A thought on dieting...

Hi everyone! I wanted to take a minute and share my thoughts about a widely known concept: dieting.
I believe it is important to fully understand what the concept "dieting" does to us when we are trying to live our best lives. I was teaching a class this morning, and a conversation about dieting came up. We were discussing why people seem to fail when it comes to following a diet, and how extreme some of them can be. If you are like me, I'm sure you have either been on a diet yourself, or know someone who has. How did that work out for you? Did you feel deprived? Did you get bored of what you were "allowed" to eat or have strong cravings for unhealthy food? Did you gain the weight back?

Chances are, you eventually ended up feeling bored, deprived, low on energy and maybe even gained the weight back. After experiencing these issues myself for years and years, I have been on a quest of bettering my health and self-care. I recently came across a quote by author/speaker, Geneen Roth. She says: "For every diet there is an equal and opposite binge." I have found from personal experience and from talking to others that this is so true. Every time we try to lose weight by depriving ourselves, we end becoming more focused on the foods we "shouldn't" have. They become more and more appealing because we don't allow ourselves to have them. Eventually, what will typically happen is we become bored, drained, or simply give in due to a "lack of willpower," and overeat on the foods we were trying to avoid in the first place. We view our "lack of willpower/discipline" as a bad thing, because we could not stick with a diet. Then, we get down on ourselves, feel a sense of hopelessness, or perhaps avoid thinking about it all together because we feel we failed. We avoid these feelings by using the foods we didn't allow ourselves to eat during the diet, as a way to cope the uncomfortable feelings of failure or not liking the way our body looks. And so the cycle begins. We think that the only way to become and stay thin is to restrict and deprive ourselves, and we don't have what it takes. But, eventually, along comes the latest diet trend, or a special event we want to look good for, and we are back on the bandwagon.

The number one thing I have learned in school at IIN, and from my own Health Coach, is that the only real way to lose weight and keep it off is to do it in a way that is gentle and manageable for you. Everyone has a different lifestyle. Everyone has a different body-type and different nutritional needs. What works for one person, can have the opposite effect for another. It is unrealistic to expect ourselves to follow someone else's dietary guidelines 365 days out of the year, regardless of how negatively we are being affected by it. It is important to figure out what YOUR body needs. What will give it lasting energy throughout the day, without the afternoon "crash?" What tastes good to you, but doesn't send your blood sugar through the roof? Do you need a bigger lunch and a lighter dinner, or vice versa? These needs could very from day to day, depending on what is going on in your life at the time. If you start paying attention to your eating patterns and how certain foods make you feel, you can start to figure out what kind of nutrition YOU need. This is the only way of eating healthily that will be sustainable for a lifetime, and also help you reach your goal. If you are unsure where to start, contact me, or another Health Coach if you prefer, and consider taking time for yourself to examine your eating patterns and habits, and really figure out what is best for you.

Exciting News

Hi Everyone!

I have some exciting news! I am beginning a new business as a Health Coach. I will be working with people on how to reach their health goals, including stress reduction, increasing energy, losing weight, and improving their confidence. I’ll accomplish this by supporting them with their food and lifestyle choices.

As you know I have always have an interest in health and nutrition, and I enjoy sharing this knowledge with my friends, clients, and family. I decided to increase this knowledge and learn, in a formal training program, how to live a better life through eating well and taking care of myself. I am currently enrolled at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York City. I am not only learning to improve my life, I am also receiving very detailed and careful instruction on how to coach others around food and lifestyle choices. It’s an exciting time!

I look forward to sharing more with you about my new career path, and all of the benefits of this work. I’ll be inviting people to health consultations in the near future, to have the opportunity to support them to create happier, healthier, and more fulfilling lives. I’ll be making new posts periodically to let you know how my training is progressing. I appreciate being able to share this with you.

Mimi

New Fitness, Nutrition and Wellness Ideas

Hey everyone, I have recently learned of some new fitness, nutrition, and wellness ideas, and I wanted to share them with you all.

Body Brushing/Coconut Oil Moisturizer:

Body Brushing:
I learned about this last week from my health coach, and have done it everyday since.  I love it!
Before getting into the shower, on dry skin, use a body brush (preferrably with a long handle) to exfoliate your skin and increase circulation. It makes your skin feel really soft.
Here is the website that can give you instructions on what to do: http://www.whole-body-detox-diet.com/dry-skin-brushing.html

Coconut Oil:
Before I get in the shower, I place a tub of coconut oil in the sink, and fill the sink with warm water.  This will liquify the oil very quickly.  By the time I get out of the shower, the oil is ready to be used.  I use it instead of body lotion...it has a very light scent and does a fantastic job.  The bonus is that it is all natural, so I am not putting chemicals onto my skin. You can find coconut oil and the body brush at most natural food stores, such as Whole Foods.  It is located in the beauty section.

Rebounding:

Rebounding has become one of my favorite ways to get my cardio in. It is basically jumping on a mini-trampoline.  If you are bored with your cardio program, which I tend to be easily, I recommend investing in a rebounder.  They come in a wide range of prices, and can easily be found online. 
The great thing about the rebounder is that you don't have to leave your home in order to get your work out in.  It is very easy on your joints, and most of all, it is fun.  You can crank up your favorite music and jump, or jump while watching your favorite tv show.  It doesn't take up a lot of space, and the good ones don't make much noise at all. 
If you are already running or spinning, etc...I wouldn't replace this as your only form of cardio, but use it on days when your joints hurt, legs feel heavy, or if you don't have time to get to the gym.  It is a great addition to your weekly workout routine. 
If you are just starting to workout, and don't currently do much cardio, this would be the perfect thing to get you going, because it is so gentle.  In that case, use it as your main form of cardio, with the intention of adding other things in down the road.
The calorie burn for 15 minutes of rebounding is roughly 100 calories, depending on how much you weigh.  Double that time, or even go for 45 minutes, and you will get in a pretty decent calorie burn.

Banana/Date Smoothie:

Once again, I have to hand it to my health coach for giving me this idea.  If you have sweet tooth, I have learned of a healthy alternative to breaking down and buying icecream, cookies, cake, etc.  When your sugar craving hits, trying drinking this smoothie instead. It is all natural, and won't spike your blood sugar to high heavens.

Use one frozen banana (peeled and chopped), one unfrozen banana and 2 dates (which you can find at locations such as Whole Foods. Just make sure if you buy them at a regular grocery store, they are packaged as dates only, not with other ingredients). Put the bananas and dates into a blender with a couple of ice cubes and just a little bit of water.  Blend the mixture until it is smooth, and you will have an awesome snack/meal/what-have-you, that is really good for you.  You can also freeze the mixture for a couple of hours, after you blend it.  Then it basically turns into icecream. 

I hope this is helpful...feel free to email me or leave a comment if you have questions!

You become...

Hey Everyone,
I haven't posted in a while...lots of changes going on, distractions, etc. However, today I was sitting my living room for a few minutes, brainstorming on what information might be helpful to you all.  As you know, if you have read my previous posts, I tend to write about whatever is relevant in my life at the moment.  If I do it this way, I know it is coming from a place of learning for myself, and then having the opportunity to pass on what I have learned is as real as gets for me. 

I didn't know what to pass along this time, and then a quote popped into my head by the great, motivating and inspiring, Wayne Dyer.  In his lectures (which I have listened to countless times throughout most of my 20s), he makes the statement that "you become what you think about, whether you want it or not."  Well...for most of the time I have been listening to his lectures, I have intellectually understood what he was saying, but have not understood on an emotional/physical/spiritual level...until recently. Within the past month or two, with the guidance of my health coach, as well as writer/motivational speaker/teacher Gabrielle Bernstein, I started putting those words into action. I started to think about what I actually want.  It's easy to say, "more money, a better body, a nicer car, etc"....but that is not what they are talking about. They are talking about the "Law of Attraction." When it comes to the "Law of Attraction," as Wayne Dyer says, "it's not about attracting what you WANT, but about attracting what you ARE."  You can and will attract into your life, that which is in alignment with your true intentions. Your true nature. Whether you want it or not.

I practiced "The Law of Attraction," a few years ago, but on a superficial level.  It was about the car, the body, the money, etc. How I could GET more stuff...better stuff.  And I got no where and nothing as a result.  So, after a few more years of listening, reading, studying, I have begun to understand what they really mean about this Universal Law.  I started to ask myself what I really wanted, and what I really was feeling.  The two were not in alignment.  I wanted all these great things, but I didn't "assume the feeling" (Wayne Dyer), of what I was wanting for my life, that would actually serve the greater good.

I didn't believe, on a fundamental level, that these things could actually happen for me.  So, a couple of months ago, I decided it was time to switch it up, and get serious. Once I put that intention out there, that I wanted to "assume the feeling" of abundance, love, more confidence...things started to happen. (On a side note, in the beginning I didn't even know how to assume the feeling, and really believe it. At first it felt like make-believe, so I asked for help to simply learn how to assume the feeling...you gotta start somewhere.)  It's exactly like that phrase "when the student is ready, the teacher appears."  That is what happened.  In a perfect order of events/circumstances, I was lead to the exact people, books, lectures, etc, to help me to figure out how to do this.  How to assume the feeling, and not be so pessimistic that I sabotaged myself. With the final nudge (encouragment) coming from my health coach, I began to simply picture what I wanted for myself, and then assume what THAT picture made me FEEL.  Every morning, I wake up, and before I get out of bed, I lay there (for about 10 minutes) until I have created that feeling within myself, that I know is in alignment with what I am wanting for my life.  And I have to say, things have changed. FAST. But,they haven't changed at all in the WAY I WANTED THEM TO (which is a big lesson in all of this), but they began to change in a way that has forced me to put those feelings I have been creating within myself to the test. Big time. And what I have noticed throughout these changes, is that I have been able to handle them with a bit more confidence, knowing that I'm being guided in the right direction. So I can just sit back and chill out for once, and watch and see what happens. This is the polar opposite of what I would have done in the past, which is freak out, fight the change, and think that my way is best. I would have fought every step of what has been happening. Resist, resist, resist. But not this time.  I don't even know how to explain it, other than while I might be in the midst of chaos, I'm not questioning whether or not it is happening for the best or not.  I know I am headed in a direction that I never would have taken, had I not opened up to the possibility that maybe I DON'T know everything (gasp), and I will be guided to events that are WAY BETTER than anything I could have thought of, if I get out of my own way. Simply by doing the work (if you want more suggestions, leave a comment, or email me, and I will pass along more of the tools I have picked up), visualizing and assuming the feeling, and then letting it go and knowing it's being taken care of. One thing that I have learned, is that in order for something great to come in, sometimes certain things have to be re-arranged or removed. That's just the way it goes.

You are probably asking what this has to do with fitness and getting in shape. Well, everything, really.  I am suggesting that if you really want to change your body, up your fitness level, or begin to eat healthier, that visualizing and assuming the feeling of those desires will help you reach your goal. I have learned that many of really fantastic atheletes practice visualization before any big event...and it really does work. If you start to live your life as though you already are that person with healthy eating habits, or you already are that person who has an incredibly fit body, you will begin to act on those feelings. You will feel like getting a salad for dinner, instead of ordering pizza. Or you may add an extra 15 minutes to your cardio, or perhaps try a form of fitness that you have never tried before, because it's been intimidating in the past. You will begin to make the choices that it takes to acheive those goals you want for yourself, because you already feel like that person who has acheived them. Make sense? As Gabby Bernstein says "think it, feel it, know it."  Do this for anywhere from 5-20 minutes in the morning, and then as much as possible throughout your day, and watch and see what happens.  Don't worry about HOW it is going to happen, just keep visualizing and it will be taken care of in it's own way, on it's own time. Keep me posted, I want to hear about it.

Mimi

Recipe

Hi everyone! Just wanted to make a quick post and share a healthy recipe I've stumbled upon:

Spaghetti Squash:
Instead of using pasta as the base of your spaghetti, try using an awesome substitute that will cut down on calories and carbs! Spaghetti squash is my new favorite meal.

Steps:
Poke holes in the spaghetti squash, put it in a baking pan, and bake the squash for 1 1/2 hours at 375 degrees.
Once it is baked, cut it in half (length-wise)and use a fork to scrape out the seeds. Toss the seeds away, and then use the fork to scrape out the insides of the squash, which will look like thin little noodles.
In a bowl, top the Spaghetti squash with lean ground turkey, lowfat marinara, and any veggies you might like ( I love roasted zucchini with mine). Sprinkle with a little oregano, and enjoy!

February

Hi everyone! I hope you all are having a great month so far. Since it's February, I figured I would talk a little bit about love, and how it is reflected in our lives. In this case, I'm talking about self-love. I've heard the great Dr. Wayne Dyer say many times, "you can't give away what you don't have." Meaning, that unless we are loving ourselves, and treating ourselves with grace and compassion, we certainly can't treat others that way, because we won't have it to give away in the first place. So this is where the fitness/health talk comes in. I've been told that the number one relationship we have, is with ourselves. So, naturally treating our minds and bodies with respect is a huge part of the relationship we have with ourselves. I suppose we need to ask ourselves, how are we treating our bodies today? Are we giving ourselves the nutrition and exercise we need in order to go through our day at our highest capacity? Or are we pushing our workouts to the end of the list each day, and coming home to an unhealthy dinner because it's more convenient than preparing a healthy meal? In order to be more loving to those around us, we need to be more loving to ourselves.
I recently heard a great piece of advice from a woman named Gabrielle Berstein. She suggested making a list of "non-negotiables," where we write down the things we are willing to do just today for a better life. These are things we will not compromise on. For example, if you work out 2 days week, one of your "non-negotiables" could be that during those workouts, you will give it 100% of your effort, instead of the usual 80%. Perhaps you could even consider bumping it up to 3 times a week, as a way to start showing up for yourself? Or, instead of having chocolate every night when you get home, maybe decide to drop back to just Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays when you allow yourself that treat. This isn't about deprivation, but rather the small steps you can definitely commit to, and that you know you won't compromise on. And be realistic so that you stick to it...remember it's about giving yourself something, not taking something away. Maybe each month you could tweek your list just a bit, so you slowly work towards a more healthy lifestyle and give more love to yourself.

Hi everyone! I wanted to take a minute to say hello, and encourage you all to continue on your path towards a more healthy lifestyle. When I post my thoughts for you all to read, I am usually posting about things that I find relevant in my life at the time, and therefore have the hopes that passing along what I have learned may help you with a similar situation. Lately I have been really focusing on what it means to be healthy. I know for sure that no matter how thin or fit we might be physically, it ultimately won't lead to happiness if we are too focused on perfection. I was watching a special on Jane Fonda a few weeks back, and she said something that resonated with me. She said the ultimate goal "is not to be perfect, but to be whole." This may be an obvious statement to some of you, but if you are like me, there are areas in your life where you strive for perfection.For me,fitness and nutrition has been one of those areas. So, for the past few weeks I've been letting that quote sit with me, and paying attention to how it made me feel. I have to say, it made me feel great. It brought back
something that I've known for a long time, but tend to lose sight of...I am on this adventure of health and wellbeing because it makes me feel good. Period. All of the tabloids, celebrities, advertisements etc. send such a strong message that we have to be perfect, look perfect, and act perfect in order to have happiness. Well where is the fun in that? It's an impossible standard to uphold and it drives me up the wall. So... When you are thinking about your current situation, whatever it might be (fitness or not), keep in mind the quote of the great Jane Fonda, who has dedicated much of her life to teaching others about what it means to be healthy, and how to go about getting it. Focus on being whole, rather than perfect, and the journey towards better health and fitness will naturally fall into place, because you will want to be kind to yourself, and to FEEL GOOD. No punitive workouts after a an unhealthy meal or before an upcoming event, and no more impossibly strict diets with an "I'm starting my diet tomorrow" mentality... but rather, moving because that is what our bodies are meant to do, and consuming foods that provide energy.