Day 19 - Mirror, Mirror On the Wall

Could you imagine watching the scene when an inventor created the first ever mirror?

He is a thirty something Roman citizen with a knack for minerals. Dressed in a white robe with simple leather strapped shoes he stays up through the evening in a dark and cold clay room on the outskirts of Rome mixing solutions, chipping away at rocks and clay, and melting silver compounds in a large cauldron over a fire. He has been commisioned by the emperor to create a mirror that reflects the details of physical existence. In a time when reflection was mystical and skewed off of water, royal curiosity begged for a cemented version of actuality.

What would have happened if this man's solution to make mirrors skewed reality and was in fact incorrect? Was the final draft mirror really revealing the true nature of corporal lives? Like a fun house mirror we would forever be fooled into thinking that we appeared a certain way, when we really didn't. Vanity would eventually become the downfall of all who would look upon this new creation, fabricating emotions and actions from a false pretense.

I do believe that the mirror was a discovery that has been misused and misinterpreted. The Roman inventor of my imagination knew the secret but it was much too complex and far reaching to access for the materialistic people of the time. The mirror is magical and shifts and changes with our perception. He understood that the mirror is beautifully flawed in only one manner; through the observer effect.

In today's time the Observer Effect is a term coined by quantum physicists to explain the dynamic of affecting an outcome by the action of merely observing it. It is thought that before we see something it is in a state of 'superposition' with unlimited possibilities like a blank piece of paper before it has been touched by an artist. Once we observe, though, the state of unlimited possibilities is narrowed into what we place our attention upon. In other words, by being the observer we sculpt the outcome of what we see.

The day before his deadline the inventor was perfecting the last model to show to the consortium of stately  material-connoisseurs. The dark and dreary confines of his small dwelling had taken their toll on him. He had eaten all of his food and used up his initial loan for the project. He was tired and exhausted. As he glued the mirror to a beautiful marble-carved backing he felt a sense of relief. It was finally done. When he angled the mirror, just so, he was taken aback. His eyes were blood-shot and dark circles were beneath folding down with weight. His skin was dry and wrinkled and to him the features on his face suddenly looked oddly placed and foreign. This was a far cry from the initial model that he was so excited about. He had been a enthusiastic salesman, talking up his product to the townspeople with passion for the inspiration and beauty that could be beheld in its form. Now he realized that perhaps he was a bit overzealous. On further investigation he questioned the mirror, "Mirror, mirror on the wall, are you consistent at all?"

In my life the observer effect was noticed subtly. On those days where I was critical of myself and my decisions, the reflection was dire. I would zoom in and angle my face like a cameraman to look at my pores, pimples and blackheads realizing that in fact, from up close I was absolutely terrifying. In contrast, at the end of a wonderful day where I honored and respected my body and had joyful interactions with others what I saw in the exact same mirror was absolutely radiant. What was happening? In the matter of a day I had not lost weight or grown new skin. Was this invention a lie? Were both I and the Roman inventor of my imagination on to something? Had we cracked a secret code?

I began experimenting. I would turn on the shower and take a look at my naked body with my default perspective (this constituted a general respect for my body peppered with critical assertions). My thighs were still full and plump, my belly button slightly skewed and my face tired. Aww, bollocks. Then I would use my time in the shower to transform my state of observation. I would focus on the physical parts of myself that I adored. My collarbone and cheekbones, the deep dark brown of my eyes, my long raven hair, and my strong arms. If it was a day when I was feeling that any physical part of me was flawed I would think about qualities that were not physical. My passion for love, a work ethic that can go into the wee hours of the morning or my sense of humor that is uniquely sick and twisted. Whichever way I would go I would focus on creating an alternate observer experience. The results amazed me.

Stepping out of the shower and looking into the mirror after redirecting my focus was like a night and day difference. My body and face literally changed. I would notice the gleam illuminating off of the water beads on my skin or the way the darkness of my eyes looked deep and transformative. If I was centered on character attributes my body responded as well with a new posture and attitude that enveloped every pore of my skin. There was not a time that I did this exercise where I was not dumbfounded by complete alteration of the reflection.

Beginning to see the power of attention and the observer effect I began giving the exercise to clients. The dynamic was the same. It may have sounded silly at first but upon investigation the findings were astonishing. The reflection in the mirror is only a representation of what we place our attention on. What the mirror reflects changes and is altered in a matter of minutes. The physical self is a hologram that is affected by the programmer; us. And the results seemed to go beyond the confines of the mirror. From doing the exercise the outside world in every form took notice with extra compliments, looks and responses.

Apply the below exercise every morning or evening and see the difference.

Power of Observation Mirror Exercise: Transform Your Body in 5 Minutes

1. Look in the mirror and evaluate yourself like you usually do. Take note of what you see and how you see it.
2. Take minutes away from the mirror to write down or say to yourself what you like the most about your physical and emotional self. If this is initially hard think of compliments that friends, family or even strangers have given you. It does not have to be physical. Any positive trait has the power to transform the reflection.
3. Choose a positive trait that is the most believable and has the most positive power for you. Energize it by seeing it come to life in or on your body. Visualize its radiance and attractive nature. Do as long as you need to for you to feel good in your body.
4. Look in the mirror again with this energy still active. How has your body, face and overall look changed? Is what you are seeing different than step 1?
   

It must have been frustrating for the first care takers of the mirror if they did not understand the power of observation. Like Gollum with the power of the golden ring, they could fall prey to its hypnotic nature and descend into a world of delusion, never knowing or realizing their true beauty.

So here is my challenge for you. Do not use mirrors as a way to monitor your progress. Do not look in bathroom mirrors or at glass windowed store-front to measure your worth. Interact with mirrors using them as a tool to evaluate where your attention lies. Using them as a method to discovering your ability to create will reveal your true unique, one-of-a-kind, never-to-be-replicated beauty or handsomeness.

Nat

Day 18 - Blood Sugar Success

Snow was gently falling outside and only the typing of the keyboard accompanied the fire crackling. The light had already began to fade outside, staging the interior of the house with long shadows and warm flickers of light coming from the wood burning stove. I had just gotten home from work a bit early and dinner was in the oven (potatoes and yams this time). I felt relaxed and at ease.

Not three feet away from me my daughter was pacing. She was walking around the couch in circles like a anvil-slammed cartoon character. Going to her easel she would write a word (fabrizzio, the name of our sociopath cat) and then wander to the other side of the room in pure boredom. She sauntered over to me.

"Mommmmm. When is dinner going to be ready?"

"I don't know. Maybe another half hour?" I replied. She frowned.

"Can we go and put that new board that Santa gave me up in my room."

"No, Camaria. I asked if you wanted to do that earlier and you said no. Now I am busy." She look purely defeated.

"Mommmmmmm!" My evil mom face dawned. It is a mixture of squinting my eyes and clenching my jaw that does the trick.

"No. Be patient and wait." I replied in a low and masculine tone. Her body slumped and took the posture of a victimized little animal. I heard her walk into the bathroom and begin to cry. I jumped up, half with concern and half with pure irritation and entered the room. "Camaria! What is the deal?"

"I don't know." She mumbled as she sobbed into the towel rack, wrapping her head to hide. "I am sad ... and hungry."

"What have you eaten today?"

"All I had was a little smoothie for breakfast and chips and popcorn at grandma's." My mouth dropped.

"That is all you had in nine hours of the day?"

"Yes." Suddenly a flash a memories came forth. The night she came home from a play date in a horrible mood and could not stop crying for no possible reason. The mornings that she would roll her eyes with attitude and drag her feet with any chore. The one-day trips to Ashland or Redding where her and her dad would eat fast food and I my brown bag lunch (which, yes, I do pack on the weekends in the event we go somewhere) and her mood would plummet off a cliff after two in the afternoon. This theme was one of pure common sense. What Camaria was experiencing were classic symptoms of reactive hypoglycemia or low blood sugar. You do not have to be diabetic to have blood sugar issues. In fact it is estimated that anywhere from one quarter to one half of Americans have difficulty processing sweets and refined carbs.

I went to my nutrition library and cracked open some books. You may not want to read through ALL of these but doing so may impact you. Here are the most common symptoms of low blood sugar:

1. Mood swings
2. Temper tantrums
3. Crying spells
4. Drowsiness
5. Overwhelming fatigue
6. Insomnia
7. Waking up exhausted
8. Sweet cravings
9. Sleeping too much
10. Headaches
11. Difficulty concentrating
12. Mental confusion
13. Restlessness
14. Anxiety
15. Depression
16. Irritability
17. Tachycardia (heart palpitations)
18. Dizziness and vertigo
19. Forgetfulness
20. Fainting
21. Light-headedness
22. Nightmares
23. Aching eye sockets
24. Ravenous hunger
25. Severe PMS
26. Unnecessary worrying
27. Feel best after 7pm
28. Digestive problems
29. Muscle pains
30. Joint pains
31. Cold hands and feet
32. Internal trembling
33. Indecisiveness
34. Nervousness
35. Sensitivity to light and noise
36. Peculiar breath/perspiration
37. Lack of coordination
38. Suicidal thoughts or tendencies
39. Anorexia or bulimia
40. Muscular twitching or cramps
41. Antisocial behavior
42. Itching or crawling sensations on the skin
43. Sighing and yawning
44. The shakes

When we eat, foods are turned into blood sugar (in the case of a carbohydrate), fatty acids (from fats) or amino acids (from protein). Blood sugar is the prime form of fuel that our body uses for energy. Although you would think that eating carbohydrates or sugar of one kind or another would give your blood stream the sugar it needs, that could not be further from the truth. Blood sugar stabilization requires a balance of varying nutrients to create a steady and slow incline in energy that does not shock or damage the system.

Think of it this way: if you, like my daughter, just ate a white flour bagel with butter your bloodstream would get an initial rush of sugar (and a little fat). Because the bagel has very little nutrients and has been refined to remove the essential fiber and vitamins and minerals within as short of a time as a half hour to an hour the body may ask for more food. If the brain and nervous system (which has to have energy every 3-4 hours) does not get what it needs it will activate or intensify the above symptoms as a coping mechanism.

Ever been sad or depressed for no reason? Felt like crying, or punching someone in the face out of frustration? Can't concentrate or sleep well? It could be that your body is screaming for steady and reliable nourishment.

With my daughter it is like dealing with any adult. She is thrown into different environments where she has to adjust. She sees uber-healthy mom who has been cycling the same foods over and over again in the past couple weeks. Boring. She stays with grandma who literally only has bananas, toast, nuts, chips, cookies and tamales as her food options and watching TV is the event of the day. Snack heaven. Working with her father, who is notorious for going a whole day without eating because he forgets, has pastries, candies and sugary drinks right next door at the local cafe. Pure treat delight. Sound familiar? Hectic and diverse scheduling impacts us all.

Here are some simple tips to keep your blood sugar stable:

1. Eat Breakfast! It is usually those with blood sugar issues that say they are just not hungry for breakfast and perpetuate the cycle of instability inside the body. Breakfast is literally breaking a fast. If you decide to wait until lunch then you have gone 16 - 20 hours without food. Talk about starvation mode! If eating right when you get up feels difficult start off with a glass of water with lemon juice and bring a hard boiled egg, a baked yam or a smoothie with you that you can have in the late morning on-the-go.
2. Eliminate Free Sugars. Do you love table sugar on your morning cereal or eating candy bars or licorice as a snack? Do you consider hard candy a health food because it has no fat grams? Eating sugary foods (like cookies, ice cream, candy, cakes, pastries, etc.) wreaks havoc on blood sugar and metabolism setting the stage for reactive hypoglycemia. Save these things are purely treats that are eaten in small amounts only after a healthy and balanced meal.
3. Eat Protein/Carb Combos. If you just eat a bagel or some chips like my daughter did you are asking for trouble. Your pancreas will produce tons of insulin to shuffle the unhealthy rush of sugar (from carbohydrate) into your cells and store excess unused portions as fat. Your blood sugar becomes stable when proteins accompany carbs while traveling through the bloodstream (fats do as well but most of us get enough at each meal naturally). Proteins naturally lower the glycemic load (rate of sugar release) of a carbohydrate stabilizing blood sugar; and prolonging energy and fullness. Good rule of thumb on this is to eat two parts carbohydrate to one part protein. This would look like about one fist size of vegetable or grain with a protein like beans/tofu/meat/fish the size of a deck of cards.
4. Eat Whole Grains. White rice, white flour, white bread that make up almost all of the snack foods we consume are used by the body in the same way as pure sugar. Because they have been refined and the healthy fats and fiber removed they enter the bloodstream immediately and send blood sugar skyrocketing only to plummet and starve you soon after. Choose 100% whole grain crackers, breads, bagels, pastas and flours. Steam brown rice instead of white.
5. Balanced Snacks. Just because you are eating a snack does not mean that it should be any less important as a planned out meal. If you have tortilla chips, pair it with hummus or some other bean dip. A piece of toast could become half of a turkey sandwich. Snacks should be thoughtful mini-meals that supply nutrients in equilibrium.
6. Eat 3 Meals a Day and 2 Snacks. I would think of this more as eating 5 balanced meals a day. Your body will be receiving the fuel it needs on a regular basis so that it does not fall into starvation, low-blood sugar mode. If you thrive on 3 regular meals a day, then roll with it but if you are experiencing some of the symptoms above you could benefit from spanning food out throughout the day.
7. Do Not Restrict! I know, I know. I am a Nutritionist so it would make sense for me to restrict calories to get a client to lose weight, right? Wrong! Calorie restriction is counter productive to healing the metabolism and boosting weight management. Instead of restriction choose the healthy food suggestions above in small meals 5-6 times in the day. This will boost fat burning and healthy energy levels.
8. Exercise! If we eat potato chips and then sit and watch TV we are developing blood sugar imbalances simply by not using the fuel properly. Eating without moving our body sends not-so-used sugar into our bloodstream that will get stored as fat and can even cause inflammation that can lead up to 150 health conditions (including heart disease and diabetes). Muscle cells are about eight times more metabolically demanding than fat cells and work to burn fat 24/7. Do weight bearing (or body weight exercises like push ups and squats) to build up this sugar busting tissue.

Blood sugar stabilization is emotional. Our body finally feels that it can trust us to give it what it needs. It turns its factories and inner cell-cities back on knowing that we can support them. Our brain and nervous system are calmed and send out the signal that times are awesome and no famine exists. Our energy improves and our metabolism burns bright and strong. I am painting a picture that is possible by changing your dietary habits and relishing in blood sugar success.

Nat

Day 17 - Pantry Makeover Primer

One of the first steps in improving the health of you and your family is stocking your kitchen full of foods that can be used for delicious and healthy meals and snacks.

As a Nutritionist it is fascinating to open the cabinet and refrigerator doors of strangers and take a look inside a family's dietary life. The most common challenge is the pantry. The pantry has become a set of snack shelves that stores processed foods in pretty packaging. It can look more like a 7-11 then a one-stop-shop to well-being. This storage space is devoted usually more to low nutrient snacks than nourishing meal staples. Chips, cookies, candies, crackers, bread and boxed easy-to-make pastas and canned soups flourish in this non-perishable ecosystem. It is for this reason that so many of the calories come from the confines and corner of these cabinets. It is much easier for a kid to stick their head in a pantry and pull out 20 graham crackers then it is to chop up an apple and spread on some almond butter.

This is not my pantry, but I wish it was!

Before we makeover your pantry I want you to learn something pretty powerful. Food that is in sight is in mind. Food that is out of sight is out of mind. Remember this. In the 1960's researchers at Columbia University did a study on food visibility. What they found was not surprising. When plates of food with aluminum foil covering them were put in front of subjects they ended up eating less. When plates of food with transparent plastic wrap were put in front of other subjects they ended up eating a lot more. We eat more of these 'see-foods' because we think about them more. If unhealthy foods are more convenient, easier to reach and out where we can see them studies show we will eat more of them. If healthy foods are plentiful and visible then results will eventually be seen in their heightened consumption.

This is where a pantry makeover comes into play. What is more accessible and visible in a home than the pantry? It is usually one of the most familiar places in the kitchen for kids and adults alike, more convenient to navigate through without having to touch the broccoli or old salad dressing bottles.

A pantry makeover is essential to increasing vitality with you and your family. The more visible and available the healthy choices are the more they will naturally, without any other action, make their way into your collective family belly.

STEP #1: TOSS THE JUNK!

If you were my client you would become well educated on what ingredients to avoid and how to tell if a product is worth eating for your wellness goals. For the sake of a simple post though, here are some basic tips.

Throw away:

• any package that has an ingredient list as long as your arm (my general rule of thumb for a keeper is a product with 5 ingredients or less)
• anything that has a type of sugar as one of the first three ingredients (with the exception of treats that are for special occasions)
• products that contain any of the following: high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oil of any kind, unpronounceable lab-like names
• bread, crackers or any other flour-derived product that does not have whole grain or 100% whole ____ (wheat, rye, spelt, amaranth, etc.) as the only flour ingredient
• snacks that are not filling and cannot be paired with whole foods (like cheese puffs, pop tarts

STEP #2: SHOP!

Here is an abbreviated healthy pantry list:

• Grains
• 100% whole wheat or whole grain bread
• Whole grain breakfast cereals (follow the throw away rules above and shoot for products that have a minimum of 3 grams of protein and fiber per serving)
• Whole grain flour for baking
• Alternative whole grains like amaranth, quinoa, millet, spelt,
• Popcorn kernels (to be popped in oil on the stovetop)
• Brown rice (both the basic rice and brown rice pasta)
• Whole grain pretzels, crackers, rice cakes
• Legumes
• Canned beans like black beans, pinto beans, garbanzo beans
• Dried beans like lentils, kidney beans, etc.
• Peanut butter (a bean, not a nut) with no sugar or hydrogenated oils on the ingredients list
• Nuts and Seeds
• Nut butters like almond butter, walnut butter, hazelnut butter
• Tahini (sesame seed butter)
• Raw nuts like almonds, pistachios, pecans, walnuts, cashews, pecans, pine nuts etc.
• Pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds
• Dried fruits- No sugar added (have these for snacks, to sweeten cereals or baking recipes or to sprinkle on trail mix, granola or on morning breakfast cereal)
• Coconut flakes
• Dates, mangoes, pineapples, apples, bananas, raisins
• Canned/jarred products (the best way to eat these are fresh or frozen, but some canned can be versatile additions to the diet).
• Tuna, salmon, chicken
• Soups
• Tomatoes
• Applesauce
• Marinara sauce
• Olives
• Capers
• Sun dried tomatoes
• Broth (vegetable broth, chicken broth, bouillon)
• Potatoes (yukon gold, purple, russet, red skin, yams, sweet potatoes)
• Onions and garlic
• Sweeteners
• Maple Syrup
• Local honey
• Dried dates (from above)
• Condiments
• Mustard
• Ketchup
• BBQ sauce
• Herbs and spices
• Vinegar (red wine, apple cider, balsamic vinegar)
• Energy bars (larabars are the best!) - Click here to read an amazing blog by my friend Gina Renee, L.Ac, along with a archived radio program on the subject!
• Baking soda and baking powder

STEP #3: POSITION

Position healthy foods in easier to see places and unhealthy foods (or the treats) in hard to see places.

• Put treats in containers that are not transparent and on the top shelves or near the back. 
• Place the healthy snacks and items label out (with pictures that can entice our imagination) on the most accessible shelves or put them in glass or plastic see-through containers. 
• Make sure that fruits, vegetables and other super fresh foods are on the kitchen counter or table for when the family gets home. 
• Make a point of utilizing one healthy snack pantry item a day by preparing it and placing it out on the table for the family to eat. Take whole grain crackers and spread freshly made hummus on top with a slice of a favorite vegetable. Positioning pantry items with fresh foods in this predetermined way will introduce new food ideas to others in your household and up the nutrient density in their diet.

STEP #4: ORGANIZE & CATEGORIZE

Developing labeled locations in the pantry of food categories is a great way to encourage healthy eating and independent food decisions.

• Make a shelf or section devoted to breakfast choices (healthy cereals, breads, etc.), and one for lunch and dinner choices. 
• Create a section for snacks. If mindless snacking is an issue take the snacks and put them in baggies that are portion sized that family members can take on the run or grab when gentle hunger strikes. This will prevent the mindless eating out of the box or bag and will develop an awareness about quality verses quantity.
• Get creative with this! Does your family LOVE pasta? Have a section for pasta dishes. What about soup? During the winter this can be a great section to entice participation. You can place canned beans, grains and bins of covered potatoes and other root vegetables there so that the kids can choose their favorite items for the weekly soup.
• Using glass or plastic containers can be a God send for healthy eating! How many times have items been pushed to the back of the shelf only to be found years later? When we pour the cereal into a glass container or display all the different nuts in bins instead of the grocery store baggies people are more likely to eat them.
  The dark back confines of the pantry can be a scary place if we do not circulate and utilize its contents every week. When you buy new pantry items put them behind the old ones.

STEP #5: FOOD SUGGESTION CARDS

I cannot tell you how many times I hear from my daughter, 'there is nothing to eat!' Here is a pantry makeover solution to remedy this 'picky eater syndrome:' 

On the designated snack section print out or write on a post-it-note different snack and meal ideas with the items that are present (you can laminate the cards that you use the most often for common staples so that you do not have to do this regularly). Here is an example of a food suggestion card taped to the snack section:

• STOP! Before you eat one of these snacks ask yourself what your body feels like having.
• Look on the counter for fresh fruits that can be cut up and paired with cheese, yogurt or nuts.
• Snacks can also be: half of a sandwich, leftovers from last night, or even a breakfast item.
• Is there a favorite vegetable and dip combo available? 
• Do you feel like any items in the fridge like eggs, sausage, turkey and cream cheese wrap, celery and peanut butter?
• Other suggestions: crackers, rice cake or toast with almond butter, homemade 1 minutes trail mix with favorite dried fruits and nuts, popcorn

The above Food Suggestion Cards labeled and taped throughout the pantry section can develop food decision and preparing skills for your children and the whole family. It will save you time for having to come up with ideas and family members can create their own food suggestion cards and submit them to the pantry once they start using their imagination and love of fresh, whole food!

For more detailed grocery shopping lists, tips on how to read labels and even a personal one-on-one pantry makeover in your own home, visit my site and contact me.

Nat

Day 17 - 5 Steps to Address Helplessness

Our emotions are a huge part of our diet. They not only influence how and what we eat but they also are something that we consume and absorb that either feeds us or depletes us. Just as a beginner learning about nutrition can feel confused and overwhelmed, when we first dive into monitoring and being aware of our emotions we may feel like it is a spontaneous and foreign language spoken by our body. So was the case for me last night.

A mood-theme began. I started to feel helpless. I could not pin point what triggered this solemn mood, although I tried my best. I sat in front of the fire as my daughter circled the room, giggling, playing and trying her best to take advantage of my stunned and immovable mood to stay up later. Every object in the house looked different from this new negative perspective. My daughters toys strewn about the room, overflowing off the window sills, from underneath the couch and on the coffee table were no longer adorable. The new island table that I got to expand the kitchen seemed rather off and out of place. Even the adorable puppy was no longer a source of a gentle joy. She had just eaten cat shit and then licked my face.

When I find myself backed into a melancholy corner I try to talk myself out of it.

"Maybe it is work. I have been working a lot. I also have been putting things off for so long and the amount of things that are on my to do list is astronomical. I am overwhelmed. It could be that I have been trying to remain as stable and solid for the people around me, only to crumble a bit when the pressure is too strong. Perhaps it is physical. Everyone in my family has been sick and my body could be tired from attempting to keep the virus at bay."

It was helpful to realize that there was a lot on my plate and that so many factors could be contributing to my disposition. Yet in spite of all my analyzing none of this reasoning could solve the pit-in-my-stomach feeling of total vulnerability. Why is it that sometimes I cannot will myself back to a place of relief and good-feeling thoughts?

Helplessness is an emotion that has deeper meaning. When we look at the way it makes us feel we learn about its true nature. It made me feel small, inconsequential and humbled. Helplessness oftentimes is the layer beneath fear, anxiety or anger. Fear focuses on a target to run from should we decide to flee. Anxiety creates chaos and business to distract us or deal with the tasks at hand. Anger can force us to take action and make something happen. Helplessness can be the foundation of each one of these emotions because it says to us, 'You are insignificant and lack any power, skill, or ability to influence and take charge of your life.' From there we can conclude that we are in fact helpless or use other emotions (like fear, anger and anxiety) to distract us from the true core belief that has created the emotional imbalance in the first place; that we are victims with no power.

Talking about the subjects that can bring about the feeling of helplessness is pointless because any number of infinite situations and circumstances can do it. It could be as small as a clip on the news or a credit card bill or as large as a death in the family or being sued. The point is that helplessness is derived from a place within us that believes that somehow the scary world will swallow us whole. How do we change it?

The Five-Step Ladder for Empowerment from Helplessness

1.  Is it learned helplessness? Did you learn when you were a child that being helpless and acting like a victim got you attention, helped you avoid punishment or gave you love from others? Acting incompetent, dumb, dependent, inadequate or insecure may be a coping mechanism that you use to deal with uncomfortable situations. If this is a factor, take note and realize that learned helplessness no longer serves you and is now counter-productive in your life to feeling good.
2. Challenge irrational beliefs. Here are some examples:
1. I should always have control over my emotions. -vs- Emotions are an internal gauge that I can use to realize my power.
2. I can't stand feeling out of control or helpless. -vs- I can deal with and learn from any emotion I have.
3. Other people (or the world) needs to change so that I will not feel helpless anymore. -vs- The outside world does not get to decide how I feel inside, only I have that power.
4. If I decide to let go of helplessness than no one will love me or pay attention to me. -vs- I am loved and payed attention to not for my victim-hood but for my unique gifts and talents.
3. Problem solve. A moment of helplessness is merely an indicator that something needs to shift. It could be on the level of thoughts and beliefs as explained in step 2 or it could be that the outward world needs to be shifted around. What action steps could be taken to shift to empowerment? Making a phone call, writing a list, shifting your daily routine, saying 'no,' researching the subject at hand, asking for help or talking to a caring friend or family member may be all you need to recognize the muscle of resolution that you naturally possess.
4. Soothing self-talk. Imagine that you are talking to yourself like you would talk to a child, friend, loved one or someone in need of affectionate understanding. What would you say? What advice would you have to give? How could you shift the energy from helplessness to empowerment? For example, one could say, 'This will pass. It is temporary. You are going to be alright. I know you can find a easy and flawless solution.'
5. Recognize perceived helplessness. True helplessness occurs when things are truly unchangeable and not fixable. This is rare. Perceived helplessness is when we think that we have to accept the cards that we were dealt when in fact solutions do abound. Before you throw up your hands ask yourself what would happen if you changed your attitude, perspective or looked at the situation as a gift; teaching you a valuable lesson? Is there anything you are learning from this situation or a reward that may come to you way down the line because of being in this particular classroom of life?

I went through the above five steps and was able to transform my helplessness into empowerment. I asked myself whether the energetic lull was perhaps an attempt at gleaning attention and sympathy from those around me (a little, yes). I identified my irrational belief that there is not enough time or energy and replaced it with new beneficial ones (There is an abundance of time and energy to achieve what I desire). I problem solved by engaging in tasks this morning that I know feed and nourish me (exercising and preparing healthy food for the whole day), and by making the intention of moving life around a bit for relaxation's sake. By the time I reached step four I was in no more need of help. I was able to move through the block and enjoy the day.

Honing in on food when we feel helpless is a no brainer for most of us. The shopping, choosing, preparing, cooking, tasting, restriction, or chewing and swallowing of it gives us a sense of temporary control. It cakes over the powerless feeling just enough to redirect our attention to our body. If we can do whatever we want to it then we are the boss. Going down the path of using food as therapy is tricky. We can end up not only helpless to the things we have been pushing down below the surface but also helpless to extra weight, lack of confidence or attractiveness, low energy and even disease.

Instead of using food or ruining your day (or maybe even week or month if you like to dwell) to deal with the emotion of helplessness use the Five-Step Ladder for Empowerment Exercise next time you feel helpless and notice the immediate results.

Nat

Day 16 - Are You A Fattist?

Last year in my daughter's elementary school I would volunteer my time in the classroom. I began to see some interesting themes in social behavior among the children. Even in first grade there was an exclusion of some kids or perhaps merely an affinity for others. One girl stood out in her struggle to be accepted. Lets call her 'Ann.' She was a kind and generous six-year-old who would make a point of hugging me every day when I came in like I was a long lost friend. On field trips we would sit next to each other on the bus and chat about her large and very interesting family, her parents work schedule and what she thought about living near a volcano. I just adored her open and giving nature. Out on the playground I watched her, expecting her jovial and outgoing personality to reveal itself among her peers. She wandered around a bit on the pavement hovering on the outside of click-like groups only to decide to sit under a tree and dig pictures into the soil. She did not have very many friends. Not even my daughter. She seemed lonely and lost. She also happened to be overweight.

As a society we have moved forward by leaps and bounds to observing equality among sex, race, religion and creed. We pride ourselves in seeing past diverse variations and connecting on a higher level. So it may  come as a surprise that even the most educated, open-minded and evolved of us may have deep-rooted prejudices against one physical condition: obesity.

Fatism is discrimination based on a person's weight. You may think that you and your immediate circle of friends are immune but I have to tell you, when I recently took a look around and evaluated the people in my life, I was surprised.

As a child my father always had the habit of somehow mentioning a person's weight or body profile in his descriptions or updates:

"How is Aunt Betty?" I would say

"Oh, Natalie. She is just in bad shape. Probably 250 pounds now."

A boss whom I adored would always show an aversion to female customers who were overweight. During conversations his distaste with women who did not 'take care of themselves' was an issue of extreme disgust. I could see obvious differences in our service based on his beliefs.

Stopping at a cross walk would bring up overt and rude comments from my guy friends, 'SHE did not wave?! Too lazy and fat to even notice.' Going in to Wal-Mart or driving past any fast food joint instigated a onslaught of comments.

Nutrition mentors and colleagues of mine have made comments on how they perceive there to be a link between being overweight and having character flaws. They have commented on how when they see that a client is very overweight they have immediate personality judgments and conclusions based on that fact.

In the media and entertainment industry it is no better. If an actress decides to wear a bikini on a body that is not gym-seasoned the tabloids plaster insults in every magazine and periodical they can find. And people buy it!

Fattism even permeates our professional environment. In a recent work-place survey published in the UK they found that 93% of bosses preferred to a hire a thin worker and only 7% would employ an obese one.

Are you a fatist? Answer any of these questions to ascertain whether you have a prejudice against the overweight condition:

1. Do you feel that anyone who is fat is unattractive?
2. When you meet someone who is overweight do you make assumptions about their personality, life or worth because of it?
3. Do you think that others being fat has a negative impact on you (economically, socially, etc.)?
4. Do you get angry at people who exhibit extra amounts of weight because you think they live a careless and gluttonous lifestyle?
5. Do you think you are better, more successful or more attractive because you weigh less than someone else?

Here are some of the common arguments I have heard to justify judgment of obesity along with my retort:

•  It is a representation of physical and emotional toxicity.
•  This can be true. In fact most, if not all, people who are overweight use food as a destructive way to express how they feel about themselves and the world. It can overtly represent an internal emotional condition of sadness, anger or lack of self-love. Yes, adipose tissue (or fat tissue) in the body can be stubborn and stick in a toxic system. The same is true though for anyone with any weight. Being too thin, having dry skin, acne, eczema, gray hair, wrinkles or crooked teeth (like me!) can all be a sign of toxicity or imbalance. Being fat is just another physical experience of learning how to be healthy like any other manifestation of physical imbalance.
•  It is a sign of laziness, lack of will power or some other character flaw.
• "Put the fork down!" is a key phrase in one of Denis Leary's stand up shows. He could not be more wrong. Some of the most committed, strong and intelligent people also happen to be overweight. Lack of health in this area is not because a person was born with a mental deficiency. The hunger and need for nourishment can be so urgent and strong that the appetite can never be quenched until the core issues of emotional love and a nutrient-dense diet can be addressed. Maybe some people who are hefty could also happen to have negative character traits but so do supermodels, CEO billionaires and the everyday thin person. Experiencing an overweight body is not synonymous with any negative character trait.
• Fat people are expensive to our health care system.
• Old people, athletes and type A personality stress-cases are expensive to our health care system, too. I understand that personal responsibility when it comes to health is necessary. Many of us are addicted to being in victim-hood about our current disease, condition or state of imbalance. It is upsetting when solutions exist but we are not ready or have not found the right path to become empowered and live up to our full potential. With all of that said, though, we exist in an out-of-whack society that places emphasis on externalizing solutions instead of embodying them. Being fat is not what is expensive to our health care system. It is the belief that we are victims to disease or aging that is.
• I am just 'observing' or noting the obvious.
• It makes sense to observe and describe what you see. Observation can be very beneficial. You can notice that someone looks a certain way without making conclusions from only that vantage point. It is when descriptions take a big leap based on only the physical factor that it becomes a prejudice. For example, if you meet an old friend that has become very overweight and you are describing this to your spouse it is understandable to mention that along with the other things you discovered about the person (how welcoming and nice they were, their career and family, etc.) it was surprising how different they looked. It is when the majority of your conclusions about the experience are based on their physical state that it is fattism. When we make the choice to see only one dimension of a person we are no longer observing. 

As a Nutritionist addressing fatism is a subtle line. Being obese is not healthy. It ups our risk of certain cancers, heart disease and diabetes. It can deeply impact our quality of life and our most vital and important self-worth. Being obese, though, is not an innate defect. It is just another life experience that we are to learn from. 

Little Ann from elementary school may have the short end of the stick through her adolescence because she is wearing her unique lessons outwardly on her body for the world to see. Many of us do not have to bare that burden.

The next time you find that you are judging an overweight person (or yourself!) remember this one quote (from my hilarious husband): "Why judge a person on the way they look when people give us plenty of material based on their true character?"

Nat

Day 15 - My Perfect Imperfections

Last night we piled into the local movie theater to see the new movie, The Fighter. Christian Bale should no doubt get an Oscar for his portrayal of a crack addict and Mark Wahlberg's acting is the best I have ever seen from him; vulnerable and strong as Boston boxer Micky Ward. Yet oddly enough the actor that impacted me the most was Amy Adams. My daughter and I knew this natural red head from the movie, Enchanted and the romantic comedy Leap Year; in both polished and decked out in high heels, picture perfect hair and make up. In The Fighter though she bravely bared an exposed physicality. In her first scene the midriff she was wearing revealed a cute and slightly pudgy stomach as she poured drinks at the local bar. Her fair-skinned complexion was portrayed in a raw and candid manner. I felt as if she was accessible, sitting there right in front of me without any boundaries. She was pure and real.

What was amazing was that she was more attractive without the glam and shine of bubble-gum story lines. She did not have the flawless, airbrushed skin or a smooth and unblemished silhouette. Her body was not like the typical Hollywood starlet - it was unrefined and honest. Yet the bare imperfections created a level of truth that was hard to turn away from; in fact her natural unadulterated beauty was transfixing. As I walked to my car I thought: The more life experience I gain the more elusive the definition of beauty and sex appeal becomes. It is not a clothing or bra size - it can not be defined by the youth or smoothness of the skin - it is never pinned down by weight, BMI or body fat percentage. Beauty is relative to what we value. 

Years ago when I was a teenager living in the bay area I would walk to the local cafe every morning that looked over the water. Sitting at the corner table I would watch the elite-dressed city workers pull up in their Mercedes and BMWs and shuffle in with their briefcases and sickeningly matched gray tone business suits. I was both perplexed and curious about the facade of city living. I wondered one thing: if everyone had an ideal of attractiveness does that mean I should naturally follow suit? If everyone valued Gucci sunglasses, lacrosse athleticism and trendy yoga bodies where did my seasoned and used body fit in (even at the age of 15)?

One day a woman came into the cafe. She was probably in her late 30's with raven black hair that curled slightly at the ends. The New York Times that I was pretending to read for maturity's sake lowered slowly like a curtain revealing a new scene. She was thick with thighs that curved their way out of a short black skirt. Small cellulite dimples emerged as she erotically moved her hips, almost dancing her way across the floor. Her stomach peeked out slightly above the skirt revealing a receptive and soft abdomen, with no specific or familiar tone. I was mesmerized. This woman was so different. She bore her whole being without a qualm and because of this her beauty was unparalleled to anyone in the room. Instead of fighting to squeeze her one-of-a-kind physical flesh into a box, she embraced every square inch of her existence without limitation. And you could tell. Everyone in that room did. She was like Mona Lisa. There was something about her that you could not quite figure out. Whatever it was, though, transformed the observer.

I have had many experiences like the above throughout my life. The most erotic, sexual, radiant and beautiful are also the most unusual, accessible and flawed.

When did we begin to value a certain physical blueprint above another? Why do we try to erase wrinkles, cellulite, curves and stretch marks? Wouldn't it make sense that as we age we gain wisdom and experiences that are displayed on our body that heighten our worth? 

There is a certain comfort that is sourced from striving to be like others and to follow the path of what has already been done (or has already been striven for). It is much more comfortable to bear a watertight bikini body than it is to reveal the candor of our faulty life experience on our skin personified. It may seem easier at first to reject and fight our body than to accept and love it.

Ask yourself, though, one question: what is attractive to you in your everyday life? Is a toned and muscular body synonymous with a life mate? Do double D boobs constitute a woman of motherly and kind affections? Absolutely not. Why judge ourselves on the level of the physical when the physical is just an illusory layer to draw us into the deeper attractions of being?

Every one of us have imperfections that we are insecure about. Yet it is these flaws that are the key to discovering our own mouth-salivating eroticism and energetic appeal. What we reject the most about ourselves is precisely what makes us the most beautiful. 

The stretch marks on my lower stomach are a road map of my journey as a young and excited mother, my slightly deflated breasts impart the knowing that I have given of myself and fed my daughter. Broken blood vessels on the side of my nose from the long sunny days scrubbing my fathers boat and chubby knees and full thighs are evidence of the desire to consume the joy and pleasure of life. My enhanced-surface-area bum is a genetic gift that my mother said is designed for the skills and strength of Irish farming while my small and quiet mouth displays my fear of speaking out, only to unload on paper.

Every mark, scar and misshapen part of us actually creates a new world of alluring possibility.

Take the physical parts of you that you are less than confident about and ask the following questions about it to realize its true contribution:

• What physical function does it serve (legs that carry you, arms that reach out, etc.)?
• What direct enjoyable experiences have you had with it?
• Why does it look different or altered? 
• What have you learned through the use of it?
• What character traits does it inhabit (legs that are strong, thick - belly that is boisterous and open)?

Let us love every single imperfection that we have because they truly are a seamless thread in the canvas of our life experience.

Nat

Day 14 - The Secret to Overeating

Have you ever come home after a long day at work so famished that you feel like you could eat 10 plates of food? Or maybe by lunch time your mouth is salivating at the thought of any and all consumables in close proximity and the vending machine becomes your savior. Your hunger is so vast that you end up eating through a meal, travel into dessert and still do not feel satisfied until your tummy is distended and too full. This experience is not because you do not have enough will power or that somehow you are deficient in some character trait - it is simply the product of a biochemical process that sets you up for an inevitable meal overdose.

When you eat in this state I call it instinctual hunger sabotage. The common stage of events goes like this: you skip meals, snacks or go long periods of time without food (because you are 'dieting,' too busy or forget). Inside your body something profound and powerful is occurring. Because your brain needs nutrition every two to four hours (depending on your blood sugar regulation) it is prepared to send out a cascade of signals and hormones to get you to provide its energy needs. Red-flag hunger is the result. Your body is in a state of urgent panic and starvation mode sets in. When you finally do eat you make up for all those fuel-less moments by gorging endlessly on large amounts of food. No longer are your gently surveying the foodstuffs you can consume. You are now on high alert and are going to make decisions from a place of urgency and lack.

Did you think that skipping meals or restricting food was not a big deal? Well, it is to the cells inside of you and it does not take much to activate your physiological starvation mode. No one is immune to instinctual hunger sabotage. No one.

Last night we went to a friends house for a Christmas dinner. I ate a good amount of food (the spaghetti squash and marinara was amazing!) around 5pm but by the time we got home at 8:30pm I was low blood sugar and high desire for anything to nourish my body. I ended up having two full plates of food. At first I was wondering why. On closer inspection of my day, though, and nailing down the time-frame details of my diet it all became clear. By the time I got home my body was in the middle of setting off the internal red flag alarm for fuel and every cell got the message.

Some people can eat 3 meals a day and be fine but most need a more frequent influx of nutrients to keep them from dropping too low into instinctual hunger. Here are my tips for keeping the inner out-of-control hunger alarm from going off:

1. Eat breakfast: You may think that skipping breakfast is good for your waistline but it has actually been shown in studies that if you skip breakfast you are 450% more likely to be overweight! You are breaking the fast from the night before and your body needs fuel to be able to approach the day's needs gently without having food cravings and making unwise food decisions on the run. 
2. Eat three meals a day: Giving yourself food at regular intervals boosts your metabolism and establishes a level of trust between you and your cells. Your body will not freak out as much if it knows it can trust you to give it balanced meals throughout the day.
3. Snack: In-between-bites will keep your hunger from skyrocketing to such high levels that you cannot calm your response. 
4. Prepare: Make sure that you prepare for each day by packing a lunch and numerous snacks with you. I keep extra food on hand at work, in my purse and in my car should I ever get stuck late at work or in need of a pick-me-up. This is absolutely key.
5. Hydrate: Our bodies are made up of 75% water. We need water on a regular basis for energy and metabolism. Oddly enough one of the first signs of thirst is not a dry mouth; it is being hungry. Make sure to drink a glass of water before every meal or snack to fulfill your hunger needs. 

In the case of the Christmas party last night, I very well could have brought my own dishes to the party (not just beer!) to know that I had something I would love to eat to nourish myself. I could have restocked my purse with fruit, nuts and dried meats to have on hand if I needed a quick snack in the later evening. I also could have made it a point to drink water more frequently to give my body the energy it needed. I was reminded from last night's experience that no matter how much nutrition information I know, how many man hours I have of awake eating or how many hours of counseling I have under my belt - the instinctual hunger drive can infiltrate my life if I do not take heed to the above. 

Remember that withholding or restricting food is not the key to health. The key to vitality is nourishing yourself to the point that it is expected by every cell in the body. 

Nat

Day 13 - Healthy Treats Without the Holi-Daze!

This Christmas morning I was bundled up in bed. I like putting the covers just slightly over my face, a little over my mouth, to keep my warm breath lingering on my skin before it evaporates into the crisp air. I could hear the shuffled movement in my daughter's room. If my keen mother-hearing was correct she was half out of the bed, peering out her window. The night before we had talked about the importance of 'sleeping in' to ensure that Santa was truly gone. She obviously took it to heart. It was past 8AM, which must be a record.

Her footsteps were deliberately avoiding the rough and creaky spots of the floor as she tip toed out of her room. She stopped. I smiled in my half sleep state, knowing that her vision was focused my way. She was no doubt wondering whether I was awake and if she should go up and take a peek at the tree. I quietly peeked over the blankets to see her walking like the pink panther with a bare bum (she had only the top of her pajamas on because she hates feeling constricted with pants at night) and let out a little giggle.

"Cammie," I whispered as my husband churned a bit next to me. "Go upstairs and see if Santa came." She nodded and rushed upstairs in a rather gentle panic. The wrapped-in-blankets-burrito-body laying next to me groaned. "Aren't you going to get up? It is Christmas!" I said sarcastically. He was raised in a Jewish/New Age household that had no concern for the dead-tree and red-cloaked-fat-man tradition. In fact soon after we found out I was pregnant we got in our first parenting argument years ago; whether to celebrate Christmas. 'LYING to our daughter about something so ridiculous! Why?' he would ask.

Cammie ran down the stairs, with a hurried and stark whisper. "Mom! Santa came!" Moments like this make the seeming fairy tale nature of the myth worth it. Watching the ones I love peel back the layers of wrapping and seeing what mysterious gifts exist is priceless. I see the relevance of this day cascading into all areas of life; if we can tear open the unknown and be delighted by what we see then we can do that with every experience in our day.

A common issue with the holiday in general is expectation (and subsequent disappointment) and obligation to consume the standard traditions in food form. If we cave in to the accepted behavior we may end up feeling depleted by the holidays rather than uplifted by it. Many do not consider that their dread for this time of year could simply be because they abuse their body every time and end up worse off. 

The key to enjoying the holidays is keeping your body healthy and your emotions stable through healthy, awake eating. To be able to absorb all the wonders that it has to offer you, your body must be receptive to good; not occupied with feeling sick, tired or stuffed. 

The chocolates, candies, cakes, pies, gravy, meats and casseroles speckle our counter tops and dining room tables. The abundant feasts of food are the centerpiece at every party. How can we enjoy sweetness and sustenance without putting ourselves into a junk-food daze? At my house nourishing treats are a prime focus. You can have your cake and eat it, too.

Last night I made two batches of treats to have this morning. My focus was making nutrient-rich, healthy, chewy, warm and delicious treats that could be eaten as a decadent breakfast with a warm cup of spicy tea. They are treats that add a deposit into the body, rather than taking anything away from it. And they truly taste like the real thing! The following recipes are 'raw' and require no cooking, although they can be warmed or dehydrated if you like. Here they are with pictures and all:

  No-Bake Gingerbread Ball Cookies   
 (Enzyme, fiber and EFA rich for beautiful skin, energy and delight)

2 cups of soaked and rinsed almonds, ground into flour in a blender
1/2 cup of ground flaxseeds
2 T molasses
2 T honey or 4 soaked dates
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/2  teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground clove
1 T water

Directions: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and incorporate with spoon or hands adding water if you need it. Knead until smooth and a nice gingerbread color. Take a tablespoon and begin making gingerbread balls that you then squish down a bit to make disks. Place in a dehydrator on 105 degrees (or on a low setting in your oven with the door ajar) to make slightly warm or place in the freezer and eat raw!

When my husband saw this picture, his response: "Buns? These do not look like cinnamon buns."

  Raw Gooey Cinnamon Buns
(my favorite holiday treat!)
(Recipe courtesy Gina Renee, L.Ac.)

1-1/4 cup of soaked and rinsed almonds, ground into flour
1 cup ground flax seed
1-1/4 soft pitted dates (that have been soaked for an hour)
1/4 cup water (or more if needed)
1/4 cup softened coconut oil
1/4 cup raisins
2 T ground cinnamon
1 T additional coconut oil melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
A pinch of sea salt

Directions: Mix the almond meal, ground flaxseed, 1 T cinnamon, sea salt and a pinch of vanilla in a bowl. Process the dates, 1/2 of the raisins, water and vanilla into a paste in a food processor/blender/or with your elbow grease :). Remove half of the paste mixture and add it to the dry ingredients along with the 1/4 cup coconut oil. Mix this with your hands until it forms a dough. Spread the dough out on a piece of parchment paper and shape into a 1/4 inch thick rectangle.

Take the rest of the date paste, add the remaining raisins, 1 T cinnamon and 1 T coconut oil. Process until smooth paste. Then, spread into a thin layer onto the dough. Using the parchment paper to help hold everything together, roll the dough into a log. Chill in the freezer and then slice into 1 inch round rolls. Eat fresh and raw or put in a dehydrator overnight (what I did!) and eat them warm in the morning! Yum!

Enjoy and Happy Holidays!

Nat

Day 12 - High Intensity Interval Training

I am kind of a exercise junkie. If a infomercial is 'accidentally' making its way into my living room it may very well sell me. I have tried P90X, Windsor Pilates, Power Yoga, TaeBo, Rebounding and the basic gym membership with equipment galore. I received decent benefits from every single thing I have tried but there was always a level of resistance by my body that I can not explain. I would be able to target certain areas but to create the body 'unit' that I desired, along with the qualities of strength, agility and tone; I was missing something.

It was a fluke YouTube click (I could not resist) of a picture of a muscle-laden, boobs-squished-up-to-her-ears beauty that began my journey into physical excellence. Her name is Zuzana from Bodyrock.tv. Early on in her videos her workouts were based on only body weight exercises but they have now evolved into incorporating optional equipment. Regardless, this is what is now being coined at the 'Home Workout Movement' and it is gaining quite a reputation.

I think my husband thought I was somehow embracing a hidden bisexual tendency or something. Every morning the computer screen would be screening a peepshow of her next workout video, gasping and rasping sound effects and all. Yet there is no denying its effects. It makes you want to get off your butt and become a champion.

There is a moment when you find a way of moving your body that resonates so deeply that the results and benefits bypass any experienced before. For whatever reason Zuzana's program is it right now. I have finally seen amazing results that I never thought possible.

Here are the highlights of why Bodyrock.tv is an amazing body-sculpting regimen. 

#1: Tabata Method (High Intensity Interval Training): This is an exercise strategy that is characterized by short and intense workouts ranging in length from 9-20 minutes. The idea is that instead of working out at low or medium intensity (like most cardio programs) for long spans of time, you work at your maximum level for short bursts, followed by a brief rest period.

Studies have shown some amazing findings with the Tabata Method and H.I.I.T. One study demonstrated that 2.5 hours of interval training produced similar effects as 10.5 hours of endurance training. It has also been shown that HIIT increases your RMR (the rate of your metabolism when you are resting) for the following 24 hours. During traditional cardiovascular workouts, calories are burned only during the workout whereas HIIT can boost metabolism for up to 24 hours after a workout. This is huge! Doing HIIT workouts helps the body retain and build muscle mass while traditional cardio can break down muscle after 40 minutes of a moderate-intensity cardio workout. HIIT creates lasting changes in the physiological profile of the body, in favor of muscle building, fat burning mechanisms.

#2: Time & Convenience: 20 minutes a day to a new, sculpted body? Yes!

I was so used to devoting hours to my workouts that I was at first wary of bringing it down to just 20 minutes a day. Yet because of the above benefits it works.

It is no wonder that most people are not achieving their body goals. If you walk into a gym and look around at the people on the treadmills, stair climbers or weight lifting stations, no one is really working out. They may be moving their bodies but are not moving at an intensity that truly impacts metabolism. Intensity in short intervals is time saving and more effective.

#3: Athleticism: Because most sports rely on short bursts of energy followed by lulls HIIT is used in fitness centers as the cutting edge approach to therapeutic performance training. If you want to perform better in these areas, HIIT is for you.

Also, Zuzana's exercises are not focusing on just one part of the body. She focuses on using the body as a whole unit. When you do the exercises like Zuzana they are a full body conditioning system that connect and strengthens the whole body of musculature.

#4: Inspiration: Zuzana may at first blush seem like a perfect body on display for sexual attention but if you really watch her work out you may be surprised. Her form is perfect, her conviction miraculous. Every exercise that she does she commits to with her whole body. You can see every muscle fiber be challenged no matter what movement is being performed. By the time you have watched the series of exercises you want to emulate the inner resolve by doing them yourself.

Zuzana's body is amazing. It is not something to use as measure of your progress or worth but rather as observing the potential of the human body in general. There is nothing insignificant about being inspired by someone who looks good. Admiration is a profound tool. When we have a teacher that inspires us just by their existence (either because of their physical body or energy) we are able to achieve greater possibilities in our own lives.

One Caveat: HIIT is grueling and intense. If you have any medical condition make sure to consult with your health care practitioner before beginning this routine. Take care to maintain impeccable form to protect and safeguard your joints. 

Click on the link here to be taken to Zuzana's Bodyrock.tv website. This is what I do everyday. Be gentle and start off slow if you are just beginning to exercise. If you are an avid competitor you can dive into the community and post your daily scores.

In brief here is my daily workout regimen:

• 12 - 20 minutes of HIIT with Bodyrock.TV
• 40-50 push ups randomly at work whenever I get a chance
• Every other day additional Ab routine exercises

 Become a Bodyrocker and see amazing results!

Nat

Day 11 - S.A.D. State of Affairs

Shipping a package off yesterday at the post office I was dazed out in line playing with my feet. I like alternating putting all my weight on my left side and then my right side. Then I try to distribute my weight evenly and flex my legs. I wonder if anyone notices. I looked up at the ceiling. I remember a ceiling like this. High school? Off-white squares with a bunch of holes spanning across the length and width. I used to get bored in class and look up at this monotonous architecture wondering who designed it and why. If I threw a pencil up there at just the right angle, could I get it to stick?

Ahead of me in line was an elderly woman, a good 3 inches shorter than me. Her gray and white thinning hair was perfectly combed and placed back in an antique butterfly barett, attempting to hide a slightly balding spot on her scalp. That morning she had put obvious care into matching her cream colored cardigan with her khaki slacks. As she slowly moved forward to the next window she began a conversation.

"Hello Jan! Can you believe this weather? I woke up to a driveway full of snow!" She said with hilarious preparedness. The man behind me chimed in.

"It is starting, isn't it!" The woman turned around and smiled.

"I wonder if it will be like last year, where we will get five feet in a couple of days. I do not know if I could stand it."

"I know! I checked the weather this morning and it looks like we are going to get a big storm system coming in Sunday and Monday. We are sure in for it. "

"Oh, bother. I just wish we could get through this faster." She turned back to the cashier to thumb through the different types of stamps she could purchase.

Winter. No one wants it, likes it or can stand it. I overhear conversations at the grocery store, movie theater and in passing on the street; no matter where I go the general consensus on this season is drab. It is inconvenient, dark, depressing and can only be tolerated by the strong and able.

A new disorder that has gained a reputation in the health field is Seasonal Affective Disorder (or S.A.D.). It is a mood disorder characterized by depressive symptoms most often in the winter. When I assess what I hear around town it appears that most everyone has this 'disorder' to some degree. The symptoms can include difficulty waking up in the morning, morning sickness, tendency to oversleep as well as to overeat, craving for carbohydrates, withdrawal and pessimism.

In the nutrition world it is thought that the above experience could be due to a lack of Vitamin D, nutritional deficiencies from not eating a diet as fresh and varied as in the summer and lack of exercise. I conjecture whether my vigilance with my body is why I am not on the rough side of the fence.

As I walk out of the post office building the wind is tunneling through the parking lot. The clouds are so low that it feels as though I have just stepped out into a larger room. My boots crunch on frozen corrals of snow that have cemented the tracks of cars and feet. Winter to me feels like magic. The snow or rain calms the streets to a hum and even the simple act of walking through the air conjures up a feeling of being crisply alive. The skin resisting the air, the small sounds of sloshing, dropping and swooshing echoes through the senses. At home at night when all the lights are off and I lie in bed winter comforts and holds me dear with her solitude and guiding hand, pushing me inward deeper into myself.

Why is it that we have become so accustomed to refusing the joys of winter?

This holiday I have yet to experience the blues. Do I like chopping wood in frigid air? Not all the time. Is it enjoyable to wake up and step onto a frozen floor? I dread it. Yet somehow winter forces me to be empowered and take the reigns on my life more than any other season. Winter requires us all to be vigilant about our needs and wants and to bring light into darkness. She is teaching us to create our own reality; a reality that takes precedence over what we our given.

My winter routine varies. I always exercise every morning. This morning I jump roped. I can feel the heat my body creates pulse outward as my heart rate goes up. I can feel myself creating my own atmosphere as the room no longer feels empty and cold and is inhabited by my intention.

I dress with joy, layering scarves and sweaters that cushion my body and make me smile.

I take supplements (Vitamin D included) and drink a lot of water.

I eat foods that are fresh and warm. This morning I had a creamy and decadent baked yam mixed with a baked purple potato, drizzled with olive oil, sea salt and some nutritional yeast.

I only read books and watch programs that inspire and delight me.

I stop and listen no matter where I am to winter knocking on the door beckoning me to come and play.

If you suffer from the possible symptoms of S.A.D. remember one powerful concept: you are responsible for your health. What have you done today for creating warmth in your life? Do you allow your schedule to be constituted by the outside world, or do you let your own desire sculpt your day?

S.A.D may affect us simply because we have not learned how to create warmth from the inside, outward. We may be so used to getting a fix from our environment that we have forgotten how to give to ourselves and produce our own inner sun. Here are my top tips for creating your own heat and liveliness in your winter life:

• Move your body everyday, no exception. 
• Take on winter sports. Skiing, snowshoeing, hockey or just running.
• Exercise indoors by joining the gym or buying workout DVDs.
• Buy a raincoat and other winter gear to invest in getting out in nature no matter what conditions exist.
• Go to bed earlier and take lulls as an opportunity to catch up on sleep.
• Focus on fresh and in season produce in the winter to give you the mood and brain-boosting nutrients you need.
• Turn off the TV and pursue a hobby that you have been putting off because of time. Painting, writing a novel, crafts, quilting, cooking; you name it. 
• Take Vitamin D and Essential Fatty Acid supplements to support balanced winter moods.
• Invite friends over for dinner parties or other events.
• Enroll in a college class.

Winter does not have to be a sad state of affairs. It can be a season that you treasure every year for the strength and resolve it builds in your being.

Cheers to winter!

Nat

Day 10 - Lucy or Basil: Which One Are You?

I have two dogs. They both represent parts of me.

Lucy is a 7 year old black lab, Australian Shepard mix. She is protective, incredibly smart, sometimes aggressive and controlling. She was abandoned as a baby and shuffled to the pound where she lived until she was nearly one. When I first brought her home I had a box of crackers in the car. I gave her one. She proceeded to stick her head in the box and eat the whole thing in a matter of one minute. Lucy is an unconscious eater.

Basil is a 8 month old Mini Australian Shepard. She is loving, active and searching for fun all the time. The day we went to get her she was running around on an acreage with her puppy siblings, stopping every now and then to drink milk from her mother. The first time I fed her she ate slowly, darting out of the bowl and dashing to the prancing-by cat to play, then coming back in increments to finish her meal. Basil is a more conscious eater.

This morning I fed my dogs like I usually do. Lucy shoveled the food in her mouth in 30 seconds flat. Basil slowly journeyed through her bowl in 4 minutes (with Lucy hovering above for any leftovers). As I watched them I realized that the psychology around eating is so very interesting and complex. These two dogs have had entirely different upbringings and life experiences and so they have developed varying attitudes and behaviors surrounding food.

Lucy represents the part of all of us that has been wounded, rejected and disregarded. We eat fast, urgently and without awareness. We think that someone else might take our food away and we could miss out or starve. Or maybe we feel that if we eat fast enough we will be able to get back to the tasks and jobs that need our attention and control (or else!). The more food the better is our mantra. If a large pot of food that does not taste good is left over, we eat it anyway. Perhaps we have conditioned ourselves to 'clean the plate' no matter what because we believe that being wasteful is a mortal sin. We can become Lucy if we have acquired the belief in life that there is not enough to go around. We are afraid that there is not enough sweetness, substance, beauty or abundance to feed ourselves.

Basil represents the part of us that has been loved, cared for and nurtured. We eat when we are hungry and stop when we are full. We know that if something else takes our attention away that there will always be more food. We understand that food is only one part of the fun and joy of life. Sometimes we want to eat a lot and sometimes only a little. We honor our body and realize that its needs are constantly changing. We can become Basil if we have acquired the belief that life is brimming with experiences, material and matter that excites and feeds us. We believe that we have the ability to be fed by living as a whole.

Who do you relate with more? Lucy or Basil?

Can you recall certain memories from the past that have impacted your beliefs surrounding food and life? Are you aware that you can become the type of eater that you want if you replace the old beliefs with new ones?

Sometimes I can still have a Lucy day (like yesterday!) where I unconsciously eat but most days now are filled with a desire to slowly enjoy and revel in the pleasure of food and my body. We can exhibit both of these food personalities but the point is be an inhabitant more in the conscious rather than unconscious side. It is a gradual process of orienting your thoughts into the direction of what feels good. Here are some examples:

• I should only eat ___ much. -vs- I give myself unconditional permission to eat.
• There is not enough to go around. -vs- There is always enough love, food, abundance and time at my disposal.
• There is not enough time to slow down. -vs- Slowing down creates more enjoyment and pleasure, which is the reason why I am here.
• Other people will take from me. -vs- I surround myself with people who support and love me. 
• I cannot stop eating something that tastes so good. -vs- I allow myself to experience the pleasure of eating for physical reasons, not emotional ones.
• I am not capable of taking care of myself. -vs- When I listen to my body I always have the wisdom needed to make healthy decisions.

What kind of eater do you want to become?

Nat

Day 9 - No-Sleep Sabotage

I called my dear friend in the morning on the way to work.

"How are you?" She said in her usual nurturing tone, totally surrendering to a selfishly me-focused conversation.

"Ahhhhhh. I am tired and cranky. What is going on with me? I feel like I am in such a bad mood. Things that I was stoked about yesterday I am feeling negative and cynical about today. I have no energy. I feel like curling up in a ball and hiding from the world. And you know what else is amazing? When I look in the mirror I perceive that I actually look radically different from yesterday, even though I know I don't. It is like I am stuck in a weird twilight zone." 

If you have been reading my blog you know that my daughter has a bout with a cold. This is a normal occurrence for any parent. We have to slightly rearrange our schedule to make sure our child is taken care of and nurtured. And there is no opportunity to 'clock out.' We are on staff 24/7.

Last night I stayed up late initially by choice. I was watching 'Eat, Pray, Love' (I hated the book but ended up giving the movie a chance). My husband was complaining the whole time commenting on the ridiculous female condition of 'finding oneself.' Funny. By the time the movie was over it was already 11:00pm. That is late for me. I am usually in bed by 9:00-9:30 so that I can get up early and start my day refreshed.

In the middle of the night my daughter started coughing. It was 3:00am. Upstairs, water, medicine. Back to bed. Coughing onslaught and then quiet. Dogs need to go out. Stupid cat pawing at the window. Get up and let him out. Other stupid cat climbing the screen. Get up and let her in. Dogs need to go out. I lay there. 4:45am. Somewhere along the line I went to sleep again.

During the conversation earlier today I was sincerely worried that something was wrong with me. But guess what? This very close friend of mine also happens to be a Nutritionist and the cause was not going to fly by her radar. She asked what happened the night before and then it all came back to me. I got about 4 hours less sleep than I usually do. How could I have forgotten such an essential component to my body's needs?

Just missing out on one night of my regular sleep pattern put me in a different state. I ended up unconsciously eating (my meals were half as long in duration as usual, indicating that I was shoveling food instead of enjoying it), cravings foods that I normally do not care for, feeling negative about everything and being irritable in general. I thought to myself how it must be for someone who experiences this on a regular basis. Talk about crazy-making!

Do you know what the effects are of not getting adequate sleep? Here is a general list:

• Fatigue
• Increased hunger and cravings for carbohydrates
• Poor concentration
• Decreased alertness and performance
• Muscle aches
• Depression during the day and night
• Anxiety
• Worry
• Irritability
• Moodiness
• Decreased endurance

What do most people do when they are experiencing the above? They self medicate with coffee, energy drinks, donuts, candy, sugars of all kinds and even medications. This perpetuates excess stress that contributes to no-sleep sabotage. Instead, use the following 10 minute fixes to calm, relax and nourish your body. Choose one of the following to do for 10 minutes and feel the difference in your energy levels:

• Deep breathing
• Yoga
• Exercise of any kind
• 16 ounce glass of water
• Cup of gingko biloba tea (thanks, Gina!)
• Warm bath

I chose a big heaping glass of water and some push ups. Slowly my body is coming alive again but today is a gentle day.

Next time you are on auto-pilot wondering why you are acting crazy - take note of your lifestyle and see if you are giving your body its basic needs!

Nat

Day 8 - Signs of Picky Eater Sydrome & Solutions

We have all met someone who seems adverse to the idea of a salad or a plate of steamed vegetables. Perhaps they gawk or dry heave at the sight of a plate of tofu or a hearty lentil soup. Their diet may consist of the same general handful of foods and the thought of including anything else is threatening and upsetting at first blush. We often hear of picky and fussy eaters in childhood, especially in the toddler years, yet I have met a surprisingly large amount of adults who suffer from this same condition. Are you one of them?

Here are some of the signs of a picky eater:

• Particular about how food is prepared.
• Reluctant to taste new foods or recipes.
• Eating habits can be a source of anxiety or frustration for parents or family.
• More attracted to junk food than home cooked meals.
• Prefers to eat the same handful of foods daily.
• Wants starchy, sugary, meaty, cheesy and snack-like foods over fruits, vegetables, whole grains and nuts. 
• Prefers beverages with sugar and often consumes very little water.

We all develop preferences as we go through life about what we like and do not like. The picky eater seems to be stuck in a perpetual cycle of eating foods and engaging in a limited diet that produce uncomfortable health issues. Here are some symptoms that can occur from not eating a varied and diverse diet:

• Digestive issues: constipation, diarrhea, food in stool, heartburn, indigestion, Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• Skin issues: acne, rashes, dermatatis, eczema
• Allergies: both to food and to environment
• General fatigue and lethargy
• Mood disorders: hyperactivity, moodiness, crankiness and depression
• Depressed immunity
• Weight gain or loss

The Cause

Picky eating can originate from many different aspects of a person's lifestyle. It could simply start out as never being taught how to eat or prepare fresh, healthy food. Sometimes it can stem from family or household dynamics where the food is a symbol of something of meaning; control, love or attention. The most often cause to target though is the gradual addiction to processed and packaged foods that creates a picky eating dynamic. It is these packaged foods that are so commonly at the root of taste-bud suicide.

Processed foods are foods that are in a box, can or bag. They are on the inner aisles of the grocery store and have a long ingredient list full of things that you cannot pronounce. They are usually made of the same basic ingredients of corn, wheat or soy as the base, with added sugar of one kind or another. Yes, those thousands of crackers, cookies, cereals, breads, bars and other snacks that line our grocery store shelves are made of a basic formula of starch and sugar, even Organic ones!

The simple picky-eating-addiction-cycle goes like this: we are hungry and reach for what is convenient; a processed food. Let's say it is a granola bar laden with quick oats (starch that turns into sugar), sweeteners, chocolate and some other hodgepodge of unpronounceable ingredients. Our blood sugar sky rockets and we feel good. An hour later we are tired and reach for another quick fix - some saltine crackers. Within an hour or two we are back to square one and reach for french fries with ketchup. When it is time for meals in our day we are naturally attracted to foods that fulfill our sugar needs (since our body has been deprived from a steady supply of fuel, it is constantly asking for more in quick-fix form). The MSG, additives and flavorings that enhance and preserve these foods are designed to unnaturally electrify our taste buds in favor of more immediate gratification fuel. So we continue to eat them and develop a preference for them.

When someone offers the picky eater some stir fry vegetables the results are not pretty. The body is deprived and addicted. The brain is in a demanding state; it requires simple fuel every 3-4 hours or energetic red flag alarm sets in. The pancreas has gotten so used to the sugar intake that it now produces hormones before hand to digest the large amounts of glucose (sugar in the body) you have been providing - heightening desire and creating intense cravings for simple sugar. The diversion from healthy food is just a product of an overall system hyper-sensitized and stimulated.

The Solution

Picky eaters are not difficult just for fun. It is probable that their body is in a physiological state of exhaustion and addiction. Ending this cycle requires daily baby steps and some nutrition education - but here are my top 5 tips for ending the cycle and finally awakening the body's own intuitive nature with healthy food:

1. Substitute Processed Grains for Whole Grains: If white bread, white rice or white flour is a favorite, start incorporating whole grains like whole grain wheat, amaranth, quinoa or buckwheat into the diet. These foods have the nutrients necessary for energy metabolism and for blood sugar stabilization.
2. Substitute Free Sugar Foods for Whole Natural Sweets: Cookies, candies, pastries, granola bars and energy bars are easy and quick. But instead use fresh fruit like kiwi, strawberry, banana and orange slices as a way to get sweetness. The body will start getting used to the natural fiber and nutrients in these foods also.
3. Add Favorite Veggies to Each Meal: We all have one or two that we like. Add them in slowly, starting at every dinner and then moving up to two meals a day. Expand out to other items, starting with just a quarter cup of steamed veggies. Add spinach to smoothies, pureed veggies to homemade muffins and macaroni and cheese. Get creative. Doing so will gradually awaken the body to its natural signals  beyond the addiction cycle.
4. Blood Sugar Stabilization: Whenever a carbohydrate is served (turns into sugar in the body) make sure to serve it with a portion of protein and fat. Doing this will prevent the huge rise and falls in blood sugar that can perpetuate addiction. For example, with a piece of toast had some nut butter and a hard boiled egg. With salad add avocado and black beans.
5. Water: Drink half your body weight in ounces (if you are 140 lbs you would need to drink at least 70 ounces). The best rule of thumb is applying Step One in The Awake Eating Method; Cleanse. Drink a glass of water before every meal or snack. This can be essential for providing your body with the most in-demand essential nutrient that plumps up the body and makes it more receptive to all food.

Soon I will be adding a blog on specific tips for parents of picky eating children. Although the above still applies to children we can get really creative with games, reward systems and gentle family-diet transitions.

We should all strive to eat a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, grains and other foods. Give it a try this week by purchasing a vegetable that you have never tried or personally cooked with before!

Nat