The body is beautifully designed for pleasure.  Pleasure is an antidote for stress.

Develop your own pleasure inventory. Get out your journal and list all the things that give you pleasure including foods, people, places and activities.  This is a simple but challenging exercise for many of us. What really gives you pleasure?  How do you know?  What does pleasure feel like to you?  Become more aware of pleasure in your life.  When you notice it…breathe it in. Taste it with all your senses.  Enjoy it, knowing that through pleasure you are healing mind, body and spirit.

A prayer before meals makes nutritional sense.  A quiet blessing before eating connects to the relaxation response in the body, which supports optimal digestion and metabolism.

it is a conscious way to affirm ourselves and by doing so, we leave less room for toxic thoughts that can contaminate the body mind.  Negative self judgment such as  ”I shouldn’t be eating this” , “there are 30 grams of fat in this” or even “I’m being good today eating this food” are toxic thoughts that connect to the body’s stress response interfering with metabolism and digestion.

Eating is not about being good or bad.  Nourishment is not about numbers.  Healthy eating is about mindfully feeding ourselves good ‘clean’ food because we deserve to be nourished.  And our biology responds to that intention.

Experiment yourself with offering a simple prayer of gratitude before each meal, snack or drink.  It can be silent or shared.  Whatever is comfortable.  Close your eyes, take a breathe, connect with your heart and say thank you for the nourishment you are about to receive.  If you want you can thank the people who grew the food, the people who brought it to you, prepared it and served.

It’s beautifully simple and powerful.  By blessing our food, we are somehow blessed

Often the foods and beverages stuffed in the refrigerator and in our cupboards aren’t really foods – they are collections of ingredients with lots of additives, trans fats, simple carbs and sweeteners. They are processed, refined foods loaded with anti-nutrients – chemicals that actually make it harder for your body to absorb nutrients and cause cellular inflammation, which is linked to premature aging and disease.

Let’s update our cupboards and our thinking about nutrition with a nutrition makeover.

When you recover or discover 
something
that nourishes your soul and brings joy,
care enough about yourself to make room for it in your life
Jean Shinoda Bolen

Everything in life has a rhythm and life continually brings us opportunities for fresh starts. A new morning, a new season, a new year, a new love – all times when we can choose to be more real, more authentic, more loving. I am inspired by each person in my life who chooses to make room for what nourishes them.

For some of us, we may not know or can’t remember what nourishes us.  This can happen when we go through extended periods of overwork, trauma, stress or just too much on the plate. One way to rediscover our joy is to go back to the basics.  We can detox or clear the body, mind and spirit so there is space for new inspiration, ideas and insight.

Clearing the body, we simplify the diet, and practice slowly eating clean whole foods.  Slow mindful eating is the most important way to improve diet, digestion and metabolism.  Focus on eating seasonal vegetables, legumes, gluten free whole grains (brown rice, quinoa, barley), nuts, seeds and cold expressed oils with only small amounts of probiotic yogurt, deep-sea fish and organic meats/poultry.

Clearing the mind, we commit to gratitude and not complaining. The Artists Way suggests that you just wake up and write three pages as a stream of conscious writing each morning.  Write anything and everything that comes to you without editing.  Burn it after if you need to. It’s simple and powerful.

Clearing the spirit, we look for ways to turn inwards and settle into stillness.  A practice of yoga or meditation helps us calm the stirring within us.  In the settling, we are refreshed, clear and wiser.

With a clean clear body, mind and spirit, we can better know what makes our body sing and our soul nourished.

May we care about and for ourselves.
May we all recover or discover what brings joy.
May our joy and nourishment, nourish others.

For all its wonder and excitement, the holiday season often means added stress to an already full plate. Many people are looking for help on how to get through the holidays. There is much fear that without the usual amount of restraint and self-discipline, everything will get out of control. People are anxiously asking what to eat, how to manage, what to avoid, what to count.

Although there are some common sense things we can do (drinking extra water and green tea, balancing macro-nutrients, supplementing with key nutrients, maintaining our exercise) I wonder if the holiday season is even meant to be controlled, managed or restrained. Feasting is an important part of life in every culture and it may be that by making space for feasting, we also create space in our lives for restraint at other times.  A matter of balance and rhythm.

Marc David, Director of the Institute for the Psychology of Eating, suggests that people just go for it during the holidays.

“…the more we fear the gorging, the food, the pleasure of it all,
the more we live in fear. And fear is perhaps the most unsavory
and anti-nutritious ingredient in any meal.”

Anxiety, stress and fear all stimulate the stress response which interferes with digestion, metabolism and pleasure. So my ‘tip’ for getting through the season, is to slow down and enjoy it all. Breathing will help. Take deep breathes often throughout the day. Your body will respond. Feel the breathe in your body.  Feel your body. Scan your body from top to toes, noticing sensations.  Breathe into them.  Then choose to eat whatever foods you truly love, with those you love and with slow mindful pleasure.

May we all feel nourished this feasting season.

When I meet with clients, I am interested in getting a picture of what a day in their life looks like.  I am looking to see if there is a daily rhythm of care and connection, movement, rest, nourishment, play, reflection and intimacy.  The body loves rhythm and health needs rhythm.  Health also needs love, and I am also curious about whether or not they are feeling loved at this point in their lives.

Dean Ornish in his book Love & Survival, talks about the power of love and intimacy to profoundly affect our health and protect us from disease.  Although Dr. Ornish is best known for his pioneering work with reversing heart disease through a vegan diet, his work with thousands of people led him to see that despite the best diet and lifestyle conditions, health and survival was higher in people who felt loved and connected in their lives.

I think this is a good reminder that while supplements, organic foods and exercise all contribute to health, there is something bigger going on in our lives that is holding us together. The healing power of connection and love.

If you are feeling loved in your life right now, take a moment to appreciate this blessing in your life.  It is so sweet.  Pass it forward. Look people in the eyes and smile at them. Acknowledge acts of kindness. Be generous with allowing for the humanity of others. Feel the love and shine with it.

If you not feeling loved right now, know that life changes moment by moment. Anything is possible. Love and health are all around waiting to be invited in.  The first step is in opening mind and heart to this possibility.

May we all feel loved.

I love talking to people about food in their life. We each have a story about how food works – or doesn’t work – and I am interested in hearing about it.

Unfortunately, many, many people feel anxious about their eating. There seems to be a huge gap between what people think they should eat, what they want to eat, and what they are able to manage around eating given their lifestyle.

It doesn’t need to be so difficult. The body is designed for real food.  Whole Foods. Lots of plant foods. And the body is designed to maximize digestion, metabolism and pleasure when we eat slowly. When we eat good foods slowly, the body responds.

Consider the radical act of trusting yourself and your body to know how much you need to eat. If we feed ourselves good quality food, our bodies are better able to self regulate and know when we are hungry and when we are full. Our body will tell us – if we just are quiet enough – if we pay attention. That means getting rid of the distractions like television, blackberries, phones and computers while we eat. We can’t listen if we aren’t paying attention.

So have whole foods around that you enjoy and eat it slowly. Forget about being virtuous about your meals – it only sets people up for over indulgence. Eating is not a moral issue – it is simply one of life’s greatest pleasures – a way to nourish mind, body and spirit. So go ahead, look around, choose from best quality foods that you will enjoy and allow yourself to enjoy life’s pleasures – mindfully.

Although I love potluck meals – at best each person contributing their favorite lovingly prepared dish – sometimes I long to just be fed. To be invited out and asked to contribute nothing more than my ‘wit and charm’, to show up, relax and allow myself to be fed.

I am blessed to have people in my life who offer me this gift occasionally, and there are times when I love to do the same for others. I was recently reminded of how nourishing this can be when a friend invited me to sit by the fire and listen to jazz while he cooked for me. This was the entirety of the evening. Being cooked for and enjoying the meal together. My friends mindful attention and pleasure in giving came through the food – in aroma, presentation, complexity of flavors and textures.  It was a stunning meal. Simply and playfully prepared.  So gratefully enjoyed. Each bite savored. Deep conversation. Friendship in communion.

Many of us cook for others in our everyday lives in the middle of our busyness. It needs to be done and I respect and honor the effort it takes to consistently buy, prepare and serve healthful food.

I wonder if we bring a deeper level of nourishment to the table and to those we love, when we take time to breath, ground and be fully present. Whether we can be fed ourselves, through the process of preparing food for others, when we are present and whether this loving presence can be a source of deeper nourishment to others.

May we all be fed.
May we be a source of nourishment to others.

Johanne Galipeau (www.johannegalipeau.com) is an artist,  friend and neighbor who brings her heart centered creative edge to everything she does.  I love this recipe which is very much ‘hands on’ fun eating.  It is like playing with your food.  Loaded with magnesium, chlorophyll and beta-carotene, spinach and other leafy green vegetables are natural detoxifers.

Lime Chutney:

• 1 small lime, seeded and cut into eights
• 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped ginger
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup peanuts
• 1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

1)       Combine all ingredients in a blender or a food processor fitted with the steel blade.  Process until it acquires the consistency of a thick sauce, not perfectly smooth. Cover and refrigerate until serving time.  This chutney can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for a week.

2)      Prepare small bowls with bite size pieces of lime, onion, ginger with a bowl of peanuts to serve together with the chutney.

Spinach Roll-Ups

Wash and pat dry 1/2 lb. fresh spinach (use fresh, attractive and intact leaves).

Place 1 piece each of onion, lime and ginger on the lower center of each leaf, add 1 or 2 peanuts.  Place a delicate mound of chutney on top of the little pile of stuff in the center of the leaf.  Roll it up, tucking in the sides, and, if possible, pop it into your mouth all at once.

The way you think, the way you behave, the way you eat,
can influence your life by 30 to 50 years.
Deepak Chopra

Each day our body works beautifully to keep us healthy. We even have a natural detox system built in.  If we take good care of ourselves through diet, exercise, stress management and a clean environment, the body ages naturally and we retain our energy, vitality and health as we age.

However, in the real world, most of us have had more than our fair share of exposure to stress, pollution, medications, drugs, smoke, stress, environmental chemicals, stress, trans fats, artificial preservatives, colors and flavors. (Note: the emphasis on stress – it can have a powerful impact on our health). These push our natural defense system to the edge causing oxidative stress and cellular inflammation.

Oxidative stress or cellular inflammation is the root of premature aging and disease. It depletes our energy and vitality. It affects every cell and organ. Oxidative stress is a warning sign of later neurodegenerative disease. And it makes us older than we really are.

Our chronological age increases each year, while our biological age reflects the age and wear and tear of our cells. Biological age can increase by leaps and bounds, or it can actually be younger than our chronological age. It really is a matter of the amount of ‘oxidative stress’ our body has had to cope with.

The good news is that diet plays a powerful role in promoting or preventing cellular inflammation and oxidative stress.

A diet that is high in sugar, trans fats, saturated fats, refined carbohydrates, high fructose corn syrup and artificial chemicals actually accelerate this cellular aging and disease process.  This is the SAD (standard American diet), which has resulted in an epidemic of diabetes, diabesity, obesity, impaired glucose tolerance, heart disease, cancer, gastrointestinal problems, autoimmune disease and food allergies.

On the other hand, a diet that is high in antioxidants, essential fatty acids and fiber acts to support our cells to remain vibrant and healthy.   The anti-inflammatory diet for healthy aging is actually the same as the Mediterranean diet which has been proven to be associated with lower risk of disease.

Positive Nutrition focuses more on what to add to your diet for health, rather than on what not to eat.
Try adding these four steps to your diet each day and see what happens.

• Eat whole grain oats for breakfast.  Add ground flax, local frozen berries and probiotic yogurt.
• Eat some legumes for lunch.  Hummous/raw veggies, black bean chili, split pea soup; dahl/rice.
• Load up at least half your plate at dinner with veggies
• Eat a fresh leafy green salad or steam greens every day (spinach, chard, kale, dandelion, beet greens)

Try it for a month and see how you feel. You may find that you feel better than you have for a long time. Nutrition works – not as an end in itself but as a resource for having the energy to do all the things you want to do with this one precious life!

Why I Wake Early by Mary Oliver

Hello, sun in my face.
Hello, you who made the morning
and spread it over the fields
and into the faces of the tulips
and the nodding morning glories,
and into the windows of, even, the
miserable and the crotchety –
best preacher that ever was,
dear star, that just happens
to be where you are in the universe
to keep us from ever-darkness,
to ease us with warm touching,
to hold us in the great hands of light –
good morning, good morning, good morning.
Watch, now, how I start the day
in happiness, in kindness.

Whether you eat as soon as you get up or within a few hours, breakfast is an important way to get your metabolism in gear for the day. You will be more nourished if you can allow at least 10 minutes to sit and eat your breakfast mindfully – without the computer, TV or other distractions. It’s a good time to think about and set your intention for the day.

You can’t go wrong with oatmeal for breakfast. It’s inexpensive, full of fiber and can last you the morning if you add ground flax seeds, berries and yogurt. If you prefer to buy packaged dry whole grain cereals, look for organic products without artificial color, flavor, trans fats or sweeteners. Some of my favorite brands are Nature’s Path, Granola King, Kashi, Terra Breads Granola, Bob’s Red Mill Muesli and Multi-grain Cereal.

Make Your Own Multigrain Hot Cereal

• ½ cup whole hazelnuts (or almonds)
• ½ cup whole pumpkin seeds
• ½ cup quinoa
• 1/2 cup millet
• ½ cup brown rice
• ¼ cup unhulled sesame seeds
• ¼ cup hemp seed

Toast all nuts and seeds in a large heavy skillet for about 15 minutes, stirring continuously. Cool and then put mixture in a food processor a few seconds.  Keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator

To cook add 1-cup cereal mixture to 2 cups boiling water, reduce heat, simmer and stir for 20 minutes.  Serve with yogurt, cinnamon, ground flax seed and berries.

Every day I see or hear something that more or less kills me with delight,
that leaves me like a needle in the haystack of light.

It was what I was born for - to look, to listen, to lose myself inside this soft world -
to instruct myself over and over in joy, and acclamation.

Nor am I talking about the exceptional, the fearful, the dreadful, the very extravagant -
but of the ordinary, the common, the very drab, the daily presentations.

Oh, good scholar, I say to myself, how can you help but grow wise with such teachings as these -
the untrimmable light of the world, the ocean’s shine, the prayers that are made out of grass?

We eat for many reasons besides feeling ‘stomach hunger’. Sometimes we eat because of time constraints – its lunch break or dinner is on the table.  Sometimes we eat because we are feeling jittery or low in energy. Or there is a tempting plate of fresh baked cookies. Or we are feeling bored, lonely or upset. This is all part of normal eating.

However, if you are struggling with eating too much food at times, it can help to become more mindful of the stages of hunger and satiety. Stomach Hunger and Satiety are simply signals from our wise bodies.  Mindful eating helps you connect with your body’s inner nutritionist.

• Level Empty – the stomach is uncomfortably empty and you may be feeling anxious and edgy.  If you have been dieting or restricting food intake, this level of hunger can trigger overeating or even binging.
• Level 0 – 1 –  there is no remnant of food in your stomach from the previous meal – your stomach seems empty and you feel hungry. You are not starving but there is a definite need to eat.
• Level 2 – 4 – you are comfortably eating and food is being digested.  There is no sensation of hunger
• Level 5 – you start to feel satisfied. This is a good place to pause. It takes about 20 minutes for the brain and body to coordinate fullness and satiety messages.  Slow eating helps you eat to satisfaction or to the ‘point of energy‘.
• Level 6 – you are full, but at the point of maximum comfort.  Eating past this point usually depletes your energy.  It’s not a good idea to let your satiety get past this point.
• Levels 7 and 8 – the stomach is uncomfortable full and your energy depleted lower than when you started to eat.
• Level Full – you can’t eat another bite and the thought of food makes you sick. You feel lethargic.  Eating to this level of fullness is stressful to all the organ systems in your body.

Practice slowing down and listening to your body. Experiment with eating to different levels of satiety. Noticing how your energy feels after eating. Learning to eat ‘to the point of energy’ will maximize energy, stabilize moods and rebalance weight. This exercise is about getting to know yourself, and learning to trust yourself and your body. This bodysense takes time and practice to remember, but we were all born with it. It’s in us waiting to rediscovered.

Each day we are each faced with many choices about how to best nourish ourselves.

How do we balance our desire for chocolate with the desire to manage our weight? How do we balance a craving for fast foods with a desire to avoid health problems? Or the pull between staying in bed a little longer and getting up to exercise?

The old mechanistic models of health focused on rules, self discipline and control.  Diet rules that specify what to eat, how much and when. Personal rules like “I’ll never eat chocolate again” or “I will only eat one small portion.”  Rules that offer something to hold onto in the moment. A way to manage anxiety in the moment. A place to stand within the complexity of life. But it’s a precarious line.

Because inevitably, the complexity of life presents us with times when the desire for the pleasure of our cravings or for the numbing of the pain of our feelings becomes more important than following the rules.

This is not about self discipline or self control. It’s not about holding on tight to rules.

It is about learning to sit with overwhelming feelings, thoughts and judgments without reacting. And then learning to make choices for ourselves within the realm of complexity we are sitting with.

It is about making sure that our lives have enough pleasure, rest, breathe, rhythm, intimacy, refection, movement, work and play. About balancing the ‘doing’ with the ‘being’.

This is how wisdom develops. Wisdom cannot come from books, magazines, enlightened teachers, doctors or television shows. Wisdom cannot come from diets or food rules.

Which is why people who focus on diets and nutrition rules to deal with weight and health issues never seem to gain wisdom around eating, food or the body.

Studies show that mindful eating and meditation practice are the most effective way to help us make wiser choices about what foods to eat and how much to eat. Mindfulness helps people lose weight and stop compulsive and imbalanced eating behaviours. Meditation practice helps to cultivate our ability to be less reactive to the constant thoughts, judgments and feelings that pass through us.  Mindful eating slows us down and gives us an opportunity to practice mindfulness a few times a day, whenever we eat.

As we develop wisdom in one area of our life, we become wiser in other areas. The beauty of wisdom is that we can start to develop it in any part of our lives. We can even start with our next meal.

Namaste.

Some mood swinging is perfectly normal and just part of being human. Inconvenient perhaps, but normal. Rather than getting frustrated and resistant to your mood swings,  it can help to turn towards the mood and get curious.  What’s going on?

Sometimes our moods want us to rest and recover. Sometimes our moods want us to get up and out to connect with others. And sometimes it can be a call for some dietary changes.

Mood can be affected by many things including diet – dehydration, skipped meals, excess sugar, caffeine, chocolate, alcohol, carbs or artificial sweeteners can interfere with blood sugar, hormones and the stress response.

Paying attention to the rhythm of diet, exercise and sleep can significantly help to manage mood swings for adults and children. Some people just are more sensitive to their environment. Some people have metabolic issues (hormonal imbalances, drug use) that impact moods. And sometimes there are emotional dynamics (relationships) and deep core issues calling for attention.

Be gentle with yourself and know that you are worth the time and energy required for self-care.

Food and nutrition are increasingly confusing in our culture. On one hand there is highly processed fast food readily available everywhere, and on the other hand there is fear of food, hatred of fat and an over-focus on nutrients. It is no wonder that increasing numbers of people are struggling to find peace and balance with food and weight in their lives.

Food addiction is real and debilitating. Emotions, feelings and behaviours can be similar to people addicted to drugs. While it is true that you can’t deal with food addiction with abstinence, it can help to refocus on a whole foods plant foods diet. It is interesting to note that drugs and foods don’t become addictive until they go through a lot of processing.

• Coca leaves ………..cocaine
• Poppies ……………..opium
• Grains/potatoes….alcohol
• Tobacco……………..nicotine
• Whole foods……….refined, concentrated sugars and fats

So it makes sense to slowly move your diet over to a plant based whole foods diet. That alone will settle down the nervous system.

But addictions are complex, and since the mind, body and spirit have been co-opted in addiction, it is important to address mind, body and spirit in recovery.  Brain research shows that it is important to care for yourself in ways that will mobilize the brain to produce dopamine and serotonin, which keep you more relaxed and calm.  Critical to this recovery, is finding alternate sources of pleasure than food.

Cultivate a passion for many things.  Start by doing a pleasure inventory in your life.  What brings you joy and pleasure?  Which activities do you loose yourself in?  The brain needs pleasure, the body needs pleasure and pleasure is an important part of health.

When our digestion works properly, we can easily take it for granted.  We don’t even have to think about it. However, when it’s not, our body let’s us know right away with gas, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain or nausea. If we ignore our body, things tend get worse. If we just treat the symptoms with digestive aids and medications, the underlying situation doesn’t change. Symptoms get louder, nutrient absorption becomes impaired, metabolism slows down and the body moves into a chronic stress response.

Healthy digestion starts with the art of eating, rather than the science of nutrition.

Slowing down and bringing mindfulness to our eating can balance problems with eating, nutrition, weight and chronic disease. Many people find that they require less food when they eat mindfully, and that they start to prefer fresh, organic ‘real’ food more than processed, refined, fast foods.

In order to focus our full attention on the bite we are chewing, we can try to put our utensils down after each bite and chew the food in that is in our mouth well. Chewing food well is an important part of healthy digestion. Chewing grinds food into small bits, allowing it to be more easily swallowed and more easily coated with digestive juices once in the stomach.The body uses less energy to digest well-chewed food and nutrients are more quickly released and assimilated. Mindful eating helps remind us to chew our food thoroughly and slowly.

The art of meal planning and presentation is an equally important part of healthy eating. An esthetically pleasing meal nourishes all the senses. Take time to create a lovely, simple environment using place mats, candles, flowers and quieting music. Pay attention to color, shape and texture.

Many people find that their digestion responds quickly to these changes in eating style. It’s simple but not easy. But for those willing to try, it is transformative.

Enjoy your food.

You wouldn’t think that summer would be a stressful time of year, but changes in the routine and rhythm of life can be both exciting and stressful. Three Deep Breaths: Finding Power and Purpose in a Stressed Out World is a wonderful book by Thomas Crum that offers a simple yet powerful strategy for managing stress.

1.  The Centering Breath

Slowly inhale and exhale feeling your feet flat on the ground and sitting/standing straight (as if someone is suspending you from a string through the top of your head).

2.  The Possibility Breath

As you continue breathing, imagine that you are breathing in a positive affirmation into every cell of your body.  Here are some examples:

- I am a loving, joyful parent
- I am a compassionate and loving partner
- I am a creative and energetic employee
- I am healthy and whole
- life works and all will be well

3.  The Discovery Breath

Discover or uncover your intention. Breathe in the question, “Are my next words or actions going to come from an intent to defend or from an intent to learn?”

The opportunities to practice come up everyday. With this practice we are balancing the nervous system, giving the body and the brain more oxygen – and as a result – experiencing more energy, vitality, clarity, focus and creativity.

It’s getting warmer, the trees are flowering and spring is in the air. We are transitioning into summer and leaving winter behind.  Soon the local berry season will begin, followed by tree fruits and then a bounty of vegetables will take us right through the fall.

A change in seasons is a good opportunity to uplevel the diet.  A chance to move towards more whole clean foods such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, beans, peas, lentils, eggs, tofu, fish, brown rice, quinoa, yogurt and antibiotic free poultry, bison, pork or beef.  An opportunity to move away from processed, fast foods that stress and deplete the body.

This spring you might also like to do a little spring cleaning with some lemon water and cayenne.  Fill a one litre glass or stainless bottle with water, a few tablespoons of lemon juice and a pinch of antioxidant rich cayenne and sip it throughout the morning.  Fill another one for the afternoon, so that you are drinking 2 litres a day of this lemon water. If you need a little sweetness, add a touch of maple syrup.

Drink this during the day, between your meals.  It is not necessary to fast to feel the benefits.

Many people find that this energizing cleansing routine cuts carb cravings and helps digestion. Try it for a week and see how you feel. If you feel lighter and more energetic, you can continue with the lemon water cleanse another week.

1. Eat when you are hungry
2. Eat sitting down in a calm environment
3. Eat without distractions. (television, newspapers, books)
4. Eat what your body wants.
5. Eat until you are satisfied.
6. Eat (with the intention of being) in full view of others.
7. Eat with enjoyment, gusto and pleasure

Simple, but not easy.  If you are inspired to move in this direction with your eating and would like some support, give me a call.

We each have resources that support our physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. We have both external and internal resources. External resources can include nature, friends, family, animals, spiritual practice, athletics, tai chi, yoga, music or expressive arts. Internal resources can include our curiousity, intelligence, courage, talents, instinctual wisdom and resilience.

Sometimes, when we are going through difficult times, we can forget that we do have resources to help us manage. This is particularly true if we have unresolved traumatic or overwhelming experiences stored in our body.

I suggest that you make a list of your own unique internal and external resources. Take a piece of paper and draw a line down the middle. On one side list internal resources. On the other side list external resources. These lists will grow and change over time. It can help to think back to some difficult times you have gone through in your life. Who helped you get through those times. What helped you? Take a few moments to imagine your resources even if they feel vague or weak. They can grow stronger with attention.

Research shows that increased awareness of one’s resources can help build self esteem and confidence to manage through difficult situations. We can call upon our resources instead of getting stuck in anger, angst or immobility when situations arise that challenge us.

Once you have your list, keep it in a journal or in a drawer. Somewhere you can easily refer to over time and notice how it changes and grows, as you change and grow.

Many people who come to see me for weight loss counselling have been dieting for years. And they are frustrated. They have learned the hard way that dieting just doesn’t work over the long term.

Dieting interferes with internal signals for hunger and fullness that are necessary for normal healthy eating. This was illustrated in a study done at the University of Toronto which took a group of dieters and a group of nondieters and gave them the task of comparing ice cream flavors.

Participants in each group were divided into three subgroups. Before getting the ice cream, the first subgroup was asked to drink two milkshakes, the second subgroup was asked to drink one milkshake, and the third subgroup wasn’t given any milkshakes. Next, the researchers offered the groups three flavors of ice cream and asked the participants to rate the flavors, eating as much ice cream as they desired.

The results revealed that the nondieters ate according to their inner hunger and satiety cues.  Those who hadn’t had any milkshakes ate the most ice cream, those who’d consumed one milkshake ate less ice cream, and those who’d consumed two milkshakes ate the least.

The dieters, however, reacted in the opposite way. Those who were offered no milkshakes before the taste test ate small amounts of ice cream, those who drank one shake ate more ice cream, and those who’d consumed two milkshakes ate the most ice cream!

This phenomena is called “disinhibition” and it becomes part of the diet mentality pretty quickly.  Nondieters, eating in an unrestrained and normal manner, tend to regulate their food intake according to internal physical cues of hunger and satiety.

The dieters, however, reacted in the opposite way—the more milkshakes they consumed, the more ice cream they ate. According to the researchers, this “counterregulation” occurs because a milkshake preload disinhibits a dieter’s usually inhibited or restrained eating, almost like a switch: “I’ve blown it anyway, so I might as well keep eating before I go back on my diet.”

Yes.  A recent study in the International Journal of Obesity , (9 August 2011) confirmed, once again, that dieting does make people fat.

The researchers were looking at whether the paradoxical weight gain associated with dieting over time is more related to genetic propensity to gain weight than to the weight loss episodes themselves.

They looked at 4129 individual twins born in Finland between 1975 and 1979 and found that twins with a history of dieting and weight loss were more prone to future weight gain.  The weight gain was more pronounced in people with repeated weight loss attempts.

This study speaks to the importance of trying to avoid the seduction of dieting as a means of managing weight. This is particularly important for children and young adults. And if you are an adult with a history of weight loss and regain, it might be time to try something else.  Something that works, slowly, steadily, sustainable, holistically and healthfully.

Enjoy a cup of organic, fair trade coffee in the morning if you like.  Drink lots of water throughout the day. And consider drinking a few cups of green tea in the afternoon.  Steaming hot or iced cold, either way green tea is a potent source of healthy antioxidants (catechins) that have been shown to

- inhibit cancer cell activity

- boost immunity

- lower cholesterol

- protect against bacterial infections

- promote joint health and stronger bones

- reduce cellular inflammation linked to premature aging

- enhance the effectiveness of antibiotics

Pretty amazing stuff.

There is quite a difference in taste between brands so experiment a bit until you find one you enjoy.  It is an acquired taste, but well worth the effort.

There is no one diet for all people during all stages of life.  We change, our bodies change, our stress levels vary as does our health, weight and energy. Every so often, it can help to check in with ourselves and see if it’s time to uplevel our diet. Time to incorporate some of the nutrition ideas you have heard about but aren’t sure where to start. Time to sort through the nice to know from the need to know information about proteins, fats, carbs, supplements, antioxidants – and most importantly – what to eat and when.

It’s not about giving up everything you love to eat.  It’s not about going on a diet.  That’s the beauty of having your own personal nutritionist.  I work with you to develop a plan that works for your body, your health goals, your lifestyle and your budget.  So that you have all the energy and vitality to do all the wonderful things you want to do with your life – rather than worry about nutrition.

People compare notes when it comes to metabolism—whether it’s “good” or “bad,” “slow” or “fast.” They are likely referring to how some people can apparently eat anything they want without gaining weight, while others seem to gain weight just thinking about food (actually, there is evidence that some “externally focused” people can start to produce insulin at the sight, smell and thought of food).

Most of us are somewhere in the middle: We will gain weight as we get older, when we are more sedentary, when our eating is nutritionally unbalanced and, for many people, when we are experiencing a lot of stress.

Kinesiologists tell us that our metabolism is affected by many things, including genetics, muscle mass, percentage of body fat and level of daily exercise. It is generally thought that people with more muscle mass have a higher metabolic rate. One of the goals of a healthy exercise program is to build and maintain a healthy ratio of muscle to fat so that you are strong and metabolically “on.”

However, it looks like this isn’t the whole story. There is also growing awareness of many different psycho-spiritual aspects of metabolism.

Marc David, author of The Slow Down Diet, suggests that metabolism is the “sum total of all reactions in the body plus the sum total of all our thoughts, feelings, beliefs and experiences”.

From this perspective, David suggests that we can all increase our metabolism by paying attention to all aspects of our lifestyle, such as slowing down, tuning in and eating good-quality food–so simple and yet so challenging.

Slowing down is a lifelong challenge for a lot of us. We pride ourselves on multitasking and running from here to there when the truth is, we are missing the moments. There is no doubt that stress increases insulin and cortisol, which are both associated with weight gain. Worrying about body fat or nutrition too much can activate the stress response, causing your body to put on fat and retain it. Relaxed, slow eating can short circuit the physiological stress response. This is partly because when we slow down, we breathe in oxygen more fully and burn food more fully.  Our bodies heal and rebalance when we are relaxed.

So take time to slow down for at least one meal each day, remembering to eat while sitting (not standing, driving or walking), without answering the cellphone or emails, reading or watching television. Eating this way can transform your physiology, metabolism, weight and health.

If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold,
it would be a merrier world.

J.R.R. Tolkien

The time will come
when, with elation
you will greet yourself arriving
at your own door, in your own mirror
and each will smile at the other’s welcome,
and say, sit here. Eat.

You will love again the stranger who was your self.
Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart
to itself, to the stranger who has loved you
all your life, whom you ignored
for another, who knows you by heart.

Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,
the photographs, the desperate notes,
peel your own image from the mirror.

Sit. Feast on your life.

Derek Walcott

“A healthy body is a grace. It’s a cosmic and earthly gift. It might even be a privilege. Are you willing to use this gift to give back to the world? Can you see that the body is meant to serve a deeper and more beautiful purpose in life that’s more than just being pretty, skinny or healthy? Yes, it’s great to have personal goals, to feel good, to look the way we want, and to celebrate a little vanity. I’m all for it. But when the majority of our life force is being pumped into diet, exercise, worrying about health, or obsessing about weight – we waste the most important resource we have – our potential.

The world needs you. It wants you, your gift, your talents, your service, your heart, your mind, and your creative potential fulfilled. It needs you to help others in your special way. The world isn’t so interested in whether or not you’ve been eating low fat or high fiber, or if you finally lost the 5 pounds.

So yes, let’s eat healthy, look good, sculpt our bodies and have lots of energy. Just have a beautiful plan of how you’re going to use all that to give respect and honor to the Great Circle of Life.

Good nutrition isn’t just about what goes into the body. It’s also about everything that flows forth from heart and soul, and how we feed and nourish the world.”

Wise Words from a mentor of mine, Marc David, Director, Institute of Psychology of Eating

We each have psychological “raw spots” that are so tender when touched, we can have a very strong reaction.  When our raw spot is touched…

- our emotional reaction is out of proportion to what has happened.

- there is a big sudden shift in emotions and we go from feeling “fine” to feeling “not fine” in an instant.

Psychological raw spots can be directly related to when an important psychological need is being thwarted or ignored in the moment, or can occur when something in the present (usually subconsciously) reminds us of something psychologically difficult from the past.

To find our raw spots we need to notice times when they’re triggered and then try to figure out what about the situation is triggering your raw spot. The following list contains examples of what types of situations might trigger raw spot reactions.

Examples of Raw Spot Triggers

1. When you’re being excluded from a group
2. When someone isn’t valuing you or the work you do
3. When you’ve got an important ambition/dream that other people aren’t interested in or seem to doubt your ability to achieve
4. When a conversation partner is misunderstanding what you’re try to say, or not acknowledging the point you’re making
5. When someone turns away from you physically (e.g. doesn’t respond to your touch, doesn’t give you their full attention while you’re trying to talk)
6. Criticism, jokes, or mocking about something that’s fundamental to which you are as a person
7. When someone tells your feelings aren’t valid or that your feelings are unreasonable
8. When you feel only “conditionally accepted” (as opposed to unconditionally accepted)
9. When you think someone dislikes you or views you negatively
10. When you communicate a need to someone you trust and it gets ignored, minimized, mocked, or criticized e.g. you signal that you need comforting or support and don’t get it
11. When you think someone is judging you as not good enough, worthless, or not as good as someone else
12. When you think someone is trying to control you
13. When you want to explore/take risks and can’t
14. When someone doesn’t appreciate your skills, is not giving you enough autonomy or won’t let you use the skills you have
15. When someone is trying to change you or make you into something you’re not
16. When you’re not believed. When you’re unsure “Will you believe me if I tell you something?”
17. When you’re unsure about whether someone will you protect you from harm or defend you
18. You think someone is telling you don’t deserve something

All of the above are general areas of emotional raw spots. Try to identify the specific trigger situations that activate a particular raw spot.

Raw Spot Emotional Responses

Journalling can help you identify and express which specific emotions you feel when your raw spot gets triggered? Sadness? Anger? Shame? Fear? Rage? Anxiety? A combination of these?

Usually we can recognize one predominant feeling  It will help you deal with your raw spots if you can identify all the emotions you’re having when your raw spot is triggered rather than only recognizing the strongest emotion or not recognizing emotions that are difficult for you to acknowledge.

How do Raw Spots Develop

Often raw spots develop out of a pattern of previous hurts and unmet needs.

Ask yourself – what times in the past did I have similar emotions?

What times in the past were my psychological needs (those related to your raw spot) not met?
Often these memories will relate to times when parents or past relationship partners couldn’t meet your psychological/emotional needs.  The purpose of this exercise is not to assign blame to anyone. The reality is that everybody has experienced times when there was a miss between what was needed and what was available to you.  It is part of our humanity.

How to Deal with Raw Spots

1. Once you know your raw spots you’ll be able to recognize when the strength of your reaction is based on things from the past as well as what’s happening in the present. This can help you have more reasonable expectations in the present because you can remind yourself to separate present/past issues and work on solving the current issue.

2. Raw spot activation can cause very high levels of physiological arousal. Beyond a certain level when people’s emotions are very stirred up they can’t process information or reason effectively.  The activation of your raw spot turns off the thinking/reasoning part of the brain.  We never are wise or kind in those moments.  When you are triggered, get some space from the person or situation triggering the raw spot until the intensity of your emotions subsides. Your emotions will naturally subside (emotions are designed to be temporary) and when they do you’ll be able to get better perspective on the situation and be better able to talk through the issue without being emotionally overwhelmed.

3. Keep trying to communicate the psychological/emotional need underlying your raw spot. Try different ways of communicating and different avenues to get that psychological need met. Try not to take it personally if someone isn’t meeting one of your psychological needs. It might not mean they don’t care. It might be more related to them not having the psychological/emotional skills to respond to you.

4. Counselling can help you understand and emotionally process a raw spot so that it is less reactive, less raw.

A good relationship can help each other overcome past hurts (e.g. resolve past trust issues). When partners can do this for each other, it helps to build relationship closeness.

Everywhere we go today, we are bombarded with nutrition facts and health information. Much of it conflicting and confusing.

The trainer says this but my doctor says that. My friend tried this. I tried that.  Soy is good, now its bad.  Potatoes – depends. Carbs – as long as they aren’t white – unless its low glycemic rice.  And on and on.

That’s why many people decide to consult with a registered dietitian nutritionist.

We are uniquely trained to help you integrate the latest evidence based nutrition information with your own body wisdom, intuition, personal experience, preferences, cravings and traditions. Working together with facts from science and information from your body and your life, we can develop a personalized nutrition plan for you that is healthful, pleasurable and sustainable.”

Thoroughly unprepared we take the step into the afternoon of life;
Worse still,
We take this step with the false asumption that our truths and ideals with serve us as hitherto.
But we cannot live the afternoon of life
According to the program of life’s morning;
For what was great in the morning
Will be little at evening,
And what in the morning was true will at evening have become a lie.

Carl Jung, Stages of Life