Jul 20, 2011

Today I Choose to Embrace my Imperfection

“There’s no point! I messed everything up!”
Are you an all-or-nothing kinda person? Perfectionism can cause procrastination, underachievement, paralyzing fear and workaholism.

REPEAT TO SELF:
I have a RIGHT to make mistakes! It is OK to experiment along the journey of life. With practice, patience, kindness & persistence I strive to EMBRACE IMPERFECTION.

Instead of black and white, I soak up all the lovely shades in-between and all their delicate beauty. I strive for moderation, balance, the middle-path. I EMBRACE IMPERFECTION

Cultivating compassion for others is great practice for learning to also have compassion for myself. I am gentle and kind - regardless of the situation, I have genuine compassion for me. I EMBRACE IMPERFECTION

I don't fight with my nasty inner-critic! Instead, I give it hugs and kisses. I measure my success not by awards or accolades, but rather, how I persist in spite of fear. I EMBRACE IMPERFECTION

BABYSTEPS. Every moment is a brand new fresh opportunity to begin again. I Show Up. I do my best. Because something good always comes of it. I EMBRACE MY IMPERFECTION

Jul 15, 2011

Updated!

There is now, officially, a new sheet posted for this week's #ProjectAwesome goals & progress.  So sorry for the delay.  My two weeks away with Grandma was a little more all-consuming then I'd anticipated! ...... And cool news!  There is also a  new shared space for our VISIONBOARDS So, put your creative visionary thinking caps on, and post-it-up!  It will be be SO AMAZING to create and share our digital dreams.   (Thanks for the inspiration @MissAshleyyLaLa).

xoxo


@Hamsasya

Healthy Substitutions for Food Cravings

Found this table at a naturopathic website.  So interesting!  Might be worth experimenting with! 


If you crave this... What you really need is. And here are healthy foods that have it:
Chocolate Magnesium Raw nuts and seeds, legumes, fruits
Sweets Chromium Broccoli, grapes, cheese, dried beans, calves liver, chicken

Carbon Fresh fruits

Phosphorus Chicken, beef, liver, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, nuts, legumes, grains

Sulfur Cranberries, horseradish, cruciferous vegetables, kale, cabbage

Tryptophan Cheese, liver, lamb, raisins, sweet potato, spinach
Bread, toast Nitrogen High protein foods: fish, meat, nuts, beans
Oily snacks, fatty foods Calcium Mustard and turnip greens, broccoli, kale, legumes, cheese, sesame
Coffee or tea Phosphorous Chicken, beef, liver, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, nuts, legumes

Sulfur Egg yolks, red peppers, muscle protein, garlic, onion, cruciferous vegetables

NaCl (salt) Sea salt, apple cider vinegar (on salad)

Iron Meat, fish and poultry, seaweed, greens, black cherries
Alcohol, recreational drugs Protein Meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, nuts

Avenin Granola, oatmeal

Calcium Mustard and turnip greens, broccoli, kale, legumes, cheese, sesame

Glutamine Supplement glutamine powder for withdrawal, raw cabbage juice

Potassium Sun-dried black olives, potato peel broth, seaweed, bitter greens
Chewing ice Iron Meat, fish, poultry, seaweed, greens, black cherries
Burned food Carbon Fresh fruits
Soda and other carbonated drinks Calcium Mustard and turnip greens, broccoli, kale, legumes, cheese, sesame
Salty foods Chloride Raw goat milk, fish, unrefined sea salt
Acid foods Magnesium Raw nuts and seeds, legumes, fruits
Preference for liquids rather than solids Water Flavor water with lemon or lime. You need 8 to 10 glasses per day.
Preference for solids rather than liquids Water You have been so dehydrated for so long that you have lost your thirst. Flavor water with lemon or lime. You need 8 to 10 glasses per day.
Cool drinks Manganese Walnuts, almonds, pecans, pineapple, blueberries
Pre-menstrual cravings Zinc Red meats (especially organ meats), seafood, leafy vegetables, root vegetables
General overeating Silicon Nuts, seeds; avoid refined starches

Tryptophan Cheese, liver, lamb, raisins, sweet potato, spinach

Tyrosine Vitamin C supplements or orange, green, red fruits and vegetables
Lack of appetite Vitamin B1 Nuts, seeds, beans, liver and other organ meats

Vitamin B3 Tuna, halibut, beef, chicken, turkey, pork, seeds and legumes

Manganese Walnuts, almonds, pecans, pineapple, blueberries

Chloride Raw goat milk, unrefined sea salt
Tobacco Silicon Nuts, seeds; avoid refined starches

Tyrosine Vitamin C supplements or orange, green and red fruits and vegetables
  1. Lectures, Cheryl M. Deroin, NMD, Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine, Spring 2003 (healthy food recommendations)
  2. Benard Jenson, PhD, The Chemistry of Man B. Jensen Publisher, 1983 (deficiencies linked to specific cravings and some food recommendations)

Jul 5, 2011

"Learning Days" & Food Journals




There are NO "mistakes", there are ONLY "LEARNING DAYS".  When we attempt to make a change to our disordered eating patterns, it's like initiating a break-up.  There will be resistance.  Mixed emotions. Messiness. Tears.  Don't forget, we've been using food for lots of GOOD reasons.  It's been our buddy.  Our confidant. Our true and trusted friend.  It's been there for us , comforted us in our times of sorrow, soothed us when we were afraid.  So why would breaking up with food would be easy?   It won't be! We can't expect "perfection".   We can't expect immediate change.   In fact, expecting a simple, easy, pain-free process will set us up for failure.  And to be clear, by "failure", I do NOT mean days of overeating, slip-ups or weight gain.    In fact, with the RIGHT mind-frame, all of those aforementioned "failures" could in fact, potentially serve as pathways to SUCCESS - to liberation.  What do I mean?   I mean that the journey to weight-loss, and/or freedom from weight OBSESSION will NOT be a linear process.  We are GOING TO mess up,  fall off the wagon. PLAN ON IT!  Because it's part of the process buddy.  And guess what - it is NOT a "failure".  It is instead, an OPPORTUNITY to learn, make new connections, put together pieces of the puzzle.

The key is - DO NOT PANIC!  Do NOT berate yourself, feel bad, call yourself a failure, or otherwise attach any sort of unnecessary negativity to the event.   Most importantly, DO NOT GIVE UP!   It is quite simply an OPPORTUNITY FOR GROWTH.  A learning day.  An opening for self-reflection. 

Ask yourself - what happened?  How were you feeling?  What was going on in your heart, in your mind?  How did you react?  How did food assist you through it?   How did food get in your way?   What was the meaning of your hunger?  Where did you feel it in your body?  Often, we have such anger and frustration surrounding food, we forget to notice and acknowledge what it has done for us  - how it has assisted us - how it has helped us through the ups and downs of life.  When we acknowledge this and accept it and respect and appreciate the role food has played in our life -  in turn, we become better equipped to, finally, LET IT GO.  To make room for a new, improved HEALTHIER relationship.   To replace it with new, improved healthier habits, coping mechanisms, and constructive proactive life changes.

HOW?!

The BEST, POSSIBLE tool for changing a disordered relationship with food, THE BEST POSSIBLE tool for "success", and for eventual weight loss is most DEFINITELY keeping a full-on comprehensive FOOD JOURNAL - a journal that includes not only EVERYTHING that you consume - but also your thoughts/feelings/activities and hunger levels before and after eating.

There is ONE rule when keeping these journals - and that is to SUSPEND JUDGEMENT!  QUIET THE INNER CRITIC IN YOUR HEAD.  This journal is meant to SAFE PLACE.  A SANCTUARY.  A SHAME-FREE SPACE where you are free to express your innermost thoughts and feelings without fear.

THERE ARE NO FAILURES!

It is purely a TOOL for INQUIRY.  Reflection.  Growth.
And thus,

THERE ARE NO MISTAKES!
ONLY LEARNING DAYS.......

So, what do you think?  Are you interested?  Have you used a journal in this way before?   Did you find it to be helpful?  I've been thinking about creating a journal template online - shared or private - perhaps even as a part of #PROJECTAWESOME.   If you're interested, plz let me know.  I would love to hear your thoughts & reflections...


With love & light,
xoxox

annie
http://twitter.com/Hamsasya

Jul 3, 2011

When Food Is Love

So often we unconsciously use food to soothe ourselves.  But we can become CONSCIOUS and CHOOSE to soothe ourselves in other, new healthy ways.  How do you nourish yourself in ways other than food?

Devin Watson