Negative thinking can prevent you from living the life you want to live and becoming the slimmer lighter you: the you, you want to be. We may not even be aware of how negative we are as individuals as it can become part and parcel of who we are and the people we are around.

As children we seek acceptance from others around us, especially our parents. So we tend to absorb those ways of thinking and being into our own patterns without question. If we have negative parents and negative friends, we can become negative ourselves. I didn’t fully realize the extent of my negativity until someone pointed it out to me – since that time I have been able to turn it around quite substantially, but sometimes all habits creep in.

When we decide to look at the world honestly we might feel truly entrenched in these negative thought processes and feelings may arise against our ideal vision of ourselves.

Becoming aware of the negativity in your thoughts, speech and writing is the first step to changing it. By becoming aware and changing the way you perceive the world and how you choose to address others and talk to others can have a dramatic effect on your health and well being.

The more often you choose to focus on the positive the more you will notice the negative and will be able to step away from it.

Always focus on what you do want, what you love, what you enjoy and what you desire rather than on anything you perceive as a problematic. This will have a huge impact on your weight loss success.

Thoughts are extremely powerful and can help you get to where you want to be but can also hinder you and prevent you from losing weight.

What do you want to experience? Do you focus on your joy and love? (The slimmer fit you) Or do you focus on how difficult it is for you to lose weight and how unlikely it is you will lose weight or be able to stop overeating?

Keep your outlook light. This doesn’t mean be unrealistic – we all have challenge in our life, but try to view your experience as a game. Choose to enjoy your time. Remember your end goal: to be slimmer.

It cannot be said enough how important it is to maintain a positive outlook during the process of overcoming cravings. I discovered when I was overcoming mine that I put those foods I adored and craved on a pedestal. It was only by seeing that food for what it was and taken it off that pedestal that I was able to move forward.

Does that food love you back the way you love it? NO!

Changing your eating habits is a CHOICE. If you are offered something that doesn’t fit in with that choice, try to avoid saying things like “I am not allowed that” or “I can’t eat that”. Instead try to express yourself in a better way that benefits you and your journey e.g. “No thank you, I am choosing not to eat that way” or “It is my choice and I love it”.

Embrace and celebrate your lifestyle choices.  Enjoy the journey and weight loss will be easier than you think!

Previous Post: Sleep & Its Importance For Health & Weight Loss

Most of us do not get enough sleep and rest. Most of us don’t listen to our bodies when they scream out I need sleep/I need to rest/I am tired and instead continue to keep going. One of the main reasons for this is that we feel guilty for sleeping more or for resting and may even feel lazy. I remember when I was younger I would feel bad for sleeping in until 1pm as though I had wasted a big chunk of the day on something unimportant. But sleep IS important and you shouldn’t feel guilty for lying in or for having a lazy day to rest.

Getting little sleep and rest can cause you to gain weight and keep it on. A lot of overeating happens due to exhaustion. Often times we mistake signs of tiredness for hunger and end up eating instead of getting the rest we badly need.

These days I have taken it upon myself to make sure I am getting enough rest and if I do stay up to do some extra work and get hungry I often have a glass of water or a cup of green tea to warm/comfort me and keep me going until the end of my project and then go to bed. I used to mistake my tiredness for hunger as well as needing sleep so would eat. I now know that my hunger isn’t hunger but a sign I need to get to bed (not getting enough sleep puts the hormones that control hunger and appetite out of balance causing us to be hungry) and so I do not eat. If I did eat anyway it would cause me to have a bad night’s sleep so that is another reason to avoid it!

Sometimes when I get tired during the day I will take a nap with my 11/2 year old. I like napping with him.

So my advice to you it to learn and to allow yourself to rest when you need it. I know this isn’t always possible, but when you do get the opportunity to, take it! Don’t make excuses about it, it is important. Rest is just as important as eating and exercising and getting fresh air.

You are only as strong as your weakest link – if sleep is a weak link for you, you owe it to yourself and your weight loss goals to make sure you are getting enough. Sometimes all we need is to lie on the couch for half an hour to get more energy, we don’t necessarily need to sleep.

Resting and getting enough sleep are also important because when we lack these, our body also produces hormones that make us hold onto extra weight.

So getting enough sleep will not only benefit your mood and your energy levels but will also aid you in losing the weight you desire and stop you eating late at night and bingeing. When you get enough sleep you are also better able to handle stress and busy work days.

So get enough sleep! Learn to put your body’s needs first and learn to recognize when your body is asking you for sleep or rest. Observe how giving yourself that little extra rest or sleeping time affects your mood, weight loss and happiness – I think you will be surprised.

Previous Post: Weight Loss Goals Part 3: Weight Loss Planning

Deciding to lose weight or to get slimmer isn’t always enough to get where we want to be. Many of us struggle with diets, exercise and other lose weight facilitators because we lack the right direction or we don’t have enough knowledge to be able to pull it off. Most importantly we lack a plan.

When making lifestyle changes, sometimes it isn’t enough to just make the decision to change that habit or pattern. We have become so accustomed to living a certain way that the only hope we have of getting out of it is to create a plan that can help us achieve the goals we want. A plan is not only important for helping us to achieve our goals and set out what we need to do, but it is also important to write up a plan – nice and neatly – to show its importance to us. Losing weight is very important to a lot of us – it is our route to being healthier, to being slimmer. Noting down on a scrap piece of paper our plan of action to achieve our outcome/goal will only get forgotten and won’t be taken seriously. Writing our plan up, printing it off (and even framing it if you must) will show how important the plan is to you and will place in your mind this importance on a subconscious level. This is crucial!

So if you want to take your goal of weight loss seriously you must write a plan. Open word or notepad on your computer and start planning! This may take some time especially if you lack the knowledge needed to create an effective plan, but there are many resources online that can help you with your meal plans section (some you may have to pay for, like my own plans on this website and please feel free to email me if you need any help to write this) and there is also a lot of help online for writing other aspects of your plan too.

Below are some questions you should answer in your plan:

1.What do you want?

You may be tempted to write “to lose weight” here, but this is a negative outcome. It is much more beneficial for your thinking mind to work towards something as opposed to trying to avoid or move away from something. “To lose weight” implies you want to move away from something, so is negative. Instead frame your answer in a positive way – positive meaning moving towards something like “to be slimmer”

Set a date to achieve your weight loss goal and how much you want to lose – for in 6 months time is a good goal to aim for so set it for 10^th October or whatever you want it to be.

2. How will you know you are succeeding/have succeeded?

It is important to know that you are on the right track with your goal. You need the right feedback in the right quantity and it needs to be accurate. So try setting realistic goals – whether you are going to look at your weight loss on a weekly/monthly basis etc. I would set a plan for 6 months as well. So use this to work out what you want in 6 months time as well as working up to the end of the 6 months.

3. What resources do you have and what obstacles do you have for achieving your goal?

Exercise equipment, weight loss support from friends/family, anyone you can follow or learn from, personal qualities, knowledge in nutrition and diet overcoming cravings, emotional eating etc.

4. What do you need to do to achieve your goal?

Under this section you can write a list of things you need to do in order to achieve your weight loss goal and overcome the obstacles you face (e.g. not enough knowledge on diet, fitting in exercise around my family). Of course you may be tempted to write general statements here like: eat healthier, exercise daily – but this isn’t what you need. You need to be specific about what is standing in your way currently and how to overcome it. Here is a sample list of things you can work on:

• Educate myself on diet and what foods to eat.

• Educate myself on emotional eating and cravings so I can overcome these obstacles when they arise.

• Increase my consumption of fruits and vegetables.

• Pick an exercise I enjoy and do it for at least half an hour daily.

• Work out a plan to slowly ease myself into a better eating habit e.g. Starting with change my breakfast to something healthier (like a fruit smoothie) for week 1 (or first month) and then adding in a healthier lunch and then two weeks later a healthier dinner. Also what about changing snacks?

• Create a perfect vision to help me get through the toughs time.

Also have a section of daily tasks:

• Walk for 1 hour (or whatever exercise).

• Increase my fruit and vegetable intake.

• Only drink water – cut out all other drinks.

• Be aware and conscious of my eating habits: when I am eating for comfort or emotional reasons.

If you bought a meal plan or had someone help you come up with one, write here to follow your meal plan or to follow one aspect of it if that’s what you are choosing to do (e.g. like having a healthier breakfast for the first week before incorporating a healthier lunch in too). You can amend daily tasks as you progress in the direction you want.

If on your list of things to do you have the task of educating yourself on diet and nutrition so you can actually write a meal plan for yourself, you will have to do this before you can set any real diet goals for yourself (other than eat more fruit and vegetables a day if that’s one of them or only drinking water).

This is quite a general overview of a weight loss plan and it may seem quite daunting to do at first but it is WELL WORTH IT. It will help you become focused on what you really want. Just getting it typed up and on paper laid out properly will give you the mental boost you need to succeed.

If you have any questions about this article or how to write your plan, you can email me at kelly@eating-naturally.com and I will be happy to help you!

Weight Loss Goals Part 1: Creating A Positive Weight Loss Mindset

Weight Loss Goals Part 2: The 3 Beliefs You Need For Weight Loss Success

Previous Post: Cellulite Treatment: How To Eliminate Cellulite

As described in a previous post, cellulite is the visibility of subcutaneous fat cells and is caused by eating too much protein – specifically cooked protein, as opposed to raw (i.e. dark green leafy vegetables). So applying creams, medication or any advertised treatments you see on TV/online or in magazines will not get rid of your cellulite.

The only treatment (apart from diet change) that can help get rid of cellulite is potentially lymph drainage – a treatment you can get at your local beauty salon. This will speed up the process of your body ridding itself of the excess protein, however if you are just going to eat more junk protein then its not going to help you much. However just as effective in getting your lymph system moving would be to exercise, or to take up rebounding (which seems to be quite popular!) – jumping on a little trampoline. Any movement will help get your lymph system working and ridding itself of toxins.

Cellulite Creams/Lotions

We can all fool ourselves into thinking we are helping the issue with creams, when really we are not. I remember when I was pregnant, hoping to stop myself getting stretch marks by slapping massage oil on my tummy everyday. Of course that wasn’t going to help me and neither would cellulite creams help me!

Creams contain exfoliating agents that have all failed to act as effective treatments for cellulite. Caffeine is usually an active ingredient in these creams, and works by tightening the blood vessels. This can create a temporary smoothing of the skin but has no effect on the cause of cellulite.

On top of this creams get absorbed into the skin and the chemicals within them attract more water. As explained in an earlier post water retention causes fat cells to protrude and thus gives you cellulite, so really by putting creams and lotions on continuously you are adding to the problem and potential appearance of cellulite as the excessive moisture stretches your connective tissue.

Drinking More Water

Although the blood and lymph systems need sufficient water to be able to get rid of the protein, drinking more water doesn’t help eliminate cellulite.

Caffeine & Tea

Using caffeine or tea to draw water out of the cells some people believe helps with the appearance of cellulite. But even so, it doesn’t prevent the cause of cellulite, so can only help on a short term basis. Instead of using something like tea to rid yourself of water, you really need to be limiting your intake of junk proteins – the cause of the water being retained in the first place.

Losing Weight

Unfortunately just losing weight will not help you lose cellulite. Even skinny people get cellulite. If you are lucky you might reduce the visibility of it (if at all) but this will only be slightly.

There are many many more “treatments” for cellulite that simply do not work and this is for the simply reason that they do not solve the cause of the problem. Eliminate the cause. Eliminate the cellulite.

So what do you need to do to eliminate cellulite?

• Eat plenty of fresh fruits – as much as you desire before every meal and more!

• Eat plenty of fresh dark leafy greens for amino acids/protein.

• Eat a low fat diet.

• Exercise and spend plenty of time outside.

• Eat as little as possible of dairy products.  Milk products roughen the skin, increase your appetite and can cause cellulite and acne as well as other things (please see my Top 5 Nutrition Lies Ebook – see top of page for details).

• Eat as little as possible of meat. Try seeing meat as a luxury item, like we used to, and have it on the odd occasion or at the weekend only. We eat far too much meat in the Western world and treat it as a staple food but it is not necessary for a healthy diet and is not necessary for protein. You can get all your protein requirements from a variety and abundance of dark leafy vegetables.

• Reduce your intake of wheat based products.

For more information about cellulite, please feel free to contact me.

The Truth About Cellulite: What Is It & What Causes It?

Previous Post: The No Salt Diet: Why You Should Cut Salt Out Completely

Salt is literally in everything we eat – soup, bread, chocolate, macaroni and cheese, canned vegetables pizza…the list is endless. But it should be avoided at all costs – it is toxic, irritating, stimulating and a potentially deadly poison to us. If you have ever had an open wound and gotten salt in it – you will know firsthand how destructive it is.

Organic salt (sodium) is an essential mineral and can be naturally found in fruits, vegetables, nut and seeds. We only need a very small amount of sodium, which can easily be supplied by these natural sources. The salt found in these natural sources is also complexed with other organic molecules. This causes them to be absorbed slowly. This contrasts with table salt (including Celtic and Sea Salts), which enters quickly through the stomach lining.

Salt, unless in its natural form in fruits and vegetables, is very dehydrating. When excess salt enters the bloodstream, the body is forced to store it between cells until the kidney can filter it. While in between cells, salt causes a burning effect on the surrounding tissue. To protect themselves, the cells release water in order to dilute the excess salt. Giving up their water means the cells lose their elasticity and shrink. This causes an imbalance in the cell’s chemistry as a result of the loss of potassium.

Having low potassium levels causes more salt to penetrate the cell walls. When the sodium level rises, water enters the cell in order to dilute it. This causes the cell to become swollen. This continuous disruption to the cell’s fluid balance, in time, scars, calcifies and destroys the muscles, valves and arteries of the entire coronary route. Salt is an accomplice to one of America’s top killers – cardiovascular disease.

The body has to compensate to maintain homeostasis when you eat salty foods. If you eat salty foods for a prolonged period of time, just like caffeine and nicotine, your body becomes dependent on salt to maintain the balance. So when you begin to reduce salt intake, you may experience physical withdrawal symptoms.

Because salt is pretty much in everything we eat (you may not even notice or taste it because you have become so accustomed to it) it is very unlikely you wouldn’t have some sort of withdrawal from it. This can be one of the factors that prevent you from losing weight – craving salty snacks.

If you want to be healthy, lose weight and improve health conditions you need to simply cut out salt (unless its in your fruits/vegetables).

Your body potentially cannot even handle a little bit of salt and why risk it when salt has been linked to hypertension, stroke, asthma, arthritis, Alzheimer’s, premenstrual tension, cancer among many other diseases.

On top of this you are messing up your taste buds. Salt doesn’t bring flavor to food like so many of us think – what it does do is overpowers your taste buds and deadens them to all sensation other than salt. This causes unnatural cravings and overeating. So if you want to have your taste buds back, enjoy natural foods like fresh fruits and vegetables, then cut out the salt: if not for your taste buds for your health.

The little salt our body does need we should be getting from fruits and vegetables, for example celery. Salts in fruits and vegetables are in a safe natural usable form.

Completely cut out salt from your diet, eat whole fresh ripe raw organic fruits and greens, and your salt cravings will disappear for good. You will also live a much healthier life and foods that once tasted bland will suddenly become awesomely delicious again.

Previous Post: The Truth About Cellulite: What Is It & What Causes It

Cellulite is just the visibility of subcutaneous fat cells. It is as simple as that.

It isn’t caused by too much fat, or isn’t about trapped toxins of inflamed subcutaneous cells – it is just the visibility of them.

Cellulite is predominantly a female issue. Not many men seem to have this problem and this is because fat cells in women are clustered in sacs as well as the fact that we carry twice us much fat as men do.

Despite needing fat to fill fat cells, cellulite isn’t caused by being overweight. Have you noticed that many skinny women also suffer from the dreaded sight of cellulite? So losing weight isn’t necessarily your answer to ridding it. You can’t avoid having some fat anyway – it’s important for health to have some fat. So even though you may be able to reduce the visibility of the cellulite by losing weight (half filled fat cells will be less pronounced than full fat cells), you still will have cellulite, because as mentioned it is about visibility not how much fat you have.

So if most women have cellulite isn’t it natural?

Cellulite, despite most women suffering from it, is NOT natural. It can be considered normal by today’s standards to have it, especially when roughly 90% of us in the Western world have it. This is simply down to the health and junk foods we consume in the Western world and also the extra protein we eat. Our protein consumption is excessive!

OK, but what causes those fat cells to become visible?

Cellulite is categorized by the bulging of fat cells into the outer skin and this is caused by an increase in concentration of damaged proteins that have very high water-attracting properties. This leads to a rise in the amount of water the skin retains, which causes the fat cells to extrude. [1][2]

So if you retain a lot of water, then it is most likely you are consuming too much protein and too much damaged protein. A likely sign of this would be cellulite!

So cellulite is caused by:

1. Consuming too much protein! If you are eating a lot of cooked protein (rather than plant protein which will not cause this issue) then you are contributing to your cellulite issue. The heat from cooking the protein damages the amino acids and creates new substances within it. This creates amino acids that are much harder for our bodies to separate and utilized. As a result they aren’t utilized immediately and end up in the skin, making you retain water and making your fat cells visible.

But it also can be caused by:

2. An impaired hormone metabolism. One of the reasons you have impaired hormone metabolism can be contraceptive pills. The only way the pill can work is by dominating your hormone metabolism and if it didn’t you would get pregnant. It is known that contraceptives can cause water retention thus cellulite.

What about genetics?

No, cellulite isn’t hereditary at all, even though many sources seem to claim that it is. I think this is down to making people feel better by putting the blame on something that is out of ones control. Well I am sorry, but cellulite IS in your control.

The only way that cellulite can be even seen as remotely hereditary is that you possibly have picked up your parents eating habits. If you have become accustomed to eating a high protein diet from birth, then in that sense it is hereditary. This is something that can be very difficult to overcome because it has been a life long habit.

Conclusion

Cellulite maybe normal for society but its only because of all the health and junk foods we consume on a daily basis. It is a sign of ill health and nothing about it is natural. It isn’t hereditary, only in the sense of what your eating habits may be as a result of your parents.

You can get rid of it and it comes down to beating your addictions to wheat and dairy based products and high protein cooked foods. If you decrease your intake of cooked protein you will see a decrease in cellulite. If you want to have good looking skin then you must change your diet.

Upcoming posts on cellulite:

Cellulite and the Skin

Cellulite and How to Treat It

References for this article:

[1] Rosenbaum, M. et al, An exploratory investigation of the morphology and biochemistry of cellulite. Plast. Reconstr. Surg. 1998 / 101 (7) / 1934-1939.

[2] Lotti, T. et al, Proteoglycans in so-called cellulite. Int. J. Dermatol. 1990 / 29 (4) / 272-274.

[3] http://www.waisays.com

Previous Post: Weight Loss Goals Part 2: The 3 Beliefs You Need For Weight Loss Success

UPDATE: For some great articles on high carb diets and interviews with athletes who follow them I strongly urge you to check out the FoodnSport Blog here

Low carb diets are everywhere. Everyone seems to be doing them and everyone is supposedly losing weight and feeling great. I don’t believe it for one second (especially the “feeling great” part).

I have scoured many resources and listened to many people try to convince me that a low carbohydrate diet can be healthy, yet the very same people trying to convince me of that are tired all the time, moody, struggle to make their days work out and struggle to stay on the diet (if you are struggling to stay on a diet then its not going to help you long term so why put your body and mind through it? Struggling to stay on a diet means something is wrong).

Many people do lose weight using low carb diets, that can’t be denied. However, Dr Michael Greger who wrote Atkins’ Facts, states that the only reason people lose weight this way is because they eat less calories.

Eating fewer calories may be a good thing if you are over consuming on calories but if you are eating a low carbohydrate diet and fewer calories, you will feel terrible.

I mean, if low carbohydrate diets are so great then why is it we are still struggling to lose weight? Why is it that 2 out of 3 Americans are either overweight or obese?

Just like most other diets available or putting in the limelight, low carb diets work well in the short term. In the long term they fail because you are either too tired, exhausted, moody or you have serious health issues.

When we don’t eat enough carbohydrates we rely on fat for fuel. This creates toxic by-products like acetone/ketones. The kidneys use minerals such as potassium and calcium to help rid the body of these toxins. So by going on a low-carb diet you urinate out essential minerals, which lead to low levels in our bodies. This can result in fatal cardiac arrhythmias. Ketosis (the process in which your body converts fats into energy) is a potentially life threatening condition and can also cause other problems due to the unnecessary stress put on the liver (resulting in potential liver damage).

When there are insufficient carbohydrates present to convert to sugar, the body will transform fat and protein into sugar, but at a higher cost: more time and energy spent on digestion with the creation of toxic residues.

Unpleasant side effects to low carb diets also include bad breath, constant cravings for sweets, irritability, constipation and low energy (As mentioned several times). Is it really worth the outcome of being slim for a short period of time when there are healthier, more long-term ways of losing weight?

A number of independent medical studies have also shown that a low carb, high protein diet can be dangerous to your health and even life threatening. This danger increases over time – so the longer you stay on it, the greater the risk.

Another problem with low carb diets is that they require people to eat an unnaturally high amount of protein every day, and generally high-fat protein as well.

The American Heart Association recommends getting 10 to 15 percent of your daily calories from protein. High protein diets overload the body by cramming their menus with meals that deliver 35 to 50 percent of the daily calorie intake as protein.

According to the John Hopkins Hospital, a leading medical research institution, high protein low carb diets cause the body to excrete calcium, and are associated with increased risk of heart disease and risk of kidney failure.

According to a University of Chicago study done in 2002, participants who were on a high protein low carb diet for a mere six weeks had a sharply elevated rate of calcium excretion, which leads to an increased risk of osteoporosis (thinning bones). They also had a high “acid load” in their blood streams, leading to an increased risk of kidney stones.

A study published by the American College of Nutrition found that the long-term use of the Atkins Diet would result in a 25 percent increase of blood cholesterol levels.

And – as if that’s not enough – the low carb diet tends to lead to constipation and other health problems associated with low fiber diets, because high fiber cereals, fruits and many vegetables are eliminated from the meal plans

People who stay on low fiber diets long term are also at increased risk of diverticulosis – a condition in which areas of the intestines weaken and bulge outward. This condition is virtually unheard of in societies that have diets rich in fiber.

Yes, people do tend to lose some water weight right away on high protein low carb diets. But they also get fatigued, grouchy, and crave carbs constantly. And as we’ve just demonstrated, staying on those diets long term can be life threatening – AND as soon as you start eating normally again you will gain that water weight right back, at an alarming rate!

But here’s the good news: it is absolutely not necessary to risk your health with a high protein diet.

Eating a high carb is important to your health. For example, we all know that fruit is good for us. A typical item of fruit contains around 80-90% carbohydrates, 1-10% fats, 1-10% proteins. This should be evident enough to not risk your health.

Previous Post: Stop Binge Eating One Step At A Time

Cravings can be so strong that it can be hard to overcome them – I know I have been at the end of quite a few and have given in, only to find myself a little more than miserable.

So I decided to put together a quick blog post about what you should do when you are in the middle of a strong craving and are very VERY tempted to give in and feel like you are quickly losing the battle!

First of all you need to prepare for this in advanced.  Don’t have junk food or your craving items in the house.  Don’t buy them!  This is an important step in overcoming cravings because you need to make it as difficult as possible for your to be able to get a hold of what you are craving.

The harder and longer it takes you to get that craved item, the more chance the craving has of resolving itself before you can give in.

If a craving comes on and you have the craved food in the house (or even if you have managed to stop yourself buying it) – eat fruit.  I find the quickest solution to my problem is to blend 4-5 bananas together with a little water and drink.  This is usually enough to take the intense craving away.  For me, it was never enough to simply let it pass.  I know it is very hard to just find something to distract you sometimes as well, so eating fruit can really take the edge off if you eat enough.

Now you may feel like you dont want to eat fruit (if you don’t want fruit this is a true sign of craving as opposed to true hunger) and want to go get the item you crave.  You find yourself in the car on the way to the store just so you can indulge.  I would suggest that you eat fruit on the way and as much as you can and desire.

You can talk yourself into eating the fruit by saying “If I eat this fruit, then I will allow myself the craved food” (I also use this logic for when the craved food has been in the house).  Make sure you eat plenty of fruit though, because if you just have 1 piece of fruit, it will not be enough to satisfy you and you will most likely (if not definitely) give in to the craved items.

Hopefully by the time you have gotten to the store, the craving(s) you had would have diminished at least mostly if not completely.  This would have happened because:

1.  You provided your body with a nutritious food and plenty of it.
2. Enough time had passed for it to wear off and disappear.

At this point you are then able to reassess the situation rationally.  Whether you choose to indulge or not now becomes a choise as opposed to a craving ruling you.

So to summarize:

• Make it as hard as possible to get a hold of the craved item(s)

• Don’t stock craved items in the house.

• Eat 4-5 (or more) pieces of fruit before allowing yourself the craved item.  It is best that you eat one type of fruit, as this is easier on your digestion and some fruits do not mix well.

• Reassess the situation once you have eaten the fruit/arrived at the store and consider whether you really want the craved item anymore.  If you do, have a small portion and enjoy without feeling guilty; if you don’t, then go home or get on with your day knowing you have successfully combatted an intense craving!

For More Guidance & Help Overcome Cravings: CLICK HERE

Previous Post: 97 Year Old Physician’s Formula for Life

I came across an inspiring article about a 97 year old Physician, who still works 18 hours a week, 7 days a week and loves it!

He is happy, productive and has and is contributing a vast amount to the world.  We can all learn a lot from him and others like him.

One main thing we can learn from him is to keep a positive outlook in life, whether this is in regards to our weight loss endeavours, or other aspects of our life.

“Energy comes from feeling good, not from eating well or sleeping a lot. We all remember how as children, when we were having fun, we often forgot to eat or sleep. I believe that we can keep that attitude as adults, too. It’s best not to tire the body with too many rules such as lunchtime and bedtime.”

To read the full article: http://rense.com/general85/formula.htm

I came across a great article today about mindfulness and health. Being in the present moment, having self awareness is crucial to weight loss success and also to live a harmonious balanced lifestyle. If you are forever running around, if time flies by before you know it and you don’t really acknowledge what you are doing whether it be driving to work or stuffing your face with food, then you will find it extremely difficult to move forward with your weight loss.

Step back, take a moment to access the situation and you will reveal to yourself things you may never have noticed if you hadn’t of stepped back and looked at your life. The only way I truly was able to get to a weight I was comfortable with (and to continue to this day to achieve the healthy lifestyle I had always wanted) was by stepping back and spending the day observing myself. It revealed to me so many things I really hadn’t consciously acknowledged before, one being how food was a comfort blanket for me, a LOT of the time.

Anyway the article I came across talks about mindfulness being a form of meditation in which you: “…disengage yourself from strong beliefs, thoughts, and emotions, and increasing feelings of relaxation and well being”.

Being truly present is just something most of us live without, to our detriment, and something I feel strongly about introducing back into people’s lives for good!

The article talks about 5 strategies you can use to improve your mindfulness and subsequently your health and wellness. They are:

1. Consider what’s right with you.

Everyday take a moment to give thanks to the things that you do like about yourself and the things that do function correctly e.g. I am thankful I can walk, I am thankful for breathing easily etc.

2. Love yourself unconditionally.

Whether you give in to a piece of chocolate cake or if you end up eating a whole pizza, you must love yourself unconditionally. Don’t hate yourself for giving in, just embrace and accept this as a hiccup in your journey to where you want to be and learn from it. Being down on yourself or negative about yourself will only lead to failure. You are essentially setting yourself up for it by being negative.  So remain positive and when you feel yourself slipping into negativity thinking, focus on being in the present moment – dart your attention around the room to specific objects if this helps prevent you from taking your negative thinking further.

3. Live in the present moment.

When you live in the present moment, everything seems to make so much more sense. Living in the moment gives you the ability to grow, to learn and change. If you are dwelling on a past binge or worrying about the future, you aren’t living in the moment and you won’t truly enjoy life and those moments where you can grasp pleasure from it. Living in the moment also allows you to look at your life from a clear perspective. In the midst of a craving or a stressful situation, if you step back and access how you feel, you will ultimately be able to give yourself the breather you need instead of bundling along in some other dimension!

4. When life gets tough don’t take it personally.

While it is important to accept responsibility for your actions, you shouldn’t dwell on it.  The best way to deal with it is to look at what you are doing differently now, now what you could have done better in the past.

5. Put the “being” back in human.

If you fill every moment with manic activity you never give yourself a chance to simply be.  Just sitting for a moment and contemplating is a great stress reliever and calms you.  I usually spend my mornings in this way.  I awake and lay for a few moments or more in thoughtfulness before getting out of bed.  It sets my day up nicely especially after my morning smoothie

To read the full article : http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/living-well-usn/2009/03/02/5-ways-to-be-mindful-and-achieve-optimal-health.html

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