Get the skinny on weight loss, health + living.

As beautiful as this time of year can be, we all know that depression and stress peak during the holiday season.

If you’re feeling blue, it’s no surprise. This season can bring up feelings of lack, of anxiety,  of loneliness, or grief.  Perhaps you’re single and wishing for a partner. Perhaps you are grieving a loss. Perhaps you don’t have the family support you’d like to have, and seeing the chummy images of siblings and parents and cousins gathered round the fire just brings it painfully home. Or perhaps you’re far away from your community. It’s all too common to submerge our feelings in food, and the holiday season provides us with plenty of cookies, candy and cheese balls to do so.

Rather than drowning your sorrows in caramel popcorn, try showing up for your feelings. Identify a supportive friend or family member and ask if you can do a daily check in with them for the next week. Make a commitment to yourself about how you’re going to take care of yourself. Do you vow to avoid chocolate? Will you only allow yourself one slice of pie per day? Do you think a few minutes of daily meditation would make all the difference? Each day, let your contact person know whether you’ve accomplished your goal. It’s not about doing things perfectly. It’s about being accountable. If you wind up bingeing on candy canes, but you have to be honest with someone about it, perhaps it will prompt you to look at what’s REALLY going on emotionally.

Most of all, remember to find something you enjoy about the season. Do you love the smell of Christmas trees? Creating ornaments? Taking a walk through the neighborhood to look at the holiday lights? Identify a non-food activity to indulge in. When you’re feeding your heart, you won’t be looking to food.

This little article has been making the rounds.

Titled “The 7 Foods Experts Won’t Eat”, it describes the horrors of various items from microwaved popcorn to canned tomatoes. At first glance these foods seem to have nothing in common. But look closer: each one has been tampered with. None are in their natural form. Whether it’s corn and soybean fed cows  or pesticide laden apples, none have escaped the heavy, and toxic, hand of man.

What does this boil down to? The less people have touched the food, the healthier it is. The organic-by-default lettuce and tomatoes growing in your backyard garden top the list. The boxed, processed, partially hydrogenated cookies in the middle of Safeway fall somewhere towards the bottom.

It seems like a lot of nitpicky information. Details that no one but a holistic nutritionist (hello!) would know. Well, first of all, that’s what you pay us for. But second, it’s worth taking a few minutes to enlighten yourself about what you’re actually putting in your body. It’s what you’re made of, after all. And who wants to be made of growth hormone, insecticide, and herbicide?

Good morning! How are you feeling today?

• Refreshed from the weekend?
•  Grumpy that you’re back at work?
• Wishing you had a job?
•  Looking forward to the holidays?
• Dreading the holidays?
• Beating yourself up from a weekend binge?
• Practicing radical acceptance about said binge?
• Patting yourself on the back for a weekend of healthy eats and exercise?

It’s 3 degrees here in the Republic of Boulder, with about 6 inches of snow on the ground and a sky that looks like it’s going to start dumping any minute. This Monday morning I’m feeling super cosy. Typing by an (electric) fire, sipping some black tea and almond milk, and looking forward to my trip to Florida on Wednesday. Turquoise water and sunny skies will be a welcome change.

Ok, time to start your week off right. Ready for a breathing exercise?

Sit up straight in your chair, feet resting on the floor, palms resting face up on your thighs.

S L O W L Y begin to breathe in through your nose.

Pause, gently.

S L O W L Y breathe out through your mouth.

Pause, gently.

S L O W L Y begin to breathe in through your nose.

Pause, gently.

S L O W L Y breathe out through your mouth.

Pause, gently.

Repeat.

Again.

One more time.

Now, imagine a warm, cascading light starting at the top of your skull and oozing all the way down your body. Slowly. It relaxes every part it touches. Your skull relaxes and loosens. Your forehead smooths out. Your cheeks relax. Your jaw hangs. And so on. Flutter your eyes shut and spend a few minutes, S L O W L Y, imagining that light trickling down your neck, your arms, your trunk, through your pelvis, and down your legs. KEEP BREATHING.

Open your eyes, G E N T L Y.

Keep that feeling with you as you begin your Monday.

It’s fun getting people gifts when you’re inspired. But if you feel obligated to spend $40 on an ugly scarf for CeeCee just because you happen to sit next to her at work…don’t. The holidays are a perfect time to present coworkers and family members with delicious and nutritious homemade treats. Sugar abounds at this time of year, and we all know how toxic that stuff is (check out Nancy Appleton’s 146 Reasons Why Sugar is Ruining Your Health).  How about trying some naturally sweetened alternatives? You can introduce your community to the concept of healthy indulging. Even better, include a recipe with the gift so that they can try it on their own.

I recently stumbled upon this site and felt super inspired by the abundance of easy desserts. Try:

RAW VEGAN CHOCOLATE TURTLES

RAW VEGAN PEANUT BUTTER CUPS

RAW VEGAN ALMOND BUTTER COOKIES

And of course, a few stevia recipes:

WHITE CHOCOLATE CHIP CHERRY COOKIES

STEVIA CHEESECAKE, BROWNIES, AND MORE

Don’t forget to  let me know what you think!

Had a wonderful teleclass last night on COOKING AND STRATEGIZING FOR THE HOLIDAY TABLE.

We discussed:

five reasons to avoid sugar

five proven ways to curb your sugar cravings

four strategies for taking care of yourself during the holidays

plus a lot of other information.

The participants left saying “you’ve given us a lot to think about”.

Half-jokingly, I mentioned that I might start a support group for people wanting to get off sugar. At least three participants really liked the idea. What do you think?

Today I’m sharing my four strategies for taking care of yourself during the holidays.

3. CREATE SUPPORTIVE STRUCTURE. It’s crucial to build self-care into your schedule. This is especially true when you are in a stressful situation. Set aside time each day to give yourself what you need. So if you’re going to be spending from 8 am to 8 pm with your family on Xmas, and you know that’s just going to be too much, decide where you might want to build in breaks. Do you need to duck out for a walk at 11? Perhaps a trip to the bathroom at 3 pm? Figure this out in advance and promise it to yourself.

4. TAKE SPACE. If a situation arises that is particularly nasty or uncomfortable, don’t forget it’s okay to remove yourself while you decide on your next step. Just making the excuse that you have to visit the bathroom, or go outside to for some fresh air, will work fine. This way you can figure out what the situation calls for without being directly in the heat of the moment.

Achieving a goal is a powerful thing.

Sometimes we lose motivation along the way. We beat ourselves up for slipping, doubt our ability to make it. We can’t work up the drive to work out. The cruel things we’ve heard in the past echo in our head.

To fight these demons, we need to summon our strength. And music’s a great way to do it.

Some of these suggestions will inspire you and some of them will make you laugh. Either way they’ll shift your mood and get you out of the funk.  Feel free to contribute your own via comments!

I Won’t Back Down – Tom Petty

Don’t Stop Believin’ – Journey

Mama Said Knock You Out – LL Cool J

Eye of the Tiger – Survivor

We Will Rock You – Queen

You Gotta Be – Des’ree

Fighter – Christina Aguilera

Stronger – Britney Spears

I Will Survive – Gloria Gaynor

Crazy – Seal

Hero – Mariah Carey

Lose Yourself – Eminem

I Hope You Dance – Lee Ann Womack

Survivor – Destiny’s Child

Obama has declared H1N1 national emergency.

However, he was quick to say that the declaration is primarily a move to cut through red tape. This allows  medical facilities to deliver treatments more expeditiously…and insurance companies to receive payment for said treatments. Hmmm….

Per CDC Director Dr. Thomas Frieden, many millions of people have already had the swine flu. But a story running last August estimated worldwide deaths at just over 1,100. Similarly, the 1918 Spanish flu killed 50 million, but over 500 million – 1/3 of the world’s population – were exposed. In other words, 80-90%of those exposed, survived. That is to say that H1N1 is in no way, shape, or form, a death sentence.

Let’s talk about prevention. Like hundreds of thousands of people, you may be on your way to the nearest doctor’s office, hospital, supermarket,  potluck, makeup counter or tupperware party to get injected with a vaccine. Which isn’t necessarily a bad move. I can’t say for sure. But if you’re interested in more holistic treatments, you want to focus on bolstering your immune system.

There are a number of ways to do this. First and foremost, make sure you have a healthy diet. Sugar, processed foods and caffeine all  tax the immune system. In contrast, lots of vegetables, good-quality protein and fats offer abundant vitamins and minerals that support the immune system. Be certain to stay well-hydrated with water (not soda!). You can offer your body’s natural defenses additional support with enough sleep, some exercise, and deep breathing or other forms of stress management. In cold weather, choose hot drinks and hot soups to keep yourself from getting chilled.

Food is a potent way to strengthen your body’s ability to fight off germs. Homeopathy and herbs are another.  In contrast to a vaccine, homeopathic treatments are not strain-specific. They empower your immune system to increase its effectiveness regardless of the type of flu you may encounter. Oscillo’s one remedy you’ve probably seen at your local drugstore. Influenzinum’s another (I’m not affiliated with any of these products, BTW). Colostrum, or the “pre-milk”, is full of immune-enhancing antibodies.

If you are unfortunate enough to come down with the flu, you don’t want to suppress your symptoms. Symptoms are your body’s way  of mounting a response against the foreign invader it’s fighting. If you find your nose running and you take a decongestant to stop the mucus, your body will have to find another path to release the toxicity. If symptoms are making you miserable, Elderberry can slow the virus’s replication, thereby decreasing symptoms.

Most importantly – don’t panic! Per the World Health Organization, it’s complications from flu, rather than the flu itself, that causes deaths. So as long as you keep your body and mind healthy, you’ll be in pretty good shape.

Stop anything else you’re doing…
Sit comfortably in your seat. Take a deep breath in through your nose and out through your nose.
Do it again.
Keep breathing.
Starting with the top of your head, begin to scan your body for areas of tension. Breathe into them.
If you find your shoulders are scrunched up, send some breath into them. If your forehead is wrinkled, smooth it out with the breath. Loosen your jaw. Loosen your tongue. If you feel a pain in your ribs, breathe them wider. Even your feet might be clenched – concentrate on relaxing them.
Now let your eyes flicker shut and take three deep cleansing breaths – in through your nose and out through your mouth.
Let your eyes open slowly and gaze around you.
You may now return to your regularly scheduled program.

Having problems losing weight? The answer may lie in your nighttime habits.

While eating right, eating the right amounts, exercising, and minimizing stress are all keys to weight loss, sleep is an oft-overlooked component too. Both the duration and the quality of your nocturnal rest play roles in your ability to regulate hormones, which in turn help to  determine how fast the pounds accumulate,  or vanish. One study showed that the average BMI for people sleeping less than 6 hours per night was 28.3 – within the range for “overweight”. Participants sleeping for over 6 hours had an average BMI of 24.5 – within the normal range.

Why is this? In answering this question, researchers tend to point to the hormones leptin and ghrelin. Leptin, produced in fat cells, signals your brain that you’re full. Ghrelin, produced in the GI tract, stimulates appetite. When you don’t get enough sleep, leptin levels drop, while ghrelin levels rise. Similarly, if you feed a Mogwai after midnight, it turns into a gremlin, which sounds like ghrelin. Coincedence? I think not.

So how does one get more sleep? First you need to figure out why you’re not sleeping enough:

Caffeine or sugar intake: these substances get you wired. You may need to avoid them altogether. At the very least,  explore refraining from them after lunch.

Anxiety or depression: Counseling, meditating, or trying herbal or vitamin/mineral supplements may be helpful.

Noise: earplugs can work wonders.

Not tired: Try exercising (before bedtime).

Habit: Put some work into making your bedroom a restful place. Don’t read, watch tv, or surf the internet while in bed. Choose soothing colors and try some relaxing scents.

photo credit: pfala

One key to creating health is to listen to ourselves and our bodies. Being aware is a powerful tool, one that allows us to understand clues and symptoms of both health and disease. These tips come in the form of cravings, moods, or physical cues and can make the difference between losing weight and looking great or being frustrated with our health.  Here are five quick ways to tell how your health stacks up today:

Never Let ‘Em See You Sweat– Not true! Sweating easily is a sign of physical conditioning and health. It removes toxins and too much sodium from the body and helps regulate body temperature when you exercise. One of the goals of any fitness routine should be to work up at least a light sweat. Sweat can also give you clues into your health. A lack of sweat can mean you are dehydrated while night sweats can mean trouble with your thyroid.

Blue Mood: You might not think that nutrition  has much to do with fatigue, but think again. Ditto PMS, and mental fogginess–

• Many times, fatigue, especially in the middle of the day or early evening, is directly related to  not getting enough complex carbohydrates, enough water, or enough iron.
• the bloating and moodiness associated with PMS can be caused by not getting enough calcium and magnesium and by eating too much sugar.  Taking a calcium supplement that also includes magnesium (for proper calcium absorption) and cutting back on sugar can really help ease the symptoms of PMS.
• Depression can also be exacerbated by poor nutrition, mainly not getting enough Omega 3 fatty acids, which is why many people on a low fat diet can experience sadness, anxiety and anger. Supplementing with wild caught fish, nuts, and flax seed oil in dressings, sauces, and soups is a great way to make sure you are getting enough healthy fats.
• A lack of vitamin E and/or iron is associated with mental fogginess. This can also be caused by not eating enough vegetables and a lack of antioxidants. Nuts and seeds are wonderful for vitamin E while leafy greens such as kale, spinach, and chard are good sources of antioxidants and iron.

Craving Health:  They come in so many forms and can really spell torture for those of us trying to get ourselves healthy.

• Craving carbs? You might not be eating enough calories. Not only are you slowing your metabolism but  you aren’t getting enough vitamins for good health.
• Craving salty foods? Exhausted adrenals might be to blame. Try drinking more water, sleeping more, and relieving anxiety.
• Sugar getting to you? An overabundance of yeast may be to blame. Chances are, if you cut sugar out of  your diet for a week or two those cravings will begin to disappear. Drinking water with lemon and avoiding white flour, vinegar, and mushrooms for a bit may also help.

A Sensitive Topic: Not many of us like to look at, let alone talk about our eliminations, but poo really does show us how healthy we are.  Healthy poo should have the size and shape of a banana, shouldn’t smell, should float, and should be golden brown in color. Some common abberations?

• Color–dark colored eliminations can mean you aren’t eating enough vegetables or are eating too much salt. Greenish poo can mean too much sugar in the diet.
• Frequency–going once to twice a day is ideal. Less means that toxins aren’t leaving your body properly and can mean you are allergic to dairy or wheat, aren’t eating enough vegetables, or are not drinking enough water.
• Consistency–your eliminations should be the consistency of an unripe banana. Pebble like poo means you aren’t getting enough fiber while more liquidy stool can point to allergies or lactose intolerance.

photo credit: leoniewise

What do these people have in common: J.K. Rowling, Steve Jobs, Oprah Winfrey, Winston Churchill, Michael Jordan, Walt Disney, and Henry Ford? Besides being household names, these are only a handful of extremely successful people who credit FAILURE with making them achieve greatness.  Yep, failure.

So what, you may ask, does this have to do with health and weight loss? Simply this: The theories and practice of accepting failure can actually contain the seeds of success when it comes to transforming your health and body. This is because failure, scientists are learning, seems to be hardwired in the brain to equal learning–the more wrong we are, the quicker we learn. By utilizing this understanding, we can actually temper ourselves to setbacks and get the most out of them. Here are a few things that failure teaches us:

• Resiliency: Simply put, the more we fail, the more we understand that we are always a work in progress and nothing about our lives is fixed in stone–this includes our bodies, the way we eat, and the way we look. This gives us incredible freedom to change.  Instead of beating ourselves up every time we slip up with our diet or because we didn’t know something about what makes us healthy, we see it as a learning opportunity. And the more we learn about ourselves, the more we know in the future what will and won’t work for us.  For our brains, failure is all about making our thinking more efficient. So you will learn that eating every three hours doesn’t work for you and move on, each time getting closer to the real changes that will transform your health.

• Opportunity: Successful people are people who have put themselves out there and tried whatever they could get there hands on. They are not more talented, or smarter, or luckier than anybody else–they have simply tried more and different things until something worked. They aren’t afraid of failure, of falling down. They know how to get back up. Apply this to your own life–what would you try if you were not  afraid of failing?  Just take the example of exercise. We know that it is one of the most important lifestyle choices in being healthy, but it isn’t always easy to find the perfect sport or activity. For those of us who aren’t afraid of failing, trying everything is seen as an opportunity–so get out there and try it–run, bicycle, do aerobics, swim, yoga, rock climb and find what you are passionate about. It’s out there just waiting to transform your life.

• Perspective: Finally, becoming fearless in the face of failure gives us perspective, that is, where we are now is tempered by where we have been and that has the amazing ability of putting our fears, our cravings, and our emotions in their proper place. Perspective soothes our anxieties; it calms us. And when we are calm our emotions cease to rule us.  We know that if we slip up and eat junk food we are not bad people, we are simply having an off day and we can recommit ourselves the next day. If we go two weeks without exercising we don’t throw in the towel, we shrug, love ourselves, and get out there at the next opportunity. Perspective allows us to understand that our lives are made up of a million small moments, that we will always fall down, and that it is the getting up that is important, the constant getting back up that makes the difference between an average life and one that is extraordinary.

photo credit: genome4hire

When embracing your own ability and need to fail, think about how children learn. Take running, for example. We are not born with the ability to run, we learn it slowly. First we learn to roll over, then we learn to push ourselves up, then crawl, then stand, then walk, and finally run. Throughout this whole process, we fall down over and over again and over and over again we stand back up and we keep falling now and again throughout our whole lives.  So let’s keep the perseverence and innocence of children in everything we do and be willing to put ourselves out there because that is how we learn, always.

photo credit: Looking Glass

The skin is our  largest organ, and yet it is one that so many of us forget to take care of as well as we should. We douse it with fragrances, lotions, and other beauty products that contain an amazing amount of chemicals, many of which have been proven to cause cancer (like parabens for example).  The best way to nourish our skin is the same way we nourish the rest of our body–from the inside out, with fresh fruits and vegetables and plenty of good fats.  There are also several ways to feed your skin from the outside too that are easy, cheap, and all natural:

Body Brushing: A wonderful way to detox your body, great for your lymph system, nervous and circulatory systems, dry body brushing is best done once a day to three times a week, preferably before taking a bath or shower.  Using a loofah or natural bristle brush,  and start at your feet. Brush toward the heart in circular movements for five minutes. After a few sessions you will notice a more natural glow to your skin, increased vitality, and a sense of invigoration, especially if done in the morning.

Masks: Our skin loves good food. Some wonderful masks that help nourish the face:

For dry/ sensitive skin: 1/2 an avocado mashed and mixed with ground oatmeal. The fat from the avocado nourishes the skin while the oatmeal soothes it.

For oily skin:  a mixture of french green clay and pulverized strawberries or cranberries act to draw out impurities while giving your skin the astringent benefits it so needs.

For normal skin: A pina colada for the face! crushed pineapple and banana work wonders–the acid in the pineapple exfoliates the skin while the banana soothes and tightens.

Sea Salt Scrubs: These are yet another great exfoliant for all skin types. Adding a bit of almond oil to the salt keeps it smooth and glowing. The salt helps relax muscles and detoxes the skin. Adding herbs to the scrub is great too–lavendar to soothe, lemon or mint to invigorate, a pinch of cayenne on a cold day to warm you up, rosemary or calendula flowers to heal rashes or other skin problems.

Bug Spray: As the summer months approach, our thoughts turn to mosquitos and how to prevent their nasty little bites. Most bug repellents are literally awful for you. Natural prevention is the best recourse–taking 3 or 4 capsules of garlic and 100mg of vitamin B1 create a smell that repells mosquitos while avoiding sugar and fruit juice, to which mosquitos are naturally attracted can cut down on your victimization. Using certain essential oils—such as eucalyptus, lemon balm, pennyroyal, citronella, tea tree, and geranium also makes effective bug sprays. Simply add a mixture of the above to a water/witch hazel (3 parts water to 1 part witch hazel) solution and transfer to a spray bottle. Several naturopaths say using these oils works as well as commercial mosquito repellent.

Baths: Warm baths are highly underrated. They soften the skin, relax the muscles and release stress from the body, mind, and emotions. Plus you can add all sorts of wonderful things to them– milk to soften skin, sea salt to soothe sore muscles, a tea of herbs such as lavender, mint, rose petals, chamomile, lemongrass, orange rinds to leave you smelling sweet and and all natural.

photo credit: Dennis Wong

photo credit: hbp_pix

Some people love to exercise–they find running meditative, hiking relaxing and spiritual. They go to the gym daily and can’t live without it or faithfully bust out the exercise videos at home….And then there are the rest of us.  “Exercise is boring,” we sigh, “it hurts. I don’t have time. I’d rather be relaxing…”

We know that we must exercise, that our bodies must MOVE, that it is an essential part of being fit and healthy and so we force ourselves into it, find a million ways to trick ourselves into sweating.

There is, however, another way–or more precisely, other ways.  From the wild to the wacky to the just plain common sense fun, here they are–brilliant and crazy ways to fit in fitness without even knowing you are exercising (who knows, you just might learn something hardly anyone else knows!)

photo credit: antony_mayfield

Join the Circus: When I was little I dreamed, like many children, of running away with the circus. Now I can. Circus workouts are springing up around the country and exercise physiology studies show that an eight week circus training course can improve overall body strength by up to 20% as well as burn 200-400 calories an hour.  Workouts vary but most are centered around trapeze workouts, which strengthen the core, back, and arms and tightrope walking which tightens the core, legs, and increases balance.  Both also increase flexibility. Along with these fun (and some swear sexy!) tricks, many circus workouts also train the brain and funny bone with juggling, magic tricks, and clown school tips. The workouts are so much fun and such a unique challenge, that you will often forget you are working out.

Hulahooping: In the last few years, classes in the childhood art of hulahooping have become popular. Using weighted hula hoops, the classes mainly work out and chisel the core and hip area but can also get the heartrate up for some fun cardio. There is one catch however–women are typically better hulahoopers than men–our hips are good for more than just child bearing it seems.

photo credit: Tony the Misfit

Retro-robics: The 80’s are back. And it’s more than just headbands and members only jackets out there–Eighties aerobics and jazzercise have made their own comeback! So if you enjoy bopping around in unitards and legwarmers and dancing to Cyndi Lauper and a Flock of Seagulls, these classes are for you.  Some instructors are faithful to the exercises and others have updated them to be a bit kinder and gentler on joints and muscles, so ask around. And if you have enough friends interested, have your own retrorobics party–A million Jane Fonda tapes are still available on E-bay (I looked). Dress up, break out the Tab and wail out ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun’ to your hearts content.

photo credit: Marshall Astor – Food Pornographer

Strippercize: Alright, this one steps away from childhood memories a bit. For women who want to workout while learning some sexy skills. There are strip-aerobics, lap-dance oriented workouts, and the challenging but a wee bit dangerous (watch those spike heels ladies!) pole dancing courses for whatever strikes your fancy. Like the more sedate bellydancing, strippercize is great for both cardio and strength training–it works out your abs, back, arms, and legs as well as your machisma muscle. And it can also double as a valuable work skill in these hard economic times!

Unicycling: Often called ‘the best workout available on one wheel’ unicycling is a challenging skill as well as a great workout. It is hard to do and takes intense concentration, which is good for the brain, builds patience, and is great for weight loss,  core strength, and the leg muscles. It also builds stamina and discipline. It helps that unicycling is also relatively inexpensive–the only cost being the machine itself. After that, learning comes from joining a unicycling club (they exist all over the country) and learning from fellow members. The comraderie of this relatively small group is great for the spirit and knowing such a rare skill is always a good ace up the sleeve.
photo credit: ilvana *.*

Obstacle Courses: Used in gym class and the military for years, obstacle courses have now evolved to offer fun diversions while providing a whole body workout–rope walls and hurdles work out core muscles, climbing walls work on the arms, back, core, and endurance, cones and tires provide training in agility and cardio–all the while providing a challenge that is really fun. Creating your own obstacle course is easy as well–plan a jog past a playground and use the jungle gym or bicycle to a park and use your natural surroundings to test your agility.

photo credit: Army.mil

photo credit: aussiegall

For the Navajo, as with many native cultures, the concepts of beauty and harmony are interlinked. Dis-ease comes when things are out of balance. This lack of balance can stem from universal forces such as elements and weather, problems within one’s community, or imbalance within one’s own self. The Navajo have a ceremony called “The Beauty Way” which heals an ill individual by restoring harmony.

photo credit: SuperFantastic

How many times have I spoken with a client or another interested individual about their own health concerns. “I’m overweight”, they say, or “I am exhausted”. It doesn’t take long before their pattern of imbalance is revealed. Our modern society is a recipe for disharmony. Long hours at work, fast food, fluorescent lighting, traffic, pollution…what we encounter on a daily basis sets us up for dis-ease. Western researchers are beginning to be able to quantify the effects of what they call “stress” but native people have understood this concept all along. Our bodies and spirits were build to rest in a balance. Physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health will only thrive when we nourish each of these dimensions.

Attaining health is not about following some set, rigid prescription of rules. It’s not about eating only salads or meat to lose weight, or exercising 3 hours per day at the gym. It’s about being gentle with yourself and giving yourself what you need. Some days, finding balance means foregoing the exercise and relaxing on the couch.

What does walking in beauty mean to you? Our culture is so sped up that we tend to think of “feeling good” as “getting high” – on food, drugs, alcohol, sex, shopping, gambling, or any other experience we can use to get a quick hit. But what touches your heart and makes it sing? What makes you feel peaceful and joyful? Here’s some of my best weight loss advice: I can talk to you till I’m blue in the face about protein at 5 hour intervals, but the best way to attain physical health is by taking a walk in the Beauty Way. How can you be gentle with yourself today?

photo credit: (((((i))))) (((((see))))) (((((you)))))

Here’s a scenario I see over and over–busy women who complain that, even though they exercise and try to eat right, still cannot seem to lose weight.  They are frustrated and up the effort without avail. What’s going on? New research now supports what nutritionists and naturopaths have known for years–up to 80% of adult Americans suffer from some level of adrenal exhaustion and this is impacting our physical and emotional health, causing everything from weight gain to an impaired immune system and insomnia. So what are the adrenals, how do they figure into our weight and health problems, and what can we do to heal them today?

The adrenals are star shaped endocrine glands that sit on top of the kidneys and regulate several hormones–the two most important being cortisol (the stress hormone) and adrenaline (the fight or flight hormone).  These hormones evolved to deal with short-term stress. If our ancestors had to run from a predator, for example, the adrenals would boost adreneline, to sharpen the senses and make us super focused on survival, and cortisol, to increase the rate protein is converted to energy and release sugar so that our bodies could respond quickly and strongly to danger.  All in all, the adrenals increase heart rate, decrease metabolism, and tense our muscles so that we are lean, mean fighting (or fleeing) machines. When the danger passes our bodies return to normal fairly quickly. The problem, however, is that our bodies, and our adrenals, are not adapted to the chronic, unrelenting stress of our modern world. Constant stress is put on our adrenals every single day–everything from chaotic traffic and schedules, lack of sleep (the adrenals restore themselves from eleven at night until nine in the morning), to the emotional stress caused by financial, job, and relationships responsibilities.

When we are so chronically stressed, our adrenals are pumping out too much cortisol and adrenaline. Studies have shown that increased cortisol in the body leads to weight gain, especially around the stomach area. When the adrenals become exhausted it can lead to low thyroid as well, which also causes weight gain. In addition, adrenal exhaustion leads to poor immune function, poor hormone regulation, insomnia, and chronic fatigue.

How do you test for adrenal exhaustion? Obviously a doctor can figure this out for you to be sure, but here are some common symptoms:

• Pattern of being groggy and not fully waking up for several hours. A dip in energy level between 2-5 in the afternoon and again around 9-10 in the evening.
• Craving high amounts of salt and fat.
• A high frequency of cold and flu
• Weight gain around the middle and/or inability to lose weight
• Lightheaded feeling when standing from a lying down or sitting position
• Increased symptoms of PMS in women
• Trembling when upset

Although it may take some time to bring your adrenals back to health, it is entirely possible with a balanced and natural approach. Taking care of your adrenals is all about taking care of  You–a five pronged approach

Sleep: Since the adrenals restore themselves between eleven at night and nine in the morning, it is important to sleep during this time and for as long as you can. If you cannot, try to spend your awake time doing things that are gentle on the body and emotions–listen to tranquil music, stretch lightly, avoid arguments.

Breathe: Often, proper breathing can help to short-circuit the stress response. Becoming aware of how you breathe is the first step. When you are stressed out is your breath short and rapid (this is a panic response which increases adrenaline and heart rate) or do you hold your breathe (a fear response which increases cortisol)? Work on making yourself take deep breaths, filling the entire stomach cavity and especially the lower back, which is the bottom of the lungs and, in Chinese Medicine, shares a meridian with the adrenal glands.

Eat Well: Craving salt, fat, and sugar is a hallmark of adrenal exhaustion. We crave salt because the electrolyte balance–another function of the adrenals–is often out of whack. Eating foods rich in potassium, reducing salt and sugar intake, and increasing your consumption of water are three ways to help restore the kidneys.

Herbs: Several supplements are great in helping the adrenals recover:

• Siberian Ginseng: An ‘adaptogen’ which helps the body adapt to stress, it also gives us energy and vitality
• Ashwagandha: Is a great nerve tonic that also helps to rebuild the digestive system.
• Rhodiola Rhosea: Improves memory and concentration and reduces stress-induced fatigue.
• Cordyceps: This mushroom is, far and away, the best herb for reducing adrenal stress. It also increases immune, kidney, and liver function as well as increases the utilization of oxygen in the body.

Gentle Exercise:  Exercise is a great stress reliever but too vigorous exercise can further stress exhausted adrenals, which in turn can lead to exercise induced asthma (again, since the lungs and adrenals are on the same meridian in Chinese Medicine). Gentle swimming, walking, light jogging, hiking, and cycling are all great ways to cleanse the body and reduce stress while restoring your adrenals to health.  Certain yoga poses, such as simple cross leg pose, bound bridge pose, and corpse pose are also healing for the adrenals. In kundalini yoga, the adrenals are also tied to the ego and anger and exercises to help reduce anger also are miraculous for adrenals.

While it make take some time and dedication to get the adrenals soothed and in optimal shape, it is well worth it. You will be able to lose weight more efficiently, deal with stress better, get sick less often, and feel more happiness, vitality and energy over the long run.

photo credit: wili_hybrid

photo credit: oddsock

“it doesn’t take much strength to do things, but it requires a great deal of strength to decide what to do.”

–Elbert Hubbard.

A friend recently sent me this quote and it struck me as very true, especially when it comes to figuring out the big things–like love, life purpose, family….oh yeah, and taking care of ourselves. Let’s face it–with over 60% of us overweight and almost twenty percent on antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs (a three fold increase in just ten years)–it’s obvious that we don’t know how to care for ourselves very well.  We learn a lot in school growing up but there isn’t a class in how to be happy, how to love ourselves and others, how to figure out what we really want from life, or how to nourish and accept our bodies. So it’s up to us, as adults who want to be fit and lead full lives and pass that on to our children, to begin to learn how to nurture ourselves. And we can’t do that until we know one thing–what makes us tick, what is the spark that pushes us toward health. We have to know what motivates us or we will never truly be able to reach our goals.

I am a quitter. It’s true. Almost everything I have ever done I have quit, and often it is just when I am getting good, getting comfortable. I come so close to figuring it out, mastering it and then ‘poof’! For some mysterious reason my fire just goes out.  Suddenly the excuses are flying–it’s too cold to run, I’m just not in the mood to write, I love that yoga class but it’s too late at night…you see where I am going. Only recently have I been able to really sit down and start to figure out why this is the case. Motivation is different for all of us, but there are definitely patterns that we fall into. So read on and find out where your motivation lies and how to harness your spark to truly reach your goals:

Look Ma, No Hands!–Now our ego loves to ‘become’. It wants the characteristics but not so much the verbs. It readily clings to ‘I am a runner’ and not so much the act of running. It also loves to brag. For some of us, the ego has become a trap. When we are praised for what we ‘do’ outwardly and not for who we ‘are’ internally, we often learn that the praise from others is worth more than our own feelings. I often fell into this trap. Instead of getting motivation from myself, I got it from telling others about what I was doing and getting their praise or even acknowledgment. The problem with this is that, once everyone knows, it is no longer new and there is less gratification. Less gratification equals less motivation. And so then you are on to the next new thing….always hoping for that quick fix from others.  The same thing happens when you are losing weight. You might start having people comment on how good you look and you lose the motivation…suddenly it’s okay to eat junk again or slack on exercise because others have rewarded you–despite the fact that you haven’t reached your goal.  Our egos aren’t going to go away, they are part of us. So we have to outsmart them by acknowledging that they are there, that they want the approval of others, and then engage our friends and family into making us accountable to ourselves.  How do we do this?

• Pair up with a friend or loved one and exercise with them. This will help keep you from slacking when the going gets tough. Just make sure that they are not motivated in the same way you are or you might end up eating ice cream instead of exercising!
• With those closest to you, explain how you are motivated and expressly ask them to (gently!) keep after you. Have them ask you often if you are still meeting your goals and press you (gently!) to increase those goals.
  
• Ultimately, lasting motivation is going to have to come from within because at the end of the day, we are left with ourselves. So explore shifting motivation. Try thinking and writing about why you are trying to eat better or exercise, what it is about that particular fitness regimen you like etc. You just might find that it is more about yourself than you think.
• Keep some goals secret. Many business and motivation coaches say that the most vulnerable time for a new business is in the beginning stages, when it is pretty much just an idea. When we tell others about it then it can weaken the idea, dilute it. The same goes for any life change. So try not talking about what you are practicing so much. It is good to get support, but if that is the only way you know how to keep motivated, you risk becoming addicted to outside praise. So make a deal with yourself that you will only talk about your goals once a week–the rest of the week it is up to you to motivate yourself. Like the tip above, you might be surprised by what you find.

The Kitchen Sink– Here’s another one that many of us fall pray to. You’ve been doing so well, eating right, exercising every day and then something happens, something to stress you out. A fight with a loved one, a sick child, a bill you forgot to pay…the stress pushes you and you push back-at yourself.  You take a couple of days off, eat junk or stop exercising. And then you say ‘well I’ve already blown it so I might as well blow it some more’ and off you go…coming up to the surface only when you feel bad enough again to want to make it right. I call this the kitchen sink mentality, and unfortunately, it often hits the most intelligent of us out there, those of us that think globally and creatively. The think is, when you have a hard time thinking in steps, but instead are a ‘big picture’ person, it is easy to psych ourselves in or out of doing something. We often miss the small things that can make or break our goals.  I once had a friend describe it like this:  Imagine your life is like driving at night. You can only see that small area in front of your car that is illuminated by your headlights but you don’t freak out at the darkness out there, at all that space you can’t see. You have faith that the road and that your destination is there and that by paying attention to what you can see, that you will get there in the end. Life is like that. We have to have faith that the small things we do will add up into  big goals, that the two pounds we lose this month will equal twenty pounds by the end of the year; that by walking those two miles now, we will eventually be able to run them.  Some good ways to keep to the small goals:

photo credit: annia316

If you want to lose weight, you have to keep your blood sugar stable. You do this by avoiding sugar. Any sweetener, in fact, aside from stevia, which makes a frequent appearance in these Low GI Treat recipes. (Oh, and don’t go there with artificial sweeteners: those cancer and obesity-causing powders of Beelzebub.) Incidentally, stevia’s also the only natural sweetener that doesn’t aggravate candida.

If you’re a frequent reader of these recipes, though, you might be a little sick of hearing about stevia, so we’re going to discuss fruit today. Now, fruit is really not a crucial food. It’s nice and it’s tasty, but veggies contain everything fruit contains, and more. Didyou know, for example, cauliflower and asparagus happen to be very high in Vitamin C? But for some of us cutting out fruit is unrealistic, so let’s explore which fruits will create the lowest blood sugar spike.

There’s no rhyme or reason when guessing which fruits are the most sugary. Dried apricots happen to be very low at 31, while watermelon has a GI of 72! On the whole, it’s best to stick to citrus such as grapefruit and oranges, and berries such as blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, gooseberries, huckleberries, etc. Interestingly, most berries, aside from strawberries, contain so few carbs that it’s difficult to actually test their GI. They are estimated by various sources as ranging from 32 to 40. The fact that they are that low carb means their GI will be very low as well, so feel free to enjoy them. Other good choices include cherries at 22, plums at 25, and apples at 38.

photo credit: Steven Fernandez

A word about fruit juices. It’s unfortunate that their marketing as a healthful addition to one’s diet has been so successful. “Oh, I’m sick! I’ll get orange juice!” “Oh, I had a serving of apple juice this morning; that’s one of my five dailies of fruit/veg!” Please remember that fruit juice will spike your blood sugar more than if you consume the whole fruit at once. This is because the fiber present in the whole fruit slows the digestive process, thereby mellowing out the blood sugar. Also, vitamins begin to oxidize (break down) the moment they hit the air, so if you are drinking a bottled or canned juice you purchased at the grocery store, you are not getting many nutrients. If you want to prepare some fresh juice specifically for vitamin and mineral purposes, go right ahead, but not the best choice for weight loss.

photo credit: coda

Sea Vegetables: Also known as seaweed, a really lousy hit for such a great array of foods! Sea vegetables are truly medicine for modern people. A sustainable and abundant, nutrient dense food supply that grows around the world.

Why you want to eat more sea vegetables

There are a dozen commonly eaten sea vegetables that can be not only palatable, but quite tasty. When adding sea vegetables to the diet, remember that they vary greatly in nutrients. Here are just a few of the most noteworthy benefits:

· More minerals that any other food. Every known mineral that we need, sea vegetables can provide. With commercial food, minerals are in poor supply. Balance this with sea vegetables.

· Weight Management ~ The thyroid gland is under attack in modern life. More and more people have thyroid issues and sea vegetables are a tonic food for thyroid function. Increasing thyroid function can be beneficial for weight loss.

· Beautiful Skin ~ With internal moisturizing, improved detoxification, high concentration of skin friendly nutrients, sea vegetables are HOT in the natural beauty industry.

· Detox Radioactive Compounds ~ woah! Brown sea weed binds and expels radioactive isotopes from the thyroid gland. Detoxification is essential in the post-industrial age.

· Detox Heavy Metals ~ our bodies never had to deal with cadmium, mercury and lead in the way it does now. Sea Vegetables help the body efficiently detox these industrial waste products. (Wakame, Arame, Hijiki, Kombu)

· Optimal Health ~ “If you want higher health, you need sea vegetables,” Scott Olgren ~ author of The 28 Day Cleansing Program

Tips on sea vegetables:

• More is not necessarily better. You only need a tablespoon or so each day to get the benefits of this food. Too much and you might even tip the scales on the iodine levels
• Try adding in one new sea vegetable each season. In a few years, you will have a great reference point for how to consume them!
• Macrobiotic foods companies, like Eden Foods, are great sources of quality sea vegetables, as is Maine Sea Coast company.
• Rinsing sea vegetables mellows the flavor.

What to watch out for:

• A lot of sea vegetable products are imported from China. As with Goji berries or other Chinese herb and food products, make sure you buy from reputable distribution channels.
• Lots of sea vegetable salads in deli cases are died to be bright green. It is normal for sea vegetables to look brown though.

Where can I get them?

I order directly from Maine Coast Sea Vegetables and from Eden Foods. I love the Maine Coast Applewood Smoked Dulse, yum!

photo credit: chatirygirl

We may be moving into spring, but here in Boulder it was 34 degrees this morning, and there’s snow in the forecast for the Mid-West, mid-week. So cocoa is still appropriate.

Dairy’s one of the most common allergens. Most of us can’t actually digest it. We may experience immediate symptoms such as stomach ache or bloating, or longer term effects such as a compromised immune system, increased susceptibility to colds, and excessive mucus production. It’s really only a traditional food for people of Western European heritage, and even many of them lose the ability to process it as they age.

Milk in its raw form is a beautiful, nutrient-rich food that, prior to pasteurization, humans were consuming for thousands of years without significant side effects. This process, which supposedly “kills the bacteria”, also destroys the milk’s lactase – the enzyme used to help the digestion of lactose. This means that unless your body produces a lot of lactase inherently, which most bodies don’t, you are out of luck when it comes to milk.

If you think you might have difficulty with cow’s milk you can always try sheep’s or goat’s milk, which are more easily digested. It’s also worth seeing if you have a farm in your area that might supply you with raw milk. If you can’t do any animal milk, there are a wide array of nut and grain milks that are easily substituted. Almond milk, hazelnut milk, rice milk, and hemp milk are just a few that can be found at your local health food store. Please check the labels because many brands unnecessarily add sugar or the euphemism “cane juice”. I do NOT recommend soy milk for reasons enumerated in this post.

Which brings me to today’s recipe. Cocoa is traditionally prepared using cow’s milk. Do I want to post a recipe to which most of my readers will be allergic? I think not. This one will be even better because it is made with the tropical flavor of coconut milk. I combine it with almond milk to cut the richness, but you don’t have to. A few spices add some Mexican style flavor. You won’t miss the marshmallows, trust me.

Coconut milk

Almond milk

Cacao

Stevia

Cayenne

Cinnamon

Mix 2/3 cup coconut milk and 1/3 cup almond milk in a saucepan on the stove.

Bring to a simmer over low heat.

Add 1-2 heaping spoonfuls of cacao, 4-6 drops stevia, and a dash of each spice.

Stir and simmer for a few minutes.

Pour into your favorite mug and drink. Caution, the beverage you’re about to enjoy is extremely hot.

photo credit: Randy Son Of Robert

The thyroid, a butterfly-shaped gland located in the front of your neck, regulates metabolism. And if you’re trying to lose weight you know that a slow metabolism will cause you to pack on the pounds, while a faster metabolism will help you shed them. There are all kinds of ways to support the thyroid nutritionally, but other aspects of your lifestyle have just as much impact on its performance. Even if you’re choosing the most helpful foods they won’t have much of an effect unless you follow these three crucial tips:

· Eat at regular intervals: at least every 5 hours. It doesn’t have to be a banquet. Your system gets very stressed when blood sugar gets low, and the thyroid puts on the brakes because it thinks you’re starving.

· Exercise helps oxygenate the brain and stronger muscles help regulate blood sugar. When your blood sugar is stable your thyroid can rest.

· Adrenals restore from 11 pm to 1 am, so if you’re awake at this time you’re asking them to work harder than they should. Stressed adrenals lead to a slowing of the metabolism. Getting to bed before 11, and getting a sound night’s sleep, will allow them to recharge.

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