At this time every 365 days people make promises to themselves and to their loved ones about their goals for the New Year ahead. It is a time for reflection, for resolving, for forgiving and forgetting. It is the start of a new cycle, a chance to turn your back on old fears and an opportunity to create new abundant goals.
Are you bored yet? I certainly am.
I personally believe that although New Year can represent a change, there really is no need to put all this pressure on yourself as 2011 arrives. Every day is an opportunity for change. Actually every minute and every second. No moment is more powerful than the next.
I certainly believe that the world shifts each year as the calender turns, but for personal development we know when the time is right to bring in the new and release the old and tired. If you decide right this second to make a change or any second a week or month from now, it holds the same power. The power to shift comes from within, not from a calender full of dates. You hold the key to personal change.
This can seem a little scary, we sometimes feel like we cannot change however hard we try. We feel like we have failed if we do not succeed straight away and we create a belief that we 'can't'. The reality is you can. I promise that whatever you want to achieve in your life, it can be yours as long as you believe it is possible. We are the only ones that put limits on our own lives.
So, instead of putting all your hope and fear into the 1st of January, choose a moment when you feel reflective and hopeful and write a list of all the things you would like in your life. Do not think about what you can or cannot do, think about what you really want. Allow no boundaries to restrict your list. Do not focus on the reasons why or the steps to how. Simply write your list, accept that you want it and believe it is possible. This is a really powerful tool.
If you find doing this cheesy, impossible and annoying then don't do it, screw the paper up and throw it in the bin and hope it is never found. Instead, simply give yourself the time and space to change and whenever you feel a negative belief rearing it's head, try and quash it with a positive alternative. Talk to your own mind like you would talk to a friend...
'It is going to be ok.'
'You can do it.'
'Of course you can change, just be patient, you are so loved and certainly capable'
'Be patient and do the best you can'
'Rest now, try again tomorrow, everyone needs a break'
'You deserve better!'
'Believe in yourself, everyone else does.'
Most importantly remember that it is never too late to change something in our lives and from one moment to the next we can re-create our whole existence. We are in charge, it may not always feel like it, but we are 100% in charge of how we feel and what we create in our futures. So, try to think nice things about yourself as often as possible and if you cannot think something nice about yourself at least don't think something bad.
I think you are all brilliant!
Josie :)
Friday, December 31, 2010
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Sleep. Get enough of it?
I know this sounds obvious and we all know that we need about 8 hours sleep a night and 8 glasses of water a day (and blah blah blah). It reads so easily, but who actually does it?
I have been lacking in sleep the last week, a small amount of unrest in my life has created a lot of procrastinating (just because I write this stuff does not mean I always have the power to be in control of my body and mind at all times). I hope you understand ;)
After a week of mental tick-tocking and getting about 6 or 7 hours instead of my usual 8 I have woken up this morning with a sore throat, regardless of my 80% raw diet. How annoying. You can be eating an 100% raw organic diet and drinking plenty of fluid but the second you let yourself lose sleep or get stressed or BOTH, you are fighting a losing battle.
Sleep is our way of regenerating and renewing. It is a healing process for our bodies, a time to reflect on the day's work of battling through queues, forcing our way through traffic, running up and down stairs and eating three meals. It is a lot of work for our bodies to do and we tend to ignore them while we live in our heads. So, sleep is the one time our bodies get to themselves and are able to prepare for the next onslaught and get some well deserved rest.
If we are depleting ourselves of quality sleep by thinking too much, staying up too late, working too hard or eating before we go to bed, it is only a matter of time before we pay the price. We don't save energy by sleeping, but our energy is used in a different way, it helps our brains to compartmentalise information we have received in the day and allows our soft tissues and bodily systems to rest and recover. There are endless studies and theories on what actually happens to our bodies while we sleep and why we need it. A lot of it relates to brain function and storing of information. However, I strongly believe that as well as this, it is a time for our bodies tissues to well and truly shut off and restore without our constant wiggling and procrastinating.
n.b. I am living proof that too little sleep affects your immune system.
So, how much sleep do we need?
This depends on the individual and most of you probably know how much you need to feel rested. The average time suggested is 8 hours and this suits me well, however, I know my brother functions well on about 6 (although there is nothing regular about him). Working out how much you need is about being body aware. As I am sure you have found out, sleeping too much can have the opposite effect we want and leave us exhausted. As usual, it is all about balance and awareness.
What's this about eating and then sleeping being bad? It feels cosy and good.
Digesting food is actually pretty tiring for the body, especially larger meals with meat or heavy carbohydrates like bread or pasta. Food has a thermal effect on the body, it uses time and energy to process it. So, it makes sense that if we are trying to rest and recuperate, giving our body a job is not going to help. Also our body has an easier job of digesting when we are upright, so we are actually giving it a really hard job (how unfair).
At work I meet a lot of people whose schedules make it hard for them to have a normal, healthy eating pattern. I try to help them come up with plans that suit their schedules but often I have to be firm with them and let them know that if they are want to gain energy and feel better, they have to make time.
Too often we use the word can't when really the truth is we won't. If you are stuck in a cycle of getting in at 7pm, eating too much at 9pm (as you have not eaten since lunch) and going to bed at about 10pm, your body is not getting a chance to process the food and therefore you will not be getting a chance to sleep properly. It may feel as though you are sleeping more deeply and heavily, but it will not be energising, regenerating sleep (and this is the type of sleep we want and need). As a guideline a couple of hours of upright activity after eating a lighter meal is best in the evening.
Ok, so...
It really is down to the individual to work out what they can feasibly do with their day to make it less stressful, more balanced and therefore resulting in a more beneficial nights sleep. If you are turning to sleeping pills it really is time to take a look at what is going on in your life that is stopping your natural rhythms. If you force your body into a fitful slumber through drugs which give the body very little quality rest, you need to look a little deeper and find the cause. Insomnia deserves a blog of its own and I will go into that at a later date.
In the meantime, remind yourself how important getting a proper nights sleep is and next time you feel tired and are called up to go out? Try to say no, have a chamomile tea and pull on your slipper socks. After all, who can afford to be ill?
(If it is going to be a really, really good night then I will let you off, just don't make a habit of it.)
Goodnight. Sweet Dreams.
Josie
p.s Those who have small children, all I can think to say right now? They will grow up, slowly but surely, they will grow up. That is all I can guarantee right now. I will do a special blog for you guys too, you deserve it.
I have been lacking in sleep the last week, a small amount of unrest in my life has created a lot of procrastinating (just because I write this stuff does not mean I always have the power to be in control of my body and mind at all times). I hope you understand ;)
After a week of mental tick-tocking and getting about 6 or 7 hours instead of my usual 8 I have woken up this morning with a sore throat, regardless of my 80% raw diet. How annoying. You can be eating an 100% raw organic diet and drinking plenty of fluid but the second you let yourself lose sleep or get stressed or BOTH, you are fighting a losing battle.
Sleep is our way of regenerating and renewing. It is a healing process for our bodies, a time to reflect on the day's work of battling through queues, forcing our way through traffic, running up and down stairs and eating three meals. It is a lot of work for our bodies to do and we tend to ignore them while we live in our heads. So, sleep is the one time our bodies get to themselves and are able to prepare for the next onslaught and get some well deserved rest.
If we are depleting ourselves of quality sleep by thinking too much, staying up too late, working too hard or eating before we go to bed, it is only a matter of time before we pay the price. We don't save energy by sleeping, but our energy is used in a different way, it helps our brains to compartmentalise information we have received in the day and allows our soft tissues and bodily systems to rest and recover. There are endless studies and theories on what actually happens to our bodies while we sleep and why we need it. A lot of it relates to brain function and storing of information. However, I strongly believe that as well as this, it is a time for our bodies tissues to well and truly shut off and restore without our constant wiggling and procrastinating.
n.b. I am living proof that too little sleep affects your immune system.
So, how much sleep do we need?
This depends on the individual and most of you probably know how much you need to feel rested. The average time suggested is 8 hours and this suits me well, however, I know my brother functions well on about 6 (although there is nothing regular about him). Working out how much you need is about being body aware. As I am sure you have found out, sleeping too much can have the opposite effect we want and leave us exhausted. As usual, it is all about balance and awareness.
What's this about eating and then sleeping being bad? It feels cosy and good.
Digesting food is actually pretty tiring for the body, especially larger meals with meat or heavy carbohydrates like bread or pasta. Food has a thermal effect on the body, it uses time and energy to process it. So, it makes sense that if we are trying to rest and recuperate, giving our body a job is not going to help. Also our body has an easier job of digesting when we are upright, so we are actually giving it a really hard job (how unfair).
At work I meet a lot of people whose schedules make it hard for them to have a normal, healthy eating pattern. I try to help them come up with plans that suit their schedules but often I have to be firm with them and let them know that if they are want to gain energy and feel better, they have to make time.
Too often we use the word can't when really the truth is we won't. If you are stuck in a cycle of getting in at 7pm, eating too much at 9pm (as you have not eaten since lunch) and going to bed at about 10pm, your body is not getting a chance to process the food and therefore you will not be getting a chance to sleep properly. It may feel as though you are sleeping more deeply and heavily, but it will not be energising, regenerating sleep (and this is the type of sleep we want and need). As a guideline a couple of hours of upright activity after eating a lighter meal is best in the evening.
Ok, so...
It really is down to the individual to work out what they can feasibly do with their day to make it less stressful, more balanced and therefore resulting in a more beneficial nights sleep. If you are turning to sleeping pills it really is time to take a look at what is going on in your life that is stopping your natural rhythms. If you force your body into a fitful slumber through drugs which give the body very little quality rest, you need to look a little deeper and find the cause. Insomnia deserves a blog of its own and I will go into that at a later date.
In the meantime, remind yourself how important getting a proper nights sleep is and next time you feel tired and are called up to go out? Try to say no, have a chamomile tea and pull on your slipper socks. After all, who can afford to be ill?
(If it is going to be a really, really good night then I will let you off, just don't make a habit of it.)
Goodnight. Sweet Dreams.
Josie
p.s Those who have small children, all I can think to say right now? They will grow up, slowly but surely, they will grow up. That is all I can guarantee right now. I will do a special blog for you guys too, you deserve it.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
What is a food intolerance?
First I should clarify that an allergy is an extreme reaction which happens usually within minutes of consuming the food in question and intolerance is the inability to digest that food type effectively.
There are different types of allergies and intolerances and I am more focused here on the subtle ones caused by intolerances that make you feel less than your best, rather than extreme allergic reactions that cause anaphylactic shock or oral allergies like swelling of the lips. If you have an allergy like this it is likely you already know about it and avoid the food that causes it.
However, if you or someone you know has a persistent problem with their body which they are finding hard to diagnose, it is worth getting intolerance advice from a good naturopathic nutritionist or naturopath as it can often be easily remedied. There are new chemicals being put into our foods everyday that some people have strong reactions to. It could be these additives coupled with intolerances to our modern junk diet that are creating chronic illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, arthritis and obesity.
So, how do you know if you have a problem with a certain food?
1. You can go for allergy/intolerance tests. This is advisable if you have very severe reactions but cannot work out what does it. If you experience severe bloating, rashes, shortness of breath, diarrhea, or frequent nausea it is best to get it checked out with a naturopath who can do the relevant tests to find out what is going on and cut out your problem as fast as possible. You could simply be lactose or wheat intolerant and with a dietary change your problem could be remedied fast.
2. Alternatively if you are suffering from more subtle symptoms that you may not have attributed to your diet yet such as fatigue, bloating after meals, constipation or energy slumps, you can often help yourself.
The best way to do this is to go on a cleansing diet. If you read back to my earlier blogs I was on a raw food diet for a few months. It was only when I did this that I found my in intolerances by accident, I suddenly realised I was free of symptoms that I had not even acknowledged before. Suddenly I could breathe more deeply, had more energy and didn't get bloated. This type of diet strips your body of its cravings and reactions and leaves you with a detoxed body and a click on the reset button. Once you have done that you should be feeling that most of the symptoms have subsided and you can start to add foods back in and test your tolerance of them. It could be wheat or dairy, it could be certain combinations of food, it may even be a specific food additive that is aggravating your condition.
The key here is to be really strict with your diet and add things back one by one while being sensitive to changes in the way you feel after certain foods (reactions can take minutes or a few hours). This process is called an elimination diet and although can feel extreme, is very effective. You should always do relevant research before trying any restrictive diet and make sure you are getting all the nutrients you need during your chosen time period.
Be reassured that if you are feeling low on energy and depressed, a change in your diet could easily pick you up again, and keep you up. Never underestimate the power of food on how you feel emotionally and physically hour to hour and day to day.
The most important thing is to not accept feeling less than your best, it is possible to have abundant energy and feel light, you just need to work out what foods are right for you.
Josie.
p.s The web page/site below is helpful when clarifying the most common food intolerances and their symptoms. As always, read everything on the Internet with a quizzical eye, get lots of opinions and seek advice from an alternative practitioner in your area (best to go on recommendation).
http://www.foodintol.com/index.asp
Was this useful? Like My facebook page... :)
There are different types of allergies and intolerances and I am more focused here on the subtle ones caused by intolerances that make you feel less than your best, rather than extreme allergic reactions that cause anaphylactic shock or oral allergies like swelling of the lips. If you have an allergy like this it is likely you already know about it and avoid the food that causes it.
However, if you or someone you know has a persistent problem with their body which they are finding hard to diagnose, it is worth getting intolerance advice from a good naturopathic nutritionist or naturopath as it can often be easily remedied. There are new chemicals being put into our foods everyday that some people have strong reactions to. It could be these additives coupled with intolerances to our modern junk diet that are creating chronic illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, arthritis and obesity.
So, how do you know if you have a problem with a certain food?
1. You can go for allergy/intolerance tests. This is advisable if you have very severe reactions but cannot work out what does it. If you experience severe bloating, rashes, shortness of breath, diarrhea, or frequent nausea it is best to get it checked out with a naturopath who can do the relevant tests to find out what is going on and cut out your problem as fast as possible. You could simply be lactose or wheat intolerant and with a dietary change your problem could be remedied fast.
2. Alternatively if you are suffering from more subtle symptoms that you may not have attributed to your diet yet such as fatigue, bloating after meals, constipation or energy slumps, you can often help yourself.
The best way to do this is to go on a cleansing diet. If you read back to my earlier blogs I was on a raw food diet for a few months. It was only when I did this that I found my in intolerances by accident, I suddenly realised I was free of symptoms that I had not even acknowledged before. Suddenly I could breathe more deeply, had more energy and didn't get bloated. This type of diet strips your body of its cravings and reactions and leaves you with a detoxed body and a click on the reset button. Once you have done that you should be feeling that most of the symptoms have subsided and you can start to add foods back in and test your tolerance of them. It could be wheat or dairy, it could be certain combinations of food, it may even be a specific food additive that is aggravating your condition.
The key here is to be really strict with your diet and add things back one by one while being sensitive to changes in the way you feel after certain foods (reactions can take minutes or a few hours). This process is called an elimination diet and although can feel extreme, is very effective. You should always do relevant research before trying any restrictive diet and make sure you are getting all the nutrients you need during your chosen time period.
Be reassured that if you are feeling low on energy and depressed, a change in your diet could easily pick you up again, and keep you up. Never underestimate the power of food on how you feel emotionally and physically hour to hour and day to day.
The most important thing is to not accept feeling less than your best, it is possible to have abundant energy and feel light, you just need to work out what foods are right for you.
Josie.
p.s The web page/site below is helpful when clarifying the most common food intolerances and their symptoms. As always, read everything on the Internet with a quizzical eye, get lots of opinions and seek advice from an alternative practitioner in your area (best to go on recommendation).
http://www.foodintol.com/index.asp
Was this useful? Like My facebook page... :)
Monday, December 13, 2010
Change and Fear: The Big Stuff
Change is terrifying, I just want to point that out. Don't ever think you are not meant to be scared of it, some sort of fear is standard when change is involved. Dan Millman (who knows a lot about a lot of things) once said, 'A hero and coward feel the same fear, the hero just acts differently'. I think he is mainly right, although I really don't think He-Man was ever scared. The plan is to use the fear as fuel to move forward, take it as a challenge, our emotions do not have to rule our behaviour.
Ok, so...
Moving jobs, leaving relationships, changing cities, starting a course, speaking your mind or having a baby are just a few example of scary change. Blimey, even changing the colour of your hair can seem like a leap of faith (and can end in crisis, thank you Rosey Duffy). It can be so easy to stay stuck in a rut, almost paralyzed in a state of fear. The fear can have so many different causes; fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of not being accepted, fear of fear itself. It is nasty stuff and usually based on false expectations of a negative outcome which is totally irrational and therefore unproductive. It can paralyse even the strongest of people into 'staying put', even when 'staying put' is making them unhappy.
Someone once told me this acronym for fear:
False
Expectations
Appearing
Real
It hits the nail on the head really. Fear is something we create from our own, sometimes outdated beliefs. We often create a belief from something small and insignificant that injured our pride or made us feel bad. To protect ourselves we created a belief that would stop it happening again. But sometimes the block we created as protection is no longer useful or valid and is blocking us from enjoying things that would be really positive in our lives.
When we have a pattern in our life that does not make us feel good or stops us moving forward, it makes total sense that we should want to be rid of it. It seems bizarre that we should continue to think in a way that makes us feel weak or fearful, but funnily enough these patterns of thought can become strangely familiar.
Freshly formed thoughts (often based on one-off experiences) can sink into our psyche and form beliefs that in no time at all feel like they have been with us a lifetime, sort of like old friends. Often it is easier to hide within these false beliefs than to move forward, and to make it even more complicated sometimes we cannot even admit to ourselves that these patterns are are not based on rational thought.
For example:
A young boy, let's say 7 years old, finds a penny on the floor. He likes this penny, it is shiny and copper and totally free. He picks it up and as he brings it closer to his magnifying glass for a more detailed appraisal, he notices just how lovely it is. Suddenly a girl in a red dress with bright blonde hair comes and whips it out of his hand and sticks her tongue out at him. He never trusts a blonde again. Which is ridiculous. Blondes have much more fun, this guy is missing out (Maybe this is turning out to be a bad example). He often says that blondes are cruel, but is not sure why he thinks that, it just sounds right and he believes it. He also thinks that he is unlucky, he often repeats this when people talk about luck. Repeating it makes it more and more real and harder to dismiss.
Ok, so this is a silly example, I see that now, but I sort of like it due to its silliness so we shall keep it in.
You get the idea.
A friend of mine used to always refer to himself as lucky. I used to think, wow, how great you think that, I'm not! So, I started to say it too, 'I'm lucky', and then I started to believe it, and now I know it's true. Was it ever not true? Is it true now? I don't know. All I know is that feeling lucky is brilliant. I makes me feel invincible, and all I did was start saying it one day.
Being self deprecating is all well and good, but sometimes you reach the point when you need a bit of a lift and there is no one better at doing that than yourself.
'I'm clever'
'I'm lucky'
'I'm fun'
'I'm GREAT at chess'
Whatever it is, try and say it to others and yourself more often!
Challenging your innate beliefs takes a lot of courage. The way I do it is to look for times where I get particularly animated or annoyed about a matter which does not warrant such a strong reaction and then try to work out why I took the matter so personally. Was I protecting a part of me that was deeply hurt by something a long time ago? Was my argument rational or very biased? Often you can trawl back through your memories and find some reason for your outdated reaction to the matter. Jealousy, fear, anger, pain, longing, rejection and embarrassment are all emotions which can trigger patterns in us.
Of course, the older you are or the longer the particular pattern has been with you, the harder it will be to budge. However, be reassured that with time, if you are really honest with yourself, you can rid yourself of these useless fears and blocks.
You can also understand others and be more compassionate if you look for their blocks too. You do not need to point them out and make a big pseudo-psychological analysis on them, that will be really annoying, but it can stop you getting offended by their behaviour. By realising it is their block or pattern making them behave that way as an attempt to protect themselves, rather than them just being a brat, you can accept them as they are (or at least not take it personally).
So, change is good, fear is natural and there is no better time to start planning than today. As Susan Jeffers so rightly said, 'Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway'. It really is the only way to be in charge of your life.
Josie
Ok, so...
Moving jobs, leaving relationships, changing cities, starting a course, speaking your mind or having a baby are just a few example of scary change. Blimey, even changing the colour of your hair can seem like a leap of faith (and can end in crisis, thank you Rosey Duffy). It can be so easy to stay stuck in a rut, almost paralyzed in a state of fear. The fear can have so many different causes; fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of not being accepted, fear of fear itself. It is nasty stuff and usually based on false expectations of a negative outcome which is totally irrational and therefore unproductive. It can paralyse even the strongest of people into 'staying put', even when 'staying put' is making them unhappy.
Someone once told me this acronym for fear:
False
Expectations
Appearing
Real
It hits the nail on the head really. Fear is something we create from our own, sometimes outdated beliefs. We often create a belief from something small and insignificant that injured our pride or made us feel bad. To protect ourselves we created a belief that would stop it happening again. But sometimes the block we created as protection is no longer useful or valid and is blocking us from enjoying things that would be really positive in our lives.
When we have a pattern in our life that does not make us feel good or stops us moving forward, it makes total sense that we should want to be rid of it. It seems bizarre that we should continue to think in a way that makes us feel weak or fearful, but funnily enough these patterns of thought can become strangely familiar.
Freshly formed thoughts (often based on one-off experiences) can sink into our psyche and form beliefs that in no time at all feel like they have been with us a lifetime, sort of like old friends. Often it is easier to hide within these false beliefs than to move forward, and to make it even more complicated sometimes we cannot even admit to ourselves that these patterns are are not based on rational thought.
For example:
A young boy, let's say 7 years old, finds a penny on the floor. He likes this penny, it is shiny and copper and totally free. He picks it up and as he brings it closer to his magnifying glass for a more detailed appraisal, he notices just how lovely it is. Suddenly a girl in a red dress with bright blonde hair comes and whips it out of his hand and sticks her tongue out at him. He never trusts a blonde again. Which is ridiculous. Blondes have much more fun, this guy is missing out (Maybe this is turning out to be a bad example). He often says that blondes are cruel, but is not sure why he thinks that, it just sounds right and he believes it. He also thinks that he is unlucky, he often repeats this when people talk about luck. Repeating it makes it more and more real and harder to dismiss.
Ok, so this is a silly example, I see that now, but I sort of like it due to its silliness so we shall keep it in.
You get the idea.
A friend of mine used to always refer to himself as lucky. I used to think, wow, how great you think that, I'm not! So, I started to say it too, 'I'm lucky', and then I started to believe it, and now I know it's true. Was it ever not true? Is it true now? I don't know. All I know is that feeling lucky is brilliant. I makes me feel invincible, and all I did was start saying it one day.
Being self deprecating is all well and good, but sometimes you reach the point when you need a bit of a lift and there is no one better at doing that than yourself.
'I'm clever'
'I'm lucky'
'I'm fun'
'I'm GREAT at chess'
Whatever it is, try and say it to others and yourself more often!
Challenging your innate beliefs takes a lot of courage. The way I do it is to look for times where I get particularly animated or annoyed about a matter which does not warrant such a strong reaction and then try to work out why I took the matter so personally. Was I protecting a part of me that was deeply hurt by something a long time ago? Was my argument rational or very biased? Often you can trawl back through your memories and find some reason for your outdated reaction to the matter. Jealousy, fear, anger, pain, longing, rejection and embarrassment are all emotions which can trigger patterns in us.
Of course, the older you are or the longer the particular pattern has been with you, the harder it will be to budge. However, be reassured that with time, if you are really honest with yourself, you can rid yourself of these useless fears and blocks.
You can also understand others and be more compassionate if you look for their blocks too. You do not need to point them out and make a big pseudo-psychological analysis on them, that will be really annoying, but it can stop you getting offended by their behaviour. By realising it is their block or pattern making them behave that way as an attempt to protect themselves, rather than them just being a brat, you can accept them as they are (or at least not take it personally).
So, change is good, fear is natural and there is no better time to start planning than today. As Susan Jeffers so rightly said, 'Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway'. It really is the only way to be in charge of your life.
Josie
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