I have let my blog take a well deserved rest the last two months and hopefully some of you have missed it. I am back to explain why I have been absent and I think you will find it interesting...
Allow me to set the scene just a little. It is my one day off a week on Koh Samui and I am strolling down the road. This is the large Samui ring road and not a dusty track, I hasten to add. I am visiting one of the many 711 corner shops which are littered around Thailand. My aim is to get some hard earned cash from the ATM. When you have one day off a week spending money fast is a must.
I don’t even see the coconut truck at first, which was part of the problem in retrospect. I am stuck in my own scrambled thoughts about who, where, what and why in life and mainly how I should spend my life as well as my money. If only I had seen the monkey it might all have been very different. If I had been present and correct, in the moment and mindful of my steps I would have given it a wide birth, but I was simply scrambling inside instead: fatal error.
Suddenly I feel an impact on my left side. As I wrestle the weight off and jump back I see it is a monkey and before I have even registered the creatures audacity I realise I have been scratched and bitten. It is too late, these things happen so fast. The bite is deep, I can see the muscle and the tendon. The monkey was surely hungry, I know this because he took a mouthful and I sincerely hope he ate it, as it is now missing. Strangely the wound although deep, has no venous bleeding so I am forced to look into my arm and marvel at how it still moves despite its sudden lack.
Luckily I am near my friends tattoo shop, so I run over in shock to get some reassurance that this hole can exist and I can still be alive and moving. Suddenly I am so far removed emotionally from my alien arm. It is not mine, it is torn open, it cannot be mine? My friend hails a taxi after I convince him that the pharmacy is not going to suffice, Thai people have a tendency to make less of a fuss than us, but I know this time my urgency is warranted. His customer is left mid-tattoo, half standing, half sitting and baffled. She got bitten by a monkey?
The hospital is beautiful, I have been here before with Typhus fever and my friend Nick for a week, so it feels like home. Do not attend the Bangkok Samui without insurance, in fact do not travel at all without insurance.
This time they take too long. They leave me with my uncovered wound so I am forced to spend more time peering in with disbelief. Ten minutes feels like an hour. Rabies shots into the hole, necessary? It seems so. Stitches in the muscle, stitches in the skin. I am being sewn up like a rag doll and I do not feel entirely comfortable about the way my body suddenly seems so material, flesh being pulled about to compensate for flesh missing. It reminds me of my own stitching, large and wonky.
After being sent home with a half cast to keep the muscle in position (big white arm) I sit and reflect. My day off over, my arm has a hole. Thankfully I can no longer see it but I know what lurks within the big white arm and I don’t like it one bit.
The next day I am admitted to hospital with an infection, monkey’s mouths are not clean places I can now confirm. I spend a week in the Bangkok Samui, it really does feel like home now. Where do my ‘no pharmaceutical’ feelings stand in this scenario? They flop aimlessly. Please give me as many antibiotics as you see fit as this is one of the situations where modern medicine has its place. A fellow nutritional devotee calls me to ask how I am doing,
‘Let’s just hope you survive from all the drugs they give you’ he preaches ‘That will be truly amazing! I would have filled the wound with comfrey’.
‘How ridiculous’ I thought, ‘If he had that hole in his arm I bet he would have fled to the Bangkok Samui hospital as quickly as me, and if not? Then quite frankly, he is silly.’
Although he was certainly silly, he was irritatingly right as I had a reaction to the drugs and ended up covered from head to toe in a horrible red lumpy rash which lasted about four days. It makes you wonder what it might do to other areas of the body we cannot see so clearly. But, as I said before, in some situations, antibiotics are necessary and nasty infections are what they were designed for. It is our tendency to overuse them that causes problems. The allergy was unfortunate and gross. A month later I followed this antibiotic laden time with a one week fast, to clear out the toxins and start a fresh; I will go in to that more on a future blog.
So I now come around to where this story ends and a new one begins. It is where my blog also ended temporarily due to the ‘big white arm’. I had to leave my job as I could no longer work with the pain and only one useful arm was not sufficient. I already suffer physical problems from my tumbling descent down the stairs all those years ago and losing use of my arm highlighted old problems and created new imbalances. Physically and emotionally draining when you are so far from the reassurance of home.
My arm is much better now (two months on) I am swimming every day and doing yoga to get strength and flexibility back. It is going to take time and patience before I get full use of it back. The skin and muscle pull and tug strangely where the tissues now move as one instead of independently, a seam out of place that twists awkwardly. A scar with a story.
This period was difficult but it opened new opportunities for me and I am now living on an organic coconut farm in Khanom with my friend and his family. My little wooden hut is simply heaven to me right now and I finally have the time to enjoy this fantastic country. When one door closes, another one always opens and for now, I am enjoying each moment of what feels like freedom and learning to be mindful. After all, you never know where a monkey might be lurking and being present is terribly important if you want to remain intact.
I am back.
Stay tuned for more health tips and reassurance that feeling great is not rocket science.
Josie
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Sunday, January 2, 2011
'Reiki' How do you even say that word?
I have been practicing reiki (ray-key) for four years now. When I first started I didn't really believe in it myself, I thought it was far-out, perhaps non-existent and most definitely weird. I started doing it as I had a chronic injury that was simply not fixing and someone suggested reiki to me one day.
'Stop paying someone else to fix you Josie, take control, reiki can be done on yourself' said Dean.
(my depleted bank balance and aching back screamed....Yes!)
Anyone who has ever been in pain knows that you will try just about anything to be rid of it...and this desperation flung me in to the path of one of my favourite things, reiki energy. No no no, don't disappear and think I have finally gone insane, this is the good stuff.
I am afraid I am not going to tell you that reiki healed my back pain overnight (although it can in some cases), but it helped me by taking away the fear of it. Anyone who has pain or disease in their body has the power to take control of it and that is what I did. Reiki stopped me being a victim and gave me the emotional strength to get on with my life. Sometimes we have to learn a lesson through the challenge of suffering and we actually come out better at the other end because of it. Therefore, sometimes the greatest tragedy can turn out to be the greatest good, this is what reiki taught me; acceptance, grace and inner peace.
So what is Reiki?
My advice is to be open to the idea of reiki even if at first you feel a bit unsure about the whole thing. I was and now I feel so incredibly lucky to work with people giving treatments as part of my job. It is a real gift to see people transform here and reiki is just another way to ease and increase that transformation.
Sending you vibes.
Josie
'Stop paying someone else to fix you Josie, take control, reiki can be done on yourself' said Dean.
(my depleted bank balance and aching back screamed....Yes!)
Anyone who has ever been in pain knows that you will try just about anything to be rid of it...and this desperation flung me in to the path of one of my favourite things, reiki energy. No no no, don't disappear and think I have finally gone insane, this is the good stuff.
I am afraid I am not going to tell you that reiki healed my back pain overnight (although it can in some cases), but it helped me by taking away the fear of it. Anyone who has pain or disease in their body has the power to take control of it and that is what I did. Reiki stopped me being a victim and gave me the emotional strength to get on with my life. Sometimes we have to learn a lesson through the challenge of suffering and we actually come out better at the other end because of it. Therefore, sometimes the greatest tragedy can turn out to be the greatest good, this is what reiki taught me; acceptance, grace and inner peace.
So what is Reiki?
Reiki can be explained in many ways and I choose to describe it in different ways to different people depending on their personality and their belief system. A practical science based individual is not going to connect to an idea I present in a 'new age airy fairy' way and a science based approach can put off the more spiritually minded. The truth is neither explanation is wrong, they are in fact both right in my opinion (just to confuse matters).
Reiki originated in Japan and and was taught by a Buddhist monk called Dr Mikao Usui. Rei-Ki means 'universal life force' and a reiki treatment will channel this life force into someone who needs healing or balancing through the practitioners hands. The practitioner facilitates the energy healing and channels it rather than gives of their own energy. The energy goes where it is needed and the the practitioner is merely a vessel for something much more powerful. Ok, so it is far out when you look at it like this...but...
...when we talk about auras and energy fields people always assume there is something mystical and magical and unbelievable about the whole thing. In reality we are simply energy beings with energy running through us and it makes perfect sense that this energy and heat radiates around us in the form of an 'aura' and out into the world around us. I believe that through reiki we can heal problems in our emotional and physical bodies by balancing and charging our energy.
It makes sense to me that we have energy that runs through us. Our pulse is not our blood creating pressure but a wave of energy that forces our blood forward. This energy originates somewhere, it starts in us all somehow. Why can we not harness more of this energy and use it to channel it into and through others? The tides, the stars, the wind....it is all energy surging through our universe, it makes complete sense to me that we have the ability to increase and harness our own energy through connecting to this source.
How to get started.
The brilliant thing about reiki is that anyone can do it. You do not need to be psychic or an intuitive, you do not have to wear a tiara and have crystals dripping from every limb. If you are interested, open and like the idea of using energy to heal yourself and others, that is enough to get started.
I learnt with two teachers and found the second one gave me the excitement and confidence using energy that I have today. Choosing a teacher is a personal thing and it will depend on how you feel around that person and whether their teaching style and energy suit you as to whether they are right. The second teacher? Miranda Gray.
Miranda teaches a specific form of healing she has developed in conjunction with traditional reiki and the blend works miracles. If you live in the UK and are interested in learning reiki get in touch with her for advice and more information.
“Reiki offers us a powerful tool to interact with the modern world and still keep in touch with a deeper level of life. It provides us with the support we need to feel strong, to let go of the past, to trust and to open our hearts to others. It helps us to experience well-being by restoring and healing our bodies, mind, emotions and soul.”
Miranda
http://www.reiki-southampton.co.uk/
My advice is to be open to the idea of reiki even if at first you feel a bit unsure about the whole thing. I was and now I feel so incredibly lucky to work with people giving treatments as part of my job. It is a real gift to see people transform here and reiki is just another way to ease and increase that transformation.
Sending you vibes.
Josie
Raw Food: Let's Cut to the Chase
Raw Food sounds scary and impossible and who on earth has the time or the patience? I am here to tell you it does not have to be hard, you do not have to do it 100% and it does not mean you have to have a personality bypass and turn all odd (at first anyway).
When people think of raw food they often associate it with extremists and it feels like an impossible thing to do. An image pops into the mind of someone draped with Tye Die, an incense stick in their left hand and a carrot in their right. The truth is, raw food does not have to be an all or nothing thing. If you can add one raw meal a day that's fine, this is the first step on the ladder. It does not matter how you start bringing more raw food into your body as long as you do it.
My friend Jennifer Thompson (http://www.healthybliss.com/) has been 95% raw for four years now and teaches raw food classes and coaching, she likes to keep it fun and light. I know other people who live it 100% religiously and never stray from raw for even a morsel and can be quite judgemental about the whole thing. So, as you can see there are lots of ways of bringing raw food into your life and it does not have to be a challenge.
What do I mean when I say 'raw'?
As the term suggests, raw food is simply not cooked. Someone who is a raw foodist will eat no cooked food and is sustained on raw fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, dried or dehydrated fruit and vegetables and certain spreads or powders derived from raw products, raw dairy and even raw meat. Although, many raw foodists are 'raw vegan' and restrict animal products from their diet.
Why is raw food important?
Raw food is the best way to get live, active enzymes into your body. When we start to cook food it loses some of its vital nutrients and in some cases degrades it greatly. Eating raw food is eating living food and to eat life brings vitality and healing to the body.
There are different schools of thought, as in much of nutrition, and some suggest certain foods respond well to cooking and it actually increases their positive properties. Others insist that eating cooked foods is bad for the body and cause it to literally fight the food like a foreign body. The way I see it, if you eat a balance of both ( I choose about 70% raw to 30% cooked) then you cannot lose. I suggest you give it a go and once you start feeling the wonderful benefits you can take it as far as you want. What is right for one person is not always right for another so listen to your body and if you go all the way...fantastic!
How do you start eating raw food? What are you supposed to eat?
Preparing raw food can be as simple or complicated as you want, people imagine it will be salads and fruit and you will be starving all the time. The truth is it can be exciting and full of flavour. Sometimes a few simple ingredients tossed in a salad and certain combinations of fruit and vegetables can create a literal taste sensation. Take a look online and you will find an abundance of raw food recipes, tips and guidance, it is a whole new world to discover.
Of course as with any specific diet, you need to make sure you are getting all the nutrients that you need. Some vitamins/minerals are harder to get when you are veggie or vegan. do the relevant research and supplement your diet where needed. You must make sure you get enough fat in the form of avocados, nuts, seeds and oils. Try to get a good balance and change that balance until you find one that suits your body.
Simple!
-Carrot sticks and guacamole.
-Cucumber dipped in tahini.
-Green leaf salad
-Handful of raw nuts and seeds
-Dried figs and apricots
-Green Smoothies
-Shredded Carrot Salad with walnuts
...or for the more adventurous!
-Raw Lasagna
-Raw Cheesecake
-Raw Pasta
-Raw Pizza
I should add that these variations on cooked food are very rarely satisfying if you compare them to the original cooked version, but they are fun and full of great flavours
So...
For more insight into going raw visit Jennifer Thompson at http://www.healthybliss.net/ or find her on youtube.com for some great ideas on raw recipes. Her energy and enthusiasm gets you really excited about it and she was my inspiration to get involved with raw food.
So, good luck getting started and let me know if you have any questions.
Remember to keep it fun and enjoy your new found energy.
Josie
Was this useful? Like My facebook page... :)
When people think of raw food they often associate it with extremists and it feels like an impossible thing to do. An image pops into the mind of someone draped with Tye Die, an incense stick in their left hand and a carrot in their right. The truth is, raw food does not have to be an all or nothing thing. If you can add one raw meal a day that's fine, this is the first step on the ladder. It does not matter how you start bringing more raw food into your body as long as you do it.
My friend Jennifer Thompson (http://www.healthybliss.com/) has been 95% raw for four years now and teaches raw food classes and coaching, she likes to keep it fun and light. I know other people who live it 100% religiously and never stray from raw for even a morsel and can be quite judgemental about the whole thing. So, as you can see there are lots of ways of bringing raw food into your life and it does not have to be a challenge.
What do I mean when I say 'raw'?
As the term suggests, raw food is simply not cooked. Someone who is a raw foodist will eat no cooked food and is sustained on raw fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, dried or dehydrated fruit and vegetables and certain spreads or powders derived from raw products, raw dairy and even raw meat. Although, many raw foodists are 'raw vegan' and restrict animal products from their diet.
Why is raw food important?
Raw food is the best way to get live, active enzymes into your body. When we start to cook food it loses some of its vital nutrients and in some cases degrades it greatly. Eating raw food is eating living food and to eat life brings vitality and healing to the body.
There are different schools of thought, as in much of nutrition, and some suggest certain foods respond well to cooking and it actually increases their positive properties. Others insist that eating cooked foods is bad for the body and cause it to literally fight the food like a foreign body. The way I see it, if you eat a balance of both ( I choose about 70% raw to 30% cooked) then you cannot lose. I suggest you give it a go and once you start feeling the wonderful benefits you can take it as far as you want. What is right for one person is not always right for another so listen to your body and if you go all the way...fantastic!
How do you start eating raw food? What are you supposed to eat?
Preparing raw food can be as simple or complicated as you want, people imagine it will be salads and fruit and you will be starving all the time. The truth is it can be exciting and full of flavour. Sometimes a few simple ingredients tossed in a salad and certain combinations of fruit and vegetables can create a literal taste sensation. Take a look online and you will find an abundance of raw food recipes, tips and guidance, it is a whole new world to discover.
Of course as with any specific diet, you need to make sure you are getting all the nutrients that you need. Some vitamins/minerals are harder to get when you are veggie or vegan. do the relevant research and supplement your diet where needed. You must make sure you get enough fat in the form of avocados, nuts, seeds and oils. Try to get a good balance and change that balance until you find one that suits your body.
Simple!
-Carrot sticks and guacamole.
-Cucumber dipped in tahini.
-Green leaf salad
-Handful of raw nuts and seeds
-Dried figs and apricots
-Green Smoothies
-Shredded Carrot Salad with walnuts
...or for the more adventurous!
-Raw Lasagna
-Raw Cheesecake
-Raw Pasta
-Raw Pizza
I should add that these variations on cooked food are very rarely satisfying if you compare them to the original cooked version, but they are fun and full of great flavours
So...
For more insight into going raw visit Jennifer Thompson at http://www.healthybliss.net/ or find her on youtube.com for some great ideas on raw recipes. Her energy and enthusiasm gets you really excited about it and she was my inspiration to get involved with raw food.
So, good luck getting started and let me know if you have any questions.
Remember to keep it fun and enjoy your new found energy.
Josie
Was this useful? Like My facebook page... :)
Friday, December 31, 2010
New Years Resolutions...
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 :)
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 :)
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
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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
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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
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Oh sugar...Why do we love you?
A bad relationship with sugar is one of the hardest. It calls you to the cupboard in the middle of the night and draws you in when times are hard. Sugar is a faithful companion when all else fails. The problem is, sugar is now being linked to more and more long term health issues and it is hidden in so many of our foods.
Habit
Sugar overload is often habitual and giving ourselves a treat can be very reassuring. Sweet treats are a reward for good behaviour when we are children and I think this is what sets us up for treating ourselves. So with this in mind, changing your relationship with sugar and your eating habits in general is often very useful.
Replacing your refined sugary snack with natural sugar can help at first, fruit instead of chocolate or making your own healthy sweet treats. Eventually you can get rid of the cravings all together.
People will often come to me saying they prefer salty snacks like crisps, but if you look at the list of ingredients on a packet of crisps, sugar is up there at the top. It gets hidden in everything and often what we consider a savoury snack is actually laden with sugar. Always look at the labels on your food, it is important to look at every product you buy with suspicion, even if it is from a health food shop!
It is also worth noting that carbohydrates convert to glucose in the body, and the white refined sources of carbs like white bread or rice have the same effect. So, go for wholegrain options to give you a slower release of energy and combine them with protein and fat.
Habit
Sugar overload is often habitual and giving ourselves a treat can be very reassuring. Sweet treats are a reward for good behaviour when we are children and I think this is what sets us up for treating ourselves. So with this in mind, changing your relationship with sugar and your eating habits in general is often very useful.
Replacing your refined sugary snack with natural sugar can help at first, fruit instead of chocolate or making your own healthy sweet treats. Eventually you can get rid of the cravings all together.
People will often come to me saying they prefer salty snacks like crisps, but if you look at the list of ingredients on a packet of crisps, sugar is up there at the top. It gets hidden in everything and often what we consider a savoury snack is actually laden with sugar. Always look at the labels on your food, it is important to look at every product you buy with suspicion, even if it is from a health food shop!
It is also worth noting that carbohydrates convert to glucose in the body, and the white refined sources of carbs like white bread or rice have the same effect. So, go for wholegrain options to give you a slower release of energy and combine them with protein and fat.
Sugar has been linked to:
-Overgrowth of Candida yeast organism
-Chronic fatigue
-Binge eating
-Worsens PMS symptoms
-Increase in hyperactivity in children
-Increase in tooth decay
-Increase in anxiety and irritability
-Increases chances of hypertension
-Main cause of diabetes
-An increase or intensify of anxiety and panic
-Extreme highs and lows; a physical yo-yo
-Difficulty losing weight because of constantly high insulin levels, causing the body to store excess carbs as fat.
So with this is mind, what sugar should we be consuming and when?
Shameless Sugar?
When seeking sweet treats head for the natural options, choose products which are as close to their original source as possible and as sparingly as possible. These are still sources of glucose and need balancing with protein and fat.
Some natural sweetness for snacks or cooking:
Shameless Sugar?
When seeking sweet treats head for the natural options, choose products which are as close to their original source as possible and as sparingly as possible. These are still sources of glucose and need balancing with protein and fat.
Some natural sweetness for snacks or cooking:
-Honey (raw if possible)
-Bee Pollen
-Stevia leaves
-Raw cacao beans
If you can add these products to your teas, cakes, cereals and desserts rather than refined sugar you will be doing your body a favour and eventually you will find you enjoy things which are less sweet. Each of these choices has a benefit to the body and still retains its natural healing properties and vitamins.
But, let's not get carried away with natural options here. Too much of any sugar will give our body extreme highs and lows and leave us depleted of energy.
My Sweet Treat Recipe - Just-like-Chocolate-Bar
-Raw Honey - 2 tsps
-Soaked Almonds - 1/4 cup
-Raw Cacao Beans - 1 cup
-Coconut Oil - 2 tbsp
Blend all these ingredients together until you have a gloopy paste, pop it in the fridge or freezer and cut into blocks. This is a healthy way to make your own yummy chocolate.
None of us are perfect, occasionally we should be allowed to eat something we consider naughty, just try not to make it a habit which creates a craving.
I hope this helps.
Josie
Saturday, November 13, 2010
How Much Water Should I drink?
We are made up of about 60-70% water and our brains, amazingly, are about 80% water. It makes sense to keep our bodies topped up so that they function effectively.
Water is necessary to transport nutrients around the body; if you are dehydrated your body cannot function effectively and extract what it needs from your food. Water also lubricates your joints and reduces toxic build up and tension in your muscles, think of it like oil in a car. It allows your digestive system to pass things through neatly and efficiently. It is also responsible for protecting our bodies against illness by keeping all our bodily functions on form.
So, it makes sense that a lack of water can do the opposite. For a start, your immune system may be lacking. You may be prone to depression because lets face it, when you are tired and droopy things don't seem very manageable. The soft tissues in your body may be functioning poorly and may be prone to injury and its likely you will not be absorbing the nutrients from your food effectively.
Ideally quality filtered water is what you want to be drinking, but something is better than nothing and you do have options.
1. Herbal tea (I can hear you groan) is hydrating for the body. Some of them, honestly, taste really good.
2. You can add water to fruit juice to make it more hydrating, 5:1 is the ideal ratio (1 is the juice not the water!) Be aware that 100% fruit juice is not a very hydrating drink as you need a lot of the water content to process the sugar and carbohydrate.
Sports drinks and 'sugar free' drinks often contain aspartame and other additives so I recommend making your own sports drinks by adding one part natural fruit juice, a small pinch of organic sea salt and four parts filtered water. Salt helps you suck up water into the body's cells and therefore increases fluid absorption. If you want more carbohydrate as you are doing a lot of exercise, just add more juice! It doesn't have to be complicated.
Josie.
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Water is necessary to transport nutrients around the body; if you are dehydrated your body cannot function effectively and extract what it needs from your food. Water also lubricates your joints and reduces toxic build up and tension in your muscles, think of it like oil in a car. It allows your digestive system to pass things through neatly and efficiently. It is also responsible for protecting our bodies against illness by keeping all our bodily functions on form.
So, it makes sense that a lack of water can do the opposite. For a start, your immune system may be lacking. You may be prone to depression because lets face it, when you are tired and droopy things don't seem very manageable. The soft tissues in your body may be functioning poorly and may be prone to injury and its likely you will not be absorbing the nutrients from your food effectively.
Ideally quality filtered water is what you want to be drinking, but something is better than nothing and you do have options.
1. Herbal tea (I can hear you groan) is hydrating for the body. Some of them, honestly, taste really good.
2. You can add water to fruit juice to make it more hydrating, 5:1 is the ideal ratio (1 is the juice not the water!) Be aware that 100% fruit juice is not a very hydrating drink as you need a lot of the water content to process the sugar and carbohydrate.
Sports drinks and 'sugar free' drinks often contain aspartame and other additives so I recommend making your own sports drinks by adding one part natural fruit juice, a small pinch of organic sea salt and four parts filtered water. Salt helps you suck up water into the body's cells and therefore increases fluid absorption. If you want more carbohydrate as you are doing a lot of exercise, just add more juice! It doesn't have to be complicated.
Josie.
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Friday, November 5, 2010
How can I feel more positive?
There is nothing more irritating than someone who tells you to be positive all the time.
Life is a rollercoaster that is meant to come with highs and lows. If you don't have the lows, you cannot recognise the highs and appreciate them in all their greatness. So, you cannot stop the low points, but you can take control of how you view them, you can embrace the lows and appreciate them in all their greatness too! After all, it is in times of sorrow and despair that we learn about ourselves and practice picking ourselves back up. It is also in these darker times that we take time to reflect and move forward and get rid of things that are not serving us anymore.
There are a million theories about how to feel good and how to learn acceptance. Some of them work for one person and some work for another. Some can work for a month and some stick with you for a lifetime. There is never any harm in reading around the subject of self advancement; it gives you a nice little wardrobe of reassurance in times of change. I will not recommend one mode of thinking over another, it will depend greatly on your spiritual beliefs and your personality as to which approach will suit you.
We are in charge of the way we feel about any event in our lives. This does not mean we have to remain positive all the time, but it should mean that we take responsibility for our own moments of depression. We cannot choose other's actions, but we can choose how we feel about them, and we can gain tools and methods to control how we react to them and other external events that occur in our lives. We can make the choice about how we react to things that happen in our days.
The best trick is to focus on what is good in your life, not the things that make you feel dreadful. Focus on the good that can happen, and not the bad that has.We only get one and it would be a great shame to waste it feeling angry or sad about something we cannot change. Our feelings can change and we should focus instead, on that.
What does this have to do with nutrition? Everything. If you want to eat well and look after yourself, you first have to look at your body and your health with a smile. Do not focus on your lumpy middle, but on your lovely legs. Forget the chocolate cake you ate for dinner (why did I eat that, I am such a failure?!) think about the green smoothie you will have for breakfast. Tomorrow is always another day and your body will be patient as your mind trains itself into good habits.
The wrong foods can also affect our moods massively, making shifting our thoughts to more positive ones harder. Having low energy levels due to blood sugar slumps can also lead to irritability and mood swings.
The body has a tremendous capacity to heal and change, so be kind to yourself mentally and your body will smile in reply.
Josie
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