Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life!

Today is February first, a new month, which means NOW is the perfect time to RENEW your commitments and make a FRESH start towards reaching your health and life goals!

In the spirit of new beginnings, I'd like to share some wise words from the wonderful Laurel Elizabeth Keyes, an inspiring 20th century author and spiritual teacher. Among her many accomplishments, Keyes discovered the sound healing technique of Toning and founded a religious order based on the teachings of St. Francis of Assisi. I often recommend her classic book What's Eating You? to my nutritional counseling clients who struggle with issues of emotional eating. (To order the book or learn more, click here.)

The power of positive thinking is a concept whose implications run deep. The truth is that our experience of life is totally dependent on our thoughts. The stories we tell ourselves day in and day out—about events, other people and ourselves—create our reality and may even influence the shape of our DNA and expression of our genes. As vipassana meditation teacher S. N. Goenka says, "Mind matters most."

What stories do you tell yourself over and over? Are you narrating yourself a book-on-tape that makes you want to laugh or cry? Remember, if you don't like the way the story is turning out, you can always change the tape! Imagine if everyone started telling only good, encouraging and loving thoughts to themselves. How might this change the world?

"We recognize that we do not live in a world common to all. Each of us lives in a private world which we have created with our convictions, opinions, reactions, values, memories and aspirations. We can not change the “outside” world but we can change our private worlds.

"Living is a moment by moment process. We live one moment at a time, NOW. We have the power to choose how we shall live this one moment. As we decide the quality to give this moment, (hope or despair—love or hate—optimism or gloom) we make a pattern for the next moment, and all of our future! When we realize this we feel masters of our lives instead of slaves to circumstances. When we choose to live each one moment with the Ideal, the future can become ideal.

"As we change ourselves by our attitudes, we may inspire others to do so and if everyone changes himself, we shall have that longed-for peace which all seek."

—Laurel Elizabeth Keyes, Order of Fransisters and Franbrothers

May you be your own cheering squad, support team and number one fan! Remember: everything you need is in you now, and you have the power to change your life, your health, your eating and exercise habits, whatever you know could be better and more satisfying in your life. It sounds corny but it's true: believe in yourself, focus on your successes, aim for "progress not perfection," and positive changes are bound to follow!

In light and joy, Diana

Mini-Cleanse Takes Off & Holiday Success Tips

Oh, the power of a great idea.

I just completed a post-Thanksgiving Three Day Mini-Cleanse modeled on the one I created last January. Looks like I'm not alone! Google the term "3-Day Mini-Cleanse" and you'll see more than 300,000 hits come up! Not surprisingly, many of them are linked to holiday indulgence recovery.

People all over the world are craving the high energy, clear mind and lean body that results from embracing a natural foods, cleansing diet-lifestyle. And though the principles of cellular cleansing are meant to be followed all the time for peak benefits, it's common to fall off the wagon on occasion. The mini-cleanse gets you back on track.

For deeper and more serious work, consider a 21-day or one-month detox. If you'd like support with this, I offer affordable detox and transformational health coaching packages to telephone and in-person clients. This service offers the personalized program and expert, individualized attention that can help you thrive.

Ongoing support, whether short or long term, is the secret to success for many people. Others just need a boost of inspiration from time to time. In this spirit, here are some tips for making it through the next month without derailing your diet-lifestyle commitments. May you be well and joyful. ♥ Diana

Five Tips for a Successful, Cleanse-Friendly Holiday Season

1. Be Prepared. Having a food plan is your best defense against getting stuck in a situation where there is no recourse to good choices. The holiday season, with all its extra social occasions and workplace obligations calls for extra planning. Allow five minutes each night to think about tomorrow's schedule and plan your food for the day. If you know you will be attending a party where choices will be limited, for instance, plan to eat a salad first and bring along your own go-to snacks. (Baby carrots, raw almonds, fruit or dark chocolate all pack well and are fun to share!) Anytime advance prep is required, don't wait till you are rushing out the door in the morning to start washing lettuce. And never leave the house hungry. Be sure to have your breakfast juice, fruit or smoothie first — or bring it with you. Making a few days worth of juices or smoothies at once and tucking them in the freezer makes it easy to grab and go. A full fruit bowl on the kitchen table will help to remind you to bring a juicy snack.

2. Relax Before Eating. Many of us eat in response to stress, to ease tension. Chewing itself has been shown to stimulate the release of serotonin, so there's a biolchemical drive behind this behavior. But stress hunger is in your head, not your belly. If you find yourself opening the refrigerator door or reaching for a snack you know you don't need, pause and check in with yourself first. Take a few deep breaths and ask the question: Do I really want to go down this road? Often, you'll realize the answer is "No way!" And if the answer is yes, choose a crunchy low-cal juicy vegetable or fruit option. When mealtime arrives, take another moment to tune into your body’s signals about what and how much to eat before putting food on your plate. Then, put the right amount for you in this moment, no seconds needed. Enjoy each bite consciously. LOOK at the food on your fork or spoon before putting it in your mouth, CHEW well, TASTE the delicious flavors and BE HAPPY!

3. Stay Hydrated. I've always envied those people who love drinking water, since I am not one of them. I know it's good for me, but those liter bottles are just intimidating! I do love tea, though, and small glasses of water go down easy. So every hour or two, I aim to have one or the other, keeping my beloved black tea intake down to one or two cups a day. Coffee drinkers, take extra heed. (Caffeine increases stress and anxiety—who needs that?)

4. Keep Moving. Exercise dials down stress and normalizes hunger patterns. You don't need to join a gym to benefit from exercise. Bundle up and take an invigorating walk in the brisk December air. Guaranteed, you'll come back in with a fresh new perspective on your day. Or put on your running shoes and spend 20-30 minutes bouncing to your favorite music on your rebounder. In addition to cardio benefits, you'll sweat out toxins and boost your mood with a rush of feel-good endorphins brought on by both music and heart-pumping movement.

5. Stay True to Your Self. Most of us were raised to "be nice" and accept gifts graciously, whether we want them or not. So when the gift is food that we don't want to put in our body, many of us freeze and suffer the consequences. Now that we are adults, it's time to be nice to ourselves by learning how to kindly say "no, thank you" to unwanted gifts. What you choose eat and drink is not a topic for others to challenge or take personal offense to. So whether it's candy, cake, pasta or sugary beverages on offer (or anything else that's off your program), don't worry about hurting your friend, family member, office mate or host's feelings. Remember your why and be true to yourself. (To make this simpler, see Tip One, Be Prepared!)

The One You Feed

Raise your hand if you eat only to satisfy your body's need for fuel. Hmm, I'm not seeing a lot of hands going up!

Yes, food is fuel. Remembering this is useful in helping to fortify your willpower when cravings strike. But it may not be enough.

The next time you find yourself mindlessly opening the refrigerator or cupboard door, looking for that perfect little something to fill the moment, I encourage you to pause and ask yourself this question: What am I really hungry for? And as you enjoy your treat, consider this question: Who am I feeding? Is it your body? Your emotions? Your soul?

All the parts of your complex and tender self need to be nourished, and each may hunger if left unfed. But the "food" that fills this hunger isn't always something you put in your mouth. Food, as such, comes in a multitude of guises.

Laughter is food. Movement is food - dancing, stretching, running. Meditation is food, as is stillness, and relaxation. Air is food, inhaled deeply into the lungs and released. Love is food, as is touch, and the warmth of friendship.

Similarly, thoughts are food, perhaps the most important food of all. Every action begins in the mind. Purify your thoughts and you are on your way to health and happiness. Mind matters most.

The following Native American proverb is one I like very much. Consider it food for thought. And may you be deeply nourished. ♥ Diana


The One You Feed

One moonlit evening, an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people.

He said, "My child, the battle is between two wolves.

“One is Low Wolf. It is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority and ego.

“The other is High Wolf. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."

The grandson thought quietly about the wolves and their battle. After a few moments, he asked the old man, "Grandfather, which wolf wins? Low Wolf or High Wolf?"

The wise Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

Healthy Comfort Food

Let's cut to the chase. The final weeks of the year can be a tough time for sugar addicts and emotional eaters. Really tough. All those foods that you work so hard to avoid all the other 50 weeks of the year are literally surrounding you! Dark-chocolate-covered almonds at the pharmacy. Cakes and cookies at work. Cheese platters and cracker assortments and sweet drinks galore - even in your own kitchen! (How did that happen?) It can be daunting; it can make you want to throw in the towel. As one client put it, "I don't want to do the diet. It feels like a punishment."

How did we create a world where eating fresh juicy salads, tangy fruit smoothies, creamy avocados, savory raw goat cheeses, sweet garnet yams and quality dark chocolate feels like a punishment?

Clearly, it's not about food, it's about feelings. Feelings are what emotional eating is all about.

To begin, we have EMOTIONAL TIES to certain foods, ties based on our childhood associations and past experiences with these foods and ties based on messages we receive from family, media and society about what these foods represent. "Denying" ourselves these foods cuts to the quick of our inner child. Ouch.

Second, we USE FOOD AS A DRUG, to cover up, numb and avoid our feelings. Eat this, forget your problems (you know the drill). Better yet, have a brand new problem to distract you (you choose: stomach ache, weight gain, despair, guilt, shame, etc.)

Emotional eating comes to a head during holidays because these ritualized moments and events bring up a lot of feelings. Hard feelings for many of us. Our hearts may feel practically ripped open as we are forced to confront personal loss, stressful family dynamics, workplace pressures, cultural expectations and social conditioning all at the same time. No wonder we want to stuff the world into oblivion!

Food doesn't really help, though. We all know this. So the trick is to learn how to negotiate our feelings, recognize our needs and find alternatives.

Blogs, books, counseling all can help. That's why I'm here, dedicating these pages to supporting you. And I am just one of many. When you feel like you are "failing" at following your program, there is a lot of support for you. You are not alone.

Always remember, YOU CAN DO IT! You can achieve your highest potential, you can have the healthy, sane, balanced relationship with food that you KNOW, in your heart of hearts, is your birthright! Your natural, radiant state of being is part of you RIGHT NOW!

Understanding what foods best serve the health of your body-mind-spirit is an important and necessary step in this process. In order to be healthy, you must base your diet upon the evolution-appropriate, fresh natural foods for which the human body was designed. That's just the bottom line, and you know what I'm talking about! It's not factory-generated chicken eggs, or protein bars, or 100-calorie packs of canola-fried tortilla chips or even low-fat ice cream that will help you lose weight and feel great! No matter how much the diet and food industries want you to believe otherwise, you KNOW what is real food, and that's the food you need to THRIVE.

One of my favorite nutritionists, Natalia Rose, addresses this issue in Part One of her newly released e-book, available to members of the Detox the World Community. The following quote made me lol; I share it with you here:

“My friends, no other species in history eats according to a clock or from a package, or chooses their food based on the numbers on a label or the persuasive powers of a commercial! Can you imagine a bunch of bunnies huddled around a TV screen determining what to eat after watching an ad for Mr. McGregor’s carrot chips–or buying into the olestra version? Yes, in our culture, we’d rather consume indigestible fats and have gas an diarrhea than go without our potato chips! Olestra is right up there with saccharine, margarine, and fat-free milk products–marketed as healthful to the addicted, hypnotized masses. This is your brain on social conditioning!”

(Natalia Rose, Emotional Eating SOS Part 1, page 20.)

Can't you just picture those crazy bunnies?!? It's funny because we all know they know better. And so do we.

Overcoming emotional eating involves exercising our intelligence and experience, breaking free of what the mainstream tells us is "good for us" and realizing that our bodies desire something different, something more TRUE and LIFE-GENERATING. Real food. That is the diet piece. It is not the only piece of the puzzle, but it is an important one.

There will always be situations that drive us to seek comfort outside of ourselves. As we progress on our path of wisdom and self-knowledge, we learn ways to cope with these situations that actually help to move through the feelings, even beyond the feelings so that we can solve the underlying problem! These ways do not harm us, they do not sabotage our efforts to be healthy, they allow us to be clear and to attain and maintain our ideal weight.

Of course naturally, in the meantime, we have to eat something! Sometimes, we have to eat a LOT of something. May that something really serve you. May it move through your body with a quickness, leaving little or no waste residue behind. You may need food to help you get through today, but choose wisely and it won't ruin your tomorrow.

My number one rule of thumb is this: you can't go wrong with vegetables. Vegetables are the best health food, the best diet food, the best alkalinizing food, the best food period for humans to eat. Choose your favorites, and when the need arises, eat piles of them. Steamed broccoli and cauliflower and summer squashes, baked roots and winter squashes, beets and parsnips and leafy greens. Serve them with spices, seasonings, butter or flaxseed oil, Himalayan pink salt (my favorite!), or even a sauce (mushroom-garlic-tomato sautée anyone?) Fill up on these foods when you need to EAT. Add salads, add avocado, or substitute raw goat cheese or fish for the starchy veggies. Eat well, and be well.

Here is a list of incredibly tasty comfort foods that help to hit the spot without derailing your best intentions. With deference to Food Combining guidelines, may you enjoy them with gusto!


MEALS

Baked Garnet Yams, served with flaxseed oil or organic butter and sea salt.

A bowlful of Baked Beets topped with pesto if you like, or raw goat cheese.

Organic Vegetable Soup, canned, loaded up with leftover veggies or chopped greens and curry paste

Practically Raw Miso Soup


SNACKS

Dulse seaweed, right out of the bag!

1 or 2 Bananas + 1-2 Tablespoons Raw Almond Butter.

3-4 Medjool dates + a big handful of raw cashews.

Raw carrots dipped in Ginger-Miso dressing.

Raw Goat Cheese, plain or stuffed into leaves (romaine, endive, raddichio).

One Avocado, sprinkled with Herbamare or Spike. Eat out of the shell, or wrap in a nori sheet.



WARM CREAMY DRINKS

Freshly blended or packaged Almond Milk with cinnamon. Sweeten if desired.

"Cereal Coffee" (Pero, Inka, Cafix) with agave or raw honey and Coconut Creamer. (A new product that, while processed, makes a decent alternative to pasteurized Half and Half.)

Nut/Seed-Based Green Smoothie


DESSERTS

Organic Dark Chocolate (70%+) or Sacred Chocolate or other Raw Chocolate Bar

Instant Fudge (1 teaspoon each: raw almond butter, raw cacao powder, agave or maple syrup)

Instant Halvah (equal parts raw tahini and raw honey)

Frozen Banana "Ice Cream" (use juicer Blank or a regular blender + patience!)

Frozen Berry Sorbet (just whir frozen berries in blender - quick and sweet!)

Remember Your Why

In case you haven’t heard, temptation is coming to town... gelt and sleighbells in tow. Whether it’s the annual office party, friends stopping by with fruitcake, family get-togethers or just an innocent trip to the newly candy-loaded pharmacy, the holiday season is packed with sugary treats and opportunities to overeat at nearly every turn.

Many a normally level-headed, health-conscious person has found themselves challenged by the sweet temptations of seasonal festivities. This challenge is magnified for those dealing with disordered eating. If you’ve ever have a hard time sticking to your diet or exercise plan, or struggled over the long term to keep doing what you know you “should” be doing, here’s a little trick. Forget about the Should. Remember the Why.

Discipline is tricky–and not just during the holidays. I see it all year long in my work with emotional eaters and in myself and others, too. We set an intention, full of understanding and resolve, and perhaps we succeed for some time. But somehow, whether it be hours, days or weeks, our resolve eventually falters and we go back to our old ways. And there we are, back where we started, until we make another resolve and start again. Why is this so, and how can we learn to remain on course?

I believe that food addictions (and most likely other types of addictions) are often rooted in an attempt by the unconscious mind to help us forget our problems. Because the unconscious mind loves us and wants to make everything all better, the intent behind the idea that turns into the behavior that becomes the addiction is not malicious, simply misguided. Consider the thought, “Just have some ice cream and all your pain will go away.” This thought is a kind gesture, a well-intentioned suggestion intended to help quell our pain, boredom or discomfort. Ice cream tastes good, it feels good going down, it resides front and center in many happy childhood memories. Naturally, it follows that if you’re sad now, you can get happy if you eat some ice cream! Good idea, right?

Well, yes and no. It’s true that at first, as ICE CREAM overtakes our entire consciousness, our problems do seem to go away. We forget everything but the taste on our tongue, in our mouth and throat, the luxurious sensation of smooth, sweet flavor and cold creaminess. Then, sugar hits our bloodstream and our dopamine starts to surge, creating feelings of well being and bliss. So far, so good.

But at some point, this pleasure experience turns sour. Feelings of self-consciousness, guilt, shame or simply physical discomfort take the place of joy and abandon. Our taste buds get oversaturated and lose their sensitivity. Those final spoonfuls may feel like a disgusting chore. And after the ice cream is gone, we feel disheartened, overstuffed or depressed. “Why did I do that? I feel so full/fat/guilty/hopeless/like a loser.”

All of these sensations and thoughts–from first bite bliss to bloated despair–serve as a wonderful distraction from whatever painful thoughts or feelings we were unconsciously trying to avoid in the first place. But the problem is not solved at all. The addiction strategy, this well meaning attempt to take us out of our suffering, does not work. On the contrary, it just prolongs our original problems and even creates new ones.

Fortunately, we can teach our unconscious mind new ways to help us that don’t end up hurting us. We also can engage the unconscious mind in helping us embody the flip side of addictions and indulgences, i.e. healthy habits that take us to our goals.

One useful tool for staying on track with a healthy eating plan is to drop all our rules around food. The part of the unconscious mind that I call the Rebel Self has a strong aversion to rules. The Rebel Self has a motto around rules: “If you make them, I will break them!” The Rebel Self does NOT want to be told what she can and cannot do – she wants to make her own decisions. If you have a Rebel Self (and most of us do) rules are a set-up for failure. Once a rule is broken and you’ve “blown it,” resolve easily goes out the window and it can be weeks before you get back on track.

That’s why I put the focus on TOOLS not RULES. Fill your healthy diet and lifestyle toolbox with information and inspiration, and draw on it as needed. It’s good to have tricks up your sleeve (make your own healthy “ice cream” with frozen ripe bananas, take the stairs instead of the elevator, choose a distant parking spot, eat an apple before you go to the party so you won’t be starving when you get there, etc). Even more powerful are tools that support you at a deeper level, the level of the unconscious mind.

To access this level nutritionally, you must first learn what foods work best for your body and develop a realistic diet-lifestyle program that suits your schedule and your personal needs–be they biochemical, social or emotional. Realistic means sound and doable. A big part of my work as a nutritionist is helping people develop customized programs that they can actually follow! This is critical to your success. For instance, you may have a “crush on raw foods,” as one of my clients put it, but your body craves cooked food, too. Find a way to do both–there are lots of clean cooked foods out there! Embrace the concept of TRANSITION and keep moving ahead in the direction of health.

Once you understand the diet-lifestyle that suits you best, get really clear on Why you want to follow it. What is it that you want this particular dietary program, supplement regime or exercise routine help you to achieve?

Your “Why” can be many things. Perhaps you want this diet-lifestyle to help you to overcome a disease. Or to help clear up your skin. Do you want it to help you lose weight? Tone and firm your muscles? Increase your self confidence? Enjoy the way you look and feel? Provide more balanced alertness and energy throughout the day? Improve your digestion? Decrease aches and pains? Bring you closer to God? Understanding your “Why” is another way of understanding your aspirations and goals.

We all have more than one goal but ultimately, as my beautiful and disciplined friend Meredith says, when it comes to any undertaking the GOAL IS TO FEEL GOOD. We want to feel as good as we possible can, every day–feel good in our body, feel good in our mind, feel good about ourselves and our accomplishments. That’s what makes life a JOY! Feeling bad feels…well…bad! Who wants that? Nobody.

So get clear on your Why, on what it is that you really want out of your diet-lifestyle choices. Whatever it is, use your Why as an inspirational tool. Create a statement (or a series of statements) that highlights your Why. Articulate a few phrases that you can repeat to yourself throughout the day and write them down on a piece of paper, a post-it or a wallet-sized Why Card. For example, you might write on your card: “I want to feel great!” or, “I want to lose five pounds this month,” or “I want perfect digestion.”

Partner your WHY with AFFIRMATIONS that will help you target and change specific behaviors. Always phrase affirmations with positive words, because the unconscious mind does not understand negatives. For instance, if you are trying to reduce food intake at meals, instead of saying “I don’t take seconds at meals,” affirm that “I feel satisfied and happy with one serving of food at mealtimes.”

Remain clear on your Why and remember it throughout the day, using Affirmations to reinforce new behavior. Consider reading your Why Card when you wake up and at bedtime. Give it a glance before you head down to the lunchroom... or out the office party... or into the dining room for the traditional family feast. Be sure to remember your Why when it’s time to engage in the desired behavior to help train your unconscious mind in this new way of helping you meet your deep inner goals and needs. With practice, your WHY will become an integrated part of YOU.

Until that time and always, love yourself, forgive yourself, have faith in yourself. Find ways to address the discomfort in your life, the pain or unresolved issues that in the past led you to develop behaviors which only ended up hurting you more. And develop new habits that take you into the life you are meant to lead, the life of happiness, confidence, and health. The life you want. The life you deserve.

In radiance and joyful resolution, Diana