day … or oatmeal … or beans … or nuts/seeds … or even avocados. These are all rich in the type of fiber that helps to lower “bad” cholesterol.
8. Laugh. A. Lot. It is great to help reduce blood pressure…which relates to #9.
9. Stress less. What are your stress triggers? How do you relieve stress? Stress comes at us all, so have a plan.
10. Strength train. Once you have your walking or other heart-pumping exercise in habit, add some strength training to increase your “good” cholesterol. Even two strength training sessions per week will help your heart health.
Questions? Let me know.
I admit. I never thought I’d like immersion blenders (after a bad experience years ago). Now? It’s fun seeing what can be pureed.
This recipe has topped my list, because once it is made we eat it as soup, pasta sauce, or as a chicken sauce. Spicy - but not too spicy. Rich - but fresh and light. If you prefer chilled soups, this is probably not going to be a favorite. But who wants chilled soup in January, anyway?
In this FREE guide learn how to:
· Stop the fad diet roller-coaster
· Exercise in your lifestyle
And Get Results that Last!
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ViREO Life is a health and wellness practice, incorporating physical activity, exercise, nutrition, and behavior science services. The text, photos, video and other media presented in this site and the social media connected to this site are for information purposes only. None of the above information sources are intended as a substitute for professional medical advice. This information is not to be used to diagnose or treat a health problem without consulting a qualified health care professional. If you have any questions or concerns, please consult your health care provider.
© Copyright 2016 Vireo Life and Sheri Traxler. All rights reserved, including text, photos and other material presented in this site.
