I Want To Be Totally Truthful With You
Just like many of you, I’ve been reminiscing about last year and thinking about my hopes and dreams for this brand new year.
To be honest with you I have to admit that for me, 2011 was the most challenging year of my life. I knew some of what to expect and had prepared myself on how to not only survive but thrive. But just when I was feeling really good about how I was handling life, the illness and unexpected loss of my son Chris shook me to the core.
In the past I have lived with bouts of depression, eating and anxiety disorders. By finding the right people to help me, experimenting with many different ways of eating and spending lots of time relearning to hear and listen to my inner wisdom, I finally felt comfortable and strong. What had gotten me to this really good place were what are now the 7 Keys.
With the loss of my son my world turned upside down. For almost 2 weeks I couldn’t eat at all and during that time I was very present and living in the moment. I wanted to feel all the pain of losing him and receive the love that was so generously given.
But then the enormity of what had happened really settled in. Grief is not only an emotion but also a very physical experience. To deal with it’s rolling waves I have reached out to some old coping friends of mine, bingeing and sugar. These had been my favorite ways to self medicate and become numb so I wouldn’t have to feel anything. I went back to what I knew and I’ve ended up feeling not only sick but totally out of control. This is not how I want to live my life.
So now it’s a new year and I am ready to take baby steps each day to let go of what I’ve been doing to move back to being me using the 7 Keys. As part of this journey I will share with you each week what I am working on and how things are going. Who knows? Maybe you’ll find an idea here that could change your life.
Sending you lots of love,
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MY PLAN FOR JANUARY
January Key: Feed Your Body
January Affirmation: “I treat my body lovingly with nourishing, delicious food.”
January Focus: Since sugar is such a trigger for me I want to crowd out sugar
Week 1 Action Step: Make soup to have on hand for meals or eating as needed.
Week 1 Musings: Making my favorite soups (Lemon Chicken Pasta, Vegetarian Split Pea, White Bean Chicken Chili) helped me be in the present and create nourishing food for myself. I felt less anxious having it on hand so it was easier to make healthier choices. I will be trying a new soup recipe next week.
Week 2 Action Step: Do a pantry and refrigerator purge looking for hidden sugars.
Week 2 Musings: I did get rid of things at home that had excess sugar in them. I also grocery shopped for lots of whole, fresh food and tried a few new recipes. By having good ingredients on hand and spending an hour prepping, it made it easier to stay away from my trigger foods. Baby steps.
Week 3 Action Step: Eat meals on a plate while sitting down instead of grazing my way through the day. My definition of sitting means at the dining table or kitchen counter – not in front of my computer or on the couch with the TV on.
Week 3 Musings: WOW, this was a big week! There was lots of heavy emotional stuff going on this week so I was concerned about whether I would be able to work this step. Well, I had forgotten just how much this change really connects me with my food. I didn’t restrict what, how much or how often I ate, but it had to be on a plate with me sitting in one of two places. So even my dark chocolate that I’d been keeping at my desk (yes it’s true!!), I would take a piece and go to the designated place and really enjoy it. It was amazing how much less I ate naturally by just being present. Also by having only one thing I was trying to work on, it really helped me be with my emotions and to not turn to sugar or bingeing to numb myself.
Week 4 Action Step: Taking Week 3 a step further and removing other distractions while eating. No reading or watching TV.
Week 4 Musings: I thought this step would be easy but it was really a challenge! I hadn’t realized how much I’d fallen back into the eating/multi-tasking habit. It was hard to just sit and eat but I was able to do it.
At the end of the first month I feel so much better, am eating mindfully and having wonderful foods that really nourish me and my body. My daily processed sugar consumption is down to a half serving of dark chocolate and a whole food ball that has raw honey, eaten at the table, on a plate, with no distractions and they total 2 1/2 teaspoons of sugar. And if you don’t know my story, I was someone who at times binged on nothing but chocolate (and not dark) for days at a time just trying to make it through the day. And there’s something else. An added benefit of living my steps is my weight is down 5%. All this and without going on a diet! This is just me creating how I want to live my life. So in a few days it’s a new month and I will be continuing my Feed Your Body changes and start adding another Key.
MY PLAN FOR FEBRUARY
February Key: Love Moving
February Affirmation: “I love how I feel when I move my body.”
February Focus: Get back into a regular physical activity routine and have fun doing it!
Week 1 Action Step: Wear my pedometer and average a minimum of 6000 steps a day.
Week 1 Musings: Since I hadn’t been active for a while, it was interesting to see just how many steps I would get through normal activity. It was shockingly LOW with 2500 steps pretty typical. When I lived in a 2 story house with my office upstairs it was not uncommon for me to get 10000 steps without having to do much else. Well in the small 1 floor apartment I really had to step (!) it up to get to 6000. The weather has been cold and rainy so I needed to walk inside and when I walked in the apartment, I did intervals of 100 steps fast, 300 steps normal paced. By doing this I was able to average 6400 steps a day for the week. And something has happened over the last 5 weeks – I’m sleeping again! I’m getting 7 hours or more a night consistently with the change in food and starting to be more active. WooHoo!
Week 2 Action Step: I will keep increasing my steps by 500 a per week until I reach 10000 a day. In the meantime I also want to add some stretching exercises 3 days this week to help me be more flexible.
Week 2 Musings: Well adding 500 steps was not a problem and it’s now feeling just part of my day again to be walking. However I kept procrastinating about stretching. I finally made a decision over the weekend to use a Qi Gong tape that has several stretching programs for morning and before bed. I started with the easy AM routine on Saturday and Sunday. Not sure what my hesitation was but this tape feels right for me. Here is the information about it: Lee Holden’s 7 Minutes of Magic AM & PM Routines.
Week 3 Action Step: I will increase my steps to 7000 a day and do the 7 minute stretch daily.
Week 3 Musings: There were lots of distractions, mainly good ones, that made this week more challenging for me to meet my goals. I found myself several time having to walk right before I went to bed to get my steps in. The week ended with six good days of walking and stretching and on the 7th day I realized that rest was what I really needed. It felt good to honor and give my body what it was asking for.
Week 4 Action Step: I’ve decided that I’m not going to up the number of steps this week. Instead I want to use that time to add some weight exercises to go along with my stretching. I’ve never had much upper body strength and tend to ignore it that area, so I feel it’s time to exercise all my body.
Use Food to Keep Cool This Summer
I met a woman who lived in a 6th floor walk up apartment in New York City.
When she first moved in she had a window air conditioner but she didn’t like not having fresh air around her so she removed it.She loved opening the windows and using a fan. And she was one of the most vibrant, healthy and thriving people I’d ever met!
I couldn’t help wondering how she could live like that. I was so used to having AC, so I just had to ask her, “It gets so hot in here in the summer, what do you do to keep cool?”.
She answered, “I eat watermelon”. I said, “But it gets REALLY hot in here. If you’re still hot what do you do next?”. She answered, “I eat some more.”.
Her answer at first surprised me. But when I thought about it, she was really connecting and listening to what her body needed. She was using food to help her body deal with the heat.
Before all the modern conveniences, people had to use what was available to keep cool. Food was one of the options. They used what was available and in season. Most foods were locally grown and were a perfect match for where they lived and the weather they were dealing with.
In the summer, many of the foods that are in season are “cooling” light foods. Fruits like her watermelon, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, peaches and tomatoes are light, refreshing foods. So are the summer vegetables, the peppers, cucumbers, summer squash and zucchini. They’re juicy when ripe and help quench your thirst.
Instinctively, your body wants the foods that help it deal with the circumstances surrounding it. When it’s hot, it wants lighter, cooling, hydrating foods.
As you make your way through this summer of record setting temperatures, be sure to include the light summer fare that your body is craving! They are your answer to naturally keeping cool!
Would you like to know more about the 7 Keys? Click here to sign up for your f*ree special report, the “7 Keys Every Woman Needs to Unlock Her Healthier, Happier Life™”. And for even more support, you will receive the weekly Live Your Healthy Life newsletter with tips, helpful resources, and recipes.
Your Spring Secret to Feeling Lighter
Are you feeling a little heavier right now?
Depending on where you live, you may have hibernated during the winter months eating heavy foods to feel warm, resting more than usual, and getting less physical activity.
Now that spring is here, do you want to feel lighter and have more energy
for whatever fun is in store? Check out spring vegetables that are in season.
These vegetables have absorbed energy from the sun and nutrients from the soil which they will graciously share with you. They will help you lighten up!
Some of the many spring vegetables include asparagus, cabbage, collards, peas, snap beans, and spinach. Check your local farmers market or grocery store’s local selection for other vegetables available in your area.
Let’s take a closer look at one of the spring veggies, asparagus.
According to the Michigan Asparagus Advisory Board:
Asparagus is one of the most nutritionally well-balanced vegetables in existence. It leads nearly all produce items in the wide array of nutrients it supplies in significant amounts for a healthy diet.
Asparagus is the leading supplier among vegetables of folic acid. A 5.3 ounce serving provides 60% of the recommended daily allowance for folacin which is necessary for blood cell formation, growth, and prevention of liver disease. Folacin has been shown to play a significant role in the prevention of neural tube defects, such as spina bifida, that cause paralysis and death in 2,500 babies each year.
Asparagus is:
* Low in calories, only 20 per 5.3 oz. serving, less than 4 calories per spear
* Contains no fat or cholesterol
* Very low in sodium
* A good source of potassium
* A source of fiber (3 grams per 5.3 oz. serving)
* An excellent source of folacin
* A significant source of thiamin
* A significant source of vitamin B6
* One of the richest sources of rutin, a compound which strengthens capillary walls
* Contains glutathione (GSH) one of the most potent anticarcinogens and antioxidants found within the body
Its wealth of nutrients, fiber and very low sodium and calorie content make asparagus a nutritionally wise choice. Be sure tocheck their site for additional information and recipes.
So the next time you’re food shopping, pick up that handful of asparagus and try the easy recipe below! Don’t you feel lighter already?
Just so you know.
In case you’ve never eaten asparagus before, some people do experience unusual smelling urine shortly after eating. It is harmless and passes quickly and if you’re interested in learning more about this, google “asparagus urine”.
Would you like to know more about the 7 Keys? Click here to sign up for your f*ree special report, the “7 Keys Every Woman Needs to Unlock Her Healthier, Happier Life™”. And for even more support, you will receive the weekly Live Your Healthy Life newsletter with tips, helpful resources, and recipes.
Removing the Confusion from Choosing Healthier Foods
Have you been bombarded with all the health information about different foods, nutrients, additives and preservatives and are you feeling more confused than ever?
All you know for sure is that you have made the decision to buy healthier foods for you and your family. Then when you’re at the grocery store you are not sure what to buy. Wouldn’t it be great if there was a quick and easy way to help you decide?
Now there is and it’s called NuVal™.
NuVal™ is a way of ranking the nutritional value of foods from 1-100, with 100 being the highest. And it’s not just for packaged, processed foods but also fruits, vegetables, fish, meat and dairy. And the great thing is, this system was developed by an independent panel of nutrition and medical experts.
To make it easy to use NuVal™, the symbol ranking a food is on the price label. This makes it super easy to compare one item to another, like two cereals, to see which has more nutritional benefits and fits within your budget.
By using this great resource you can shop healthier, quicker and feel comfortable about the decisions you make. And it’s a great way for your kids to learn about all the different foods too!
Also be sure to visit the NuVal™ websitefor lots of great information.
The site has things like “Trading Up Tips” with examples of foods and the benefits of the higher rated ones. There’s also a way to check to see if you have a storeclose to you that is using NuVal™, and if there isn’t, their site has ways for you to let your store know you would like for them to add NuVal™.
And don’t miss the great game called “Nutrition by the Numbers” . Play it to find out how nutritionally informed you are. What you learn may surprise you!
Would you like to know more about the 7 Keys? Click here to sign up for your f*ree special report, the “7 Keys Every Woman Needs to Unlock Her Healthier, Happier Life™”. And for even more support, you will receive the weekly Live Your HealthyLife newsletter with tips, helpful resources, and recipes.
Spring Into Glorious Leafy Greens
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Leafy greens are some of the easiest and most beneficial vegetables to add to your daily meals. And don’t forget they are very economical.
Glorious leafy greens include kale, collard greens, swiss chard, mustard greens, arugula, dandelion greens, broccoli rabe, watercress, beet greens,bok choy, napa cabbage, green cabbage, spinach and broccoli.
So why would you want to eat them? Because they are nutritional superfoods and taste great! If you have made some and didn’t care for the taste, it could be how they were prepared. See the Green Book Tip below for a great source to make incredible tasting greens.
They are very high in calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorous and zinc, and are a powerhouse of vitamins A, C, E and K. They are crammed full of fiber,
folic acid, chlorophyll and many other micronutrients and phytochemicals.
Their color is associated with spring, which is a time of renewal and refreshing, vital energy.
In traditional Asian medicine, the color green is related to the liver, emotional stability and creativity.
Greens aid in purifying the blood, strengthening the immune system, improving liver, gall bladder and kidney function, fighting depression, clearing congestion, improving circulation and keeping your skin clear and blemish free.
Leafy greens are the vegetables most missing from the American diet, and many of us have never eaten them or learned how to prepare them.
Start with the very simple recipe below. Then each time you go to the market pick up a new green to try.
A client who had started adding greens mentioned she hadn’t had them lately and she missed them. Soon you’ll have your favorites and wonder how you ever lived without them!
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GREEN BOOK TIP: If you love cookbooks, check out *Greens Glorious Greens!* by Johnna Albi & Catherine Walthers. I love how it is broken down by the type of green, and is full of info, tips and recipes. The Spaghetti with Carmelized Red Onions, Tomatoes and Escarole on page 149 is a real winner!
Would you like to know more about the 7 Keys? Click here to sign up to receive your f*ree special report, the “7 Keys Every Woman Needs to Unlock Her Healthier, Happier Life™”. For more support, you will also receive the weekly Live Your Healthy Life newsletter with a 7 Key article and associated tips, helpful resources and recipes.Why You Don’t Want To Cut Out All Oils and Fats
Not all oils and fats are created equal!Heavily processed, hydrogenated, “trans” fats and oils that are used in prepared, packaged foods can be extremely damaging to the body.However, fats and oils from whole foods and other high-quality sources can steady your metabolism, keep hormone levels even, nourish your skin, hair and nails and provide lubrication to keep your body functioning fluidly.
Your body also needs fat for insulation and to protect and hold your organs in place. A healthy percentage of high-quality fat in a meal satisfies and leaves feelings of energy, fulfillment and warmth.
When there are excess fats and oils in the diet, especially heavily processed fats, symptoms can include weight gain, skin breakouts, high blood pressure, liver strain and an overall feeling of mental, physical and emotional heaviness.
Signs of insufficient high-quality fats are brittle hair and nails, dry skin, hunger after meals and feeling cold.
There are many sources of healthy fats and oils.
For sautéing and baking, try butter, ghee (clarified butter) or coconut oil because they do not break down when used at high temperatures.
When sautéing and stovetop cooking at moderate temperatures, try organic extra virgin olive oil.
Oils like flaxseed, sesame, toasted sesame, walnut and pumpkin seed are best used unheated in sauces or dressings on top of salads, veggies or grains.
Other healthy fats are found in whole nuts and seeds and in their butters like almond butter or tahini. Whole foods such as avocados, olives and coconuts are great sources of healthy fat, along with wild salmon and omega-3 and omega-6 organic eggs.
Experiment with these healthy fat sources and see which agree with you and leave you satisfied.
When selecting oils, buy the highest-quality organic products you can afford, since cooking oils are the backbone of so many dishes. Good words to look for on the label are organic, first-pressed, cold-pressed, extra-virgin and unrefined. Words to avoid are expeller-pressed, refined and solvent extracted.
Adapted from Institute of Integrative Nutrition
Would you like to know more about the 7 Keys? Click here to sign up to receive your f*ree special report, the “7 Keys EveryWoman Needs to Unlock Her Healthier, Happier Life™”. For more support, you will also receive the weekly Live Your HealthyLife newsletter with a 7 Key article and associated tips, helpful resources, and recipes.
Simplify Your Life & Save Money by Cooking
“When baking, follow directions. When cooking, go by your own taste.” Laiko Bahrs
With everything that’s going on these days have you changed how you are living your life? Have you stopped getting coffee at the drive-thru on the way to work or the gym? Have you told the kids that you’ll be making fewer stops at the fast food place?
Are you looking for ways to save money? Did you know that not only can you save money by cooking at home but it doesn’t have to be complicated?
Maybe you think you don’t have time to add another thing to your to-do list. But with a little planning you can not only save money, but feed your family great tasting nutritious food and not spend lots of time in the kitchen.
Here’s how:
1. Use whole foods
~ Buy whole foods, the ones you find around the outer edge of the grocery store. You’ll find fresh herbs, fruits, vegetables, meat, chicken, fish and dairy.
~ Add some things from the bulk bins like grains, beans and nuts (a huge money saver!).
~ If you’re really pressed for time get some canned beans and frozen vegetables.
~ Don’t forget to throw in something new to try.
2. Prepare them simply
~ You don’t need lots of recipes with long lists of ingredients. Save the complex, full of ingredient recipes for when you have the time to enjoy the whole experience.
3. Make large batches
ahead of time of the things that take a while to cook like beans and grains. Yes they do take time, but it’s on the stove time not you actively being involved time. They’ll be ready when you get home so you can quickly put all the pieces together. Use a quick cook method for the other ingredients and make extra to have leftovers for lunch/dinner the next day or later in the week.
4. Add flavor
I’ve heard women say they wish their families would all eat the same thing. They’re tired of making different meals and listening to all the complaining. So how about letting everyone season their own meal? Prepare the food simply and have favorite condiments, spices and dressings on the table. Everybody gets to decide how much and what flavors they want to add. This helps make it easier on you and everybody’s happy!
Take a little time to plan ahead to save yourself time and money starting this week!
Would you like to know more about the 7 Keys? Click here to receive your f*ree special report, the “7 Keys Every Woman Needs to Unlock Her Healthier, Happier Life™”. And for more support, you will receive the weekly Live Your Healthy Life newsletter with tips, helpful resources, and recipes.
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