Tag: Mindful Monday

Mindful Monday Healthy Living – “Your Well-Being Matters,” by Erika Kind

Welcome to Mindful Monday – Healthy Living! Each week I try to examine new or sometimes old things about myself on my journey to becoming healthier. I have found that being mindful encompasses the act of being watchful, aware, wary, heedful, alert, careful, or attentive, in whatever area in my life I feel it applies to, as I attempt to live in the present. Come and join me on my journey. You never know what you will learn about yourself.

…to all of you who have left comments and cheered me on and are interested in accompanying me on this journey to healthy living! Together, we can offer support and ideas to make this road to “healthy,” a fun journey!

My hope is that you will all visit the posts of everyone who participated last week. You can find their blog links and comments on last week’s post HERE. Stop by and say hello! You just might make someone’s day!

Each week I want to share one of your links or comments that motivated me:

LAST WEEK’S MOST INSPIRING BLOG POST: “Mindful Monday, 14 March 2016,” from the blog A Spirit of Healing, by Bee Halton.

Bee included an excellent video about teaching meditation to children. I LOVED the video and really found it to relaxing and calming. Wait until you hear what the kids have to say! 😀

Here’s Bee:

“I apologise for somewhat short Mindful Monday posts at this time. As I said last week:  I have been busy, and I need time to calm down and find my balance again.

Still I want to take part in Colleen’s Mindful Monday, and I am aware that many of you want to teach Mindfulness to their children. I have found a film that is based on a book about Mindfulness for Children called “Planting the Seeds of Mindfulness” by Thich Nhat Hanh.

It has the same title but isn’t released yet. It still needs some funds to be released. You can find out more about it here. (It also shows you what Tina Turner is up to lately  )

They have released a trailer so far, and I think it is an excellent reminder of how Mindfulness works.

1st Planting Seeds: The Power of Mindfulness Film Trailer by MindfulCloud PBC.

In this sense may you have a mindful week!”

Thanks so much Bee for sharing such an inspirational post about mindfulness. ❤

I am currently buried in my writing (when those fairies speak you have to listen) so I asked Erika if I could share a post that she wrote on her own blog (CLICK HERE to find the post on Erika’s blog). Erika’s post really spoke to me and it was exactly how I felt – OVERWHELMED! You see, I still think I can do it all when in reality I can’t. How many of you feel that way too?

So, I am taking Erika’s advice and taking care of me today. I feel fine and am progressing well with my healthy journey. I have kept the “evil pig” at bay for two weeks now and I am seeing great progress! Read here to learn how you can control your inner pig!

HERE’S ERIKA:

I inspired myself to this post when I had to set priorities in my currently busy life. I learned that many years ago when I found myself surrounded by too many activities. It happened step by step unnoticed until it got too much. It is related a lot to the lesson of saying No:

You love what you do. You really love it. You are proud of what you are achieving ever day. You are versatile, doing this and that. There are so many things you want to do in your life and you are not only talking about it, you are doing it. Things work out, projects succeed and grow. That is wonderful but all of a sudden the many projects can get too much and I don’t even threw life in yet. When everything grows it can be overwhelming because you are still only one person. You still have only 24 hours a day. But you also still love all you started.

After a while, you notice that instead of gaining energy, it draws energy from you. You feel stressed out, get nervous, perhaps you even notice physical reactions. That’s the moment when you need to say stop. A very difficult decision. Because what you built might be running by itself and you are running with it. You might be even part of something and to admit that it is too much for you can be tough. Perhaps you look at others and ask yourself how they can handle it all. Your frustration about yourself grows and the you work even harder to keep up with everything or even start something new in addition. Things get worse! You are getting exhausted and your nerves are reaching their limit. You are losing your excitement, your joy, your inspiration. Stop, before you completely break down.

Are you sure that those others you admire are dealing better? Or aren’t they too pretending that what they are achieving every day is a piece of cake? Perhaps and perhaps not! So what? Here it is about you! Whatever change you are making the ones who matter, don’t mind and the ones who mind don’t matter at all.

Yes, you might be doing what you are doing for others with all your heart. But don’t feel obliged to destroy yourself in order to not disappoint someone. You won’t! There is more understanding around than you might think! What is the reason that your projects are successful? Because others appreciate you and what you are doing. That means YOU MATTER! Everyone for whom you matter wants your well-being. They know that only then you can keep up what you started.

If you force yourself to keep up something up that you don’t feel anymore then nobody will feel it anymore. Something is missing, your spark is missing!

What is an action worth if it doesn’t come from the heart? Where does it come from when not from the heart? It comes from nowhere. It is like an empty bottle. You see this empty bottle and the frustration grows again. You are not content anymore with what you are doing and things develop in the opposite direction. The power has gone. But we need to be power in order to give power. We need to be what we want to give. And if we are not what we want to give, we should not try to give it. It only wears you out.

It is not selfish at all to care for yourself. It is the only right thing to do in order to enjoy what you are doing. Only when you enjoy what you are doing, it contains your passion. And you need passion in order to fill your actions with YOU! Time-outs are not a sign of weakness or failure. The are a sign of taking you and your purpose serious. You need to take care of yourself in order to be what you want to give. You can only be there for others when you are there yourself! An empty shell is of no help. The more important a person is for others the more important their well-being is.

If I want to serve others, I need to serve myself in the first place. I have to find places where I can charge my batteries, where I can fuel my happiness and my positive outlook. I need to take care of myself. Because only when I feel good I can be who I want to be. Only when I am strong, I can give strength. Only when I feel encouraged I can encourage others. I need to feel good in order to make others feel good. I need to shine in order to show others that shining is not a gift but an inner concept!

No, it  is not selfish  to spoil yourself. In fact, it is the only way to be exactly the person this world needs. Only when you stick to yourself, believe in yourself, be aware of that wonderful and unique being you are, you can serve others with your gifts and your light. You have something within only you can give in your special way.

If you see someone being exhausted, wouldn’t you tell them to take a break, to take time for themselves? Wouldn’t you suggest they should change something in their lives? Wouldn’t you tell them how amazing it is what they are doing day by day and that you are asking yourself where they took the power to keep it up? Wouldn’t you tell them that it is not at all a sign of failing or weakness but a natural consequence? Wouldn’t you assure them that you totally understand and that it is so much more important that the care for their well-being in order to give what you so love about them?
Why are we so understanding for others but think different, when it comes to ourselves?

Take care of yourself. Take a break, slow things down, through things our of your life. The most important thing in life is: being happy and being appreciative…. to yourself. When you are filled with enthusiasm and smiling from within then all you do contains this magical part of you that everybody loves about you. Keep that fire burning. And when the flame burns lower, step back, take a break and fuel your fire.

Your well-being matters because you matter!

In Love and Light, Erika ❤

Are you looking for more inspiration? Here is a link to Erika’s books on her blog. You will find great motivation for everyday living and LOVE connecting with Erika. Enjoy!

Thank you, Erika, for allowing me to share your common sense attitude about taking care of yourself! We all are just too hard on ourselves. I appreciate your kindness! ❤

I hope everyone has a wonderful week! If you would like to join me in your own healthy living journey, please do. Use whatever program works for you. You do not even have to follow a program if you don’t want to. The whole idea is to start thinking about ways that you can become healthier and fit. This includes going gluten-free, fat-free, lactose-free, starting an exercise program, or even a new way of eating such as becoming a vegetarian. If it has to do with becoming healthy, write about it!

TOGETHER!

How about you? What are your healthy living goals for the week?

Remember, this is not a challenge.  Each of us has different goals that we wish to attain. This is an offering of support and a place where my online community can come to participate in attaining a healthy lifestyle.  If you would like to join in with your own Mindful Monday – Healthy Living goals you can do so in the comments, or on a separate post of your own making.  If you want to link back to my post, please feel free to do so, however, it is not necessary. Each week I will include a link to the previous week’s post where readers can find your links and comments from the previous week. My main aim here is to give and get support to become more mindful of my journey to healthy living.

Thanks for being part of my fabulous journey to a healthy lifestyle. Don’t forget to share your journey. ❤ No matter what your goals are in becoming more healthy, together we can do it!

Mindful Monday Healthy Living – Faith Based Weight LOSS

Welcome to Mindful Monday – Healthy Living! Each week I try to examine new or sometimes old things about myself on my journey to becoming healthier. I have found that being mindful encompasses the act of being watchful, aware, wary, heedful, alert, careful, or attentive, in whatever area in my life I feel it applies to, as I attempt to live in the present. Come and join me on my journey. You never know what you will learn about yourself.

…to all of you who have left comments and cheered me on and are interested in accompanying me on this journey to healthy living! Together, we can offer support and ideas to make this road to “healthy,” a fun journey!

My hope is that you will all visit the posts of everyone who participated last week. You can find their blog links and comments on last week’s post HERE. Stop by and say hello! You just might make someone’s day!

Each week I want to share one of your links or comments that motivated me:

LAST WEEK’S MOST INSPIRING BLOG POST:

My Sweet Nothings, with Vasantha Vivek. I was immediately swept away with the impact of Vasantha’s words and how her belief in Lord Shiva impacts her life. It really got me thinking about how our own religious and cultural beliefs all impact our journey to healthy living.

It does not matter what your spiritual beliefs are or which spiritual path you choose to follow. It is the fact that you have a belief system in something greater than yourself that seems to be a constant motivator in how we view the world and ourselves.

Faith is an important concept in the battle of weight loss. NBC News shares an article: Faith Inspires Women to Lose Weight. The central theme of these women’s journey? They took responsibility for their actions. It all seems to come down to that one simple concept. Responsibility. We are responsible for what goes into our mouths and only us! The fact that these women’s belief in a higher God worked for them to become more responsible in their eating habits should be inspirational, to say the least.

You know what? Sometimes I just sit and let my mind wander.  It seems to open me up for new thoughts and inspirations. I love being retired and one of the perks seems to be “time.”  I now have the time to listen to my own needs.  I know this is a hard feat to accomplish with a family and children.  Somehow, I hope you can try to find time for yourself. Time to think about your own needs and your own journey.

Many times I go into my living room and light candles and incense.  I practice my meditation at that time. Most days I meditate in my creative room. That room is mine alone and I enjoy my time in there with myself, the dogs and my writing.

I do have a spiritual space setup for Buddha.  I have silk flowers from each of my five children and grandchildren on each side of Buddha.  The cabinet below holds photos of deceased relatives (mainly our parents) who I like to show respect by placing them near my sacred space.



However, I do not want you to think that you must have a designated place for contemplation.  That is not so, and you do not need to be Buddhist to meditate.  Many days I do some of my best thinking while I am walking in the morning.

The whole idea is to find a place and time to dedicate to just yourself.  A warm bath works just as well as a sacred space all your own.  The point is that the place does not matter.  Find what works for you and just sit there.  Try to have no thoughts and clear your mind.


Mindful Magazine shares an excellent info-graphic on a way to meditate.

The reason I created a sacred space in my home was to have a reminder of my intent to learn how to become still and mindful.  I am influenced by my surroundings.  My living room is in the middle of the house, so it works to remind me that I need to take the time to breathe, clear my mind, and listen to “the nothingness.”  Make your sacred space a place of quiet and solitude.

Do you have a sacred space that renews you?


Image credit: HealthPositiveInfo.com

HOW DID I DO ON MY HEALTHY GOALS LAST WEEK?

I have continued to practice mindful eating and the results are extraordinary.  In fact, since I have started to come to grips with my “inner pig,” I seem to be in a better place about exercise and weight loss. I walked a lot this week, mostly because the weather was warm(ish). Exercise not only helps you on your way to healthy it seems to calm this writer’s mind.

Part of being healthy and happy is enjoying things that you can share with your husband, wife, significant other, etc. Ron and I have lived in parts of the country the last few years that were mostly rural. We did not have many restaurants or stores around to choose from. When we moved to Colorado we decided that we would indulge and go out to eat at least once or twice a month since we had such a huge selection of places to dine at.

This week we had a great lunch at a Mexican Restaurant called the Three Margaritas. We had a perfect luncheon. I had the best Mojito I have ever had! It was fun to take some time and just be together doing the things we like to do. I tried to just live in the moment and spend time with Ron.

It was also great to take a few days away from the blog and my novel writing. By the way, yes, I did change my theme (again). This time, it was not my fault. The previous theme would not work for me. I could not reply to comments and some of the other features refused to work. Sorry if that caused any confusion… 😀

Anyway, here is the other thing I noticed. The more I get in touch with my feelings the more I understand that I don’t have to work so hard. I can take some time and relish this journey through life. Retirement should be fun and exciting. It is just another chapter in your life journey.

My weight loss find of the week was a vegetable called Broccolini. Here is what Washington State University has to say about this hybrid veggie: Vegetable Research and Extension. It is a cross between broccoli and kale. I used it today in my salad. It has a mild flavor right in the middle of kale and broccoli. I really like it.

The Food Network shares a recipe called, “Sauteed Broccolini and Garlic.”

Have a wonderful week! If you would like to join me in your own healthy living journey, please do. Use whatever program works for you. You do not even have to follow a program if you don’t want to. The whole idea is to start thinking about ways that you can become healthier and fit. This includes going gluten-free, fat-free, lactose-free, starting an exercise program, or even a new way of eating such as becoming a vegetarian. If it has to do with becoming healthy, write about it!

TOGETHER!

How about you? What are your healthy living goals for the week?

Remember, this is not a challenge.  Each of us has different goals that we wish to attain. This is an offering of support and a place where my online community can come to participate in attaining a healthy lifestyle.  If you would like to join in with your own Mindful Monday – Healthy Living goals you can do so in the comments, or on a separate post of your own making.  If you want to link back to my post, please feel free to do so, however, it is not necessary. Each week I will include a link to the previous week’s post where readers can find your links and comments from the previous week. My main aim here is to give and get support to become more mindful of my journey to healthy living.

Thanks for being part of my fabulous journey to a healthy lifestyle. Don’t forget to share your journey. ❤ No matter what your goals are in becoming more healthy, together we can do it!


Mindful Monday – Healthy Living: Stress & Your Heart

Welcome to Mindful Monday – Healthy Living! Each week I try to examine new or sometimes old things about myself on my journey to becoming healthier. I have found that being mindful encompasses the act of being watchful, aware, wary, heedful, alert, careful, or attentive, in whatever area in my life I feel it applies to, as I attempt to live in the present. Come and join me on my journey. You never know what you will learn about yourself.

…to all of you who have left comments and cheered me on and are interested in accompanying me on this journey to healthy living! Together, we can offer support and ideas to make this road to “healthy,” a fun journey! Don’t forget to do a pingback in your post so I can find you! ❤

I hope you will visit the blogs of all who joined me for the journey last week:

Judy, from Edwina’s Episodes

Hebatullah, from Heba vs. Reason

Erika Kind

Bee, from Just Fooling Around with Bee

Vasantha, from My Sweet Nothings

Olga, from Just Olga (Check out the great inside workout video she shared:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4IH12Piuf4

Bee, from a Spirit of Healing

Amy, from Reade & Write

Van, from Van by the River

Carolyn, from Miscellaneous & Recommendations

Aimerboyz

Judith Barrow Blog

Melissa, from Aran Island Girl (Melissa asked about eggs being omitted from the Mediterranean Diet – here is more info on that: http://www.uhs.wisc.edu/health-topics/healthy-lifestyle/documents/Mediterranean.pdf)

Melissa Barker-Simpson

Brew & Spew

My Journey with Hijab

From World’s Kitchen

A Momma’s View

Michelle, from Book Chat

Seasoned Sistah2

Helen, from This Thing Called Life One Word at a Time


I feel so energized and inspired when I read all of your comments and suggestions each week. If you don’t feel like you are getting healthier you should, at least, feel inspired by our wonderful community! Together it seems like we encourage each other to attain our goals.

February is American HEART month!


Image credit:
Eastern Arizona Courier.com

Since the month of February is dedicated to heart health, I thought we should talk about stress and stress management. There is a growing body of evidence that suggests women are more susceptible to stress than men. I feel like that has a lot to do with our lifestyles and the demands women feel in the world today. Even though I am now retired, I too, feel stress. Most of my stress is self-made, though… SOUND familiar?

Women are trying to juggle the wearing of many hats in their lives today compared to women in the 1960’s. The worst part is they feel inferior if they cannot accomplish all the tasks on any given day in a spectacular manner! Social media has fueled this controversy as women hurry to post images and posts about their successes online reminding other women that they too should be as perfect as them. Talk about stress! Phew!

Take a look at what stress does to your ❤ and body:

Image Credit: heartmath.com

All of this stress contributes to a rise in heart disease in women. Add in weight gain, lack of exercise, and the lack of trained professionals who can recognize a heart attack in women (vs. men – there are HUGE differences) and we are left with managing our own heart health.

Image credit: Shine265 Marshfield Clinic.org

Technically, being responsible for your heart health is not a bad thing. I figure we are responsible for our bodies so we need to take some steps to ensure we are doing all that we can. Remember, these are only my views and opinions. I am NOT a physician and urge all of you to talk to your doctors about your own heart health journeys. YOUR life might depend on it!!

Here are some HEART DISEASE facts to think about:

Image credit: Scripps.org

Stress is a scary thing. This past week, I pushed myself hard – too hard. I have set some lofty goals about getting my book finished and published by my birthday in April. I may have bit off more than I can chew. This is my first book and I don’t really have a clue about self-publishing. Wait… I do have help. I am not alone. I have a mentor that is available to help me whenever I ask.

Actually, I have tons of mentors who will help me… if I ask! That being said, I worked diligently all week pounding away at the keyboard, anyway.

Here’s what I found out about myself:

  1. I visualize my characters and the situations in my mind as I write. I experience it like I am living the actual scenes. I believe I am a visual and intuitive writer. Cool, huh? Well, yes and no. I also write while I am sleeping which interrupts my sleep. That means that I wear myself out quickly. My thinking becomes slow and I have to take a step back. In other words, I stress myself out too much if all I do is write for 6+ hours a day/night.
  2. I have to take breaks from my intense writing. Because of the 16 inches of snow we received this week, my exercise pattern was disrupted. I should have turned to a YouTube video for exercise. I did not do that.
  3. I hate breaking promises to people. If I say I am going to review a book on a certain day, I do that. My Type A personality kicks in and I strive for perfection. Even though it causes me stress.

HOW FAMILIAR DOES THIS SOUND TO YOU? STRESS, ARGGGG!

Now, here is what I should have done last week to stop the stressors I let rule me:

I should HAVE: done some yoga or meditation!

Try: 30 Days of Yoga Start here!


I should HAVE: bundled up and gone outside and played in the snow!

I should HAVE: taken a nap!

Bottom line, I needed to give myself a break. I had to realize the world is not going to end if I don’t finish that review this week… (actually, I didn’t finish the review and we are are all still here). If my book takes longer to write and publish, so be it. I must stop putting undue stress in my life when there is no reason for it.

How did I overcome my self-induced stress attack? I took two days off from writing, blogging, and social media. I kept everything at a minimum. We left the house and I got some fresh air. I went shopping and I took a walk. I started to crochet a mini blanket for my grand daughter’s Guinea pigs, something I had promised her I would do.

I took a fabulous free writing course from AutumnWriting.com. The change of scenery made me feel energized and ready to write again!

How did I do on my healthy goals last week?

Because I made poor choices, my weight loss stalled – again. The weight I lost the week before came right back. When this happens, it is a signal that your body has found a set point and you are on a plateau.

WEIGHT LOSS Plateaus:

A plateau happens when you have lost weight and your metabolism declines. Now you are burning fewer calories than you did when you were heavier. This slower metabolism s l o w s down your weight loss efforts, even if you are eating the same amount of calories you ate that helped you lose the weight in the first place. The equation is simple:

A plateau happens when the calories you are burning equal the same amount of the calories you eat. There is only one remedy: decrease your caloric intake or increase your physical activity! The Mayo Clinic has a great article on plateaus here.

My goal for this week:

I am going to decrease my food intake this week. I need to really watch my intake of sweets. Yes, I know. Cold weather makes me hungry. That is a fact. I am sure this is a survival instinct from ancient man that still rears its ugly head, especially if you are a woman. We had a blizzard, I made a cake! Now there is nothing wrong with this if I can get out and walk or exercise it off. You all know the rest of this story!

(I hope the Broncos WON!)

So, I need to really watch what I am eating this week. For Superbowl Sunday, we skipped all the rest of the chips, dips, etc. I made a small batch of brownies. That was it. I can have two brownies 2 inches by 2 inches this week. That is it!

My mantra for the week is: I must be good to my heart, by being good to me. ❤

My plan is to step away from the computer and to take some additional time walking this week. The snow is melting and the temperatures are going to be in the high 50’s all week.

I am going to continue taking some time out for crafts. Working with my hands keeps my brain in a focused and relaxing place.

I am going to restructure my thoughts so I do NOT catastrophize. I will step back and ask myself why I am pushing myself so hard. There is no race to the finish line.

HungryGirl ROCKS: Here’re some great links for you to read:

18 Calorie Burning Tricks for Exercise Haters

Healthy Recipes With Large Portion Sizes

5 Ingredient Meals for 350 Calories or Less

Slow Cooker Veggie Soup 0 SmartPoints

Healthy Pasta SWAP recipes

How about you? What are your healthy living goals for the week?

Have a wonderful week! If you would like to join me in your own healthy living journey, please do. Use whatever program works for you. You do not even have to follow a program if you don’t want to. The whole idea is to start thinking about ways that you can become healthier and fit. This includes going gluten-free, fat-free, lactose-free, starting an exercise program, or even a new way of eating such as becoming a vegetarian. If it has to do with becoming healthy, write about it!

Link to my post with a ping back each week in a separate post on your own blog. I will add your blog to a list of healthy living supporters that others can visit to gain motivation on each of my Mindful Monday Healthy Living posts. Together we can become healthier!

TOGETHER!

Remember, this is not a challenge.  Each of us has different goals that we wish to attain. This is an offering of support and a place where my online community can come to participate in attaining a healthy lifestyle.  If you would like to join in with your own Mindful Monday – Healthy Living goals you can do so in the comments, or on a separate post of your own making.  If you want to link back to my post, please feel free to do so, however, it is not necessary.  My main aim here is to give and get support to become more mindful of my journey to healthy living.

Thanks for being part of my fabulous journey to a healthy lifestyle. Don’t forget to share your journey. ❤ No matter what your goals are in becoming more healthy, together we can do it!

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Week 3: Mindful Monday – Healthy Living

Seasoned Sistah2 blows me away with her mindful journey to healthy! She covers everything here! A MUST-READ! ❤

Diet Plan and Weight Watching-Week 7 update

From World’s Kitchen is back with some really good thoughts about weight loss! ❤

From World's Kitchen

Hello my lovely friends,Hope you are all doing fine . I am back again with an update from my Diet Plan and Weight Watching. I have not posted anything lately on my blog . Firstly , forgive me for being lazy and secondly I was sick last week,  that means it was a no diet week , only sleeping and resting at home . I  had a flu , thanks to my sinus and this cold weather , that also means I didnt go out much on walks.

Last two weeks I didnt follow my diet plan , only took care of  eating healthy , as a result my weight had no changes. Since I was home , I tried quite many recipes , Will post soon  for now pictures only 🙂

Frankly speaking I was bored  from 6 weeks  of Dieting and recording my calories, the weight was reducing slowly but my motivation…

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Hello Mindful Monday…

LOOK everybody! Momma’s BACK! ❤

A Momma's View

… or maybe not just yet!

A couple of weeks ago I decided to join Silver Threading on her mindful journey to a healthier lifestyle. I chose probably the worst time to do so. Not only were the Holidays coming up, but we were also about to move house, going away and I was getting ready to work full time on a casual base for the entire month of January. How’s this for not being able to stick to your normal routine?

Perfect, to shake things up, right?

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#LoIsInDaBl Day 1 – Balance (For the blog and my life)

Meet a new member of our healthy living community! Welcome Helen! ❤

This Thing Called Life One Word at a Time

Before I start today, I want to say thanks again to Linda for hosting Just Jot It January. I jumped on board for the first time last year and it really helped boost my blog into something new, but this year I managed to post every single day. Plus, I managed to keep some of the things I was already doing like Friday Fictioneers and Sunday Photo Fiction, so now I feel like I have a real direction for my blog and I’m excited to post.

I’m also really excited for the blog hop in February. I followed this one last year as well, but I really like the direction Bee has taken and I’m excited to get started. (I think I’ve overused “excited” at this point…)

I went through a lot of changes last year and there were a few months where my blog suffered a lot. I honestly…

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Joyful Journey to Health – Clean Eating, Healthy Snacks 2-1-16

Please take the time to read Carolyn’s amazing journey. There is information about fruit labeling here that you will want to know about. The section about “emotional obesity,” is eye-opening! ❤

Miscellaneous & Recommendations

This might apply to you, or it might not.  I shared it on a different page & received positive responses. In the past I found this true for myself, but not lately.

“Some people feel safer with extra weight on their body. It’s as if the body actually uses weight as a buffer from the world. I was in that situation and I knew I had to address the emotional issues that were making my body feel unsafe.  I started doing visualization practices that helped to resolve past traumas and to get my body to feel safer in letting go of the weight.  Over the years I’ve found that 65-70% of the clients I work with are using weight as a form of protection. I call this “emotional obesity”. When you work through the issues that are causing emotional obesity and break the association that fat equals safe, the body…

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Mindful Monday – Healthy Living: Eat Your Veggies!

Welcome to Mindful Monday – Healthy Living! Each week I try to examine new or sometimes old things about myself on my journey to becoming healthier. I have found that being mindful encompasses the act of being watchful, aware, wary, heedful, alert, careful, or attentive, in whatever area in my life I feel it applies to, as I attempt to live in the present. Come and join me on my journey. You never know what you will learn about yourself.

…to all of you who have left comments and cheered me on and are interested in accompanying me on this journey to healthy living! Together, we can offer support and ideas to make this road to “healthy,” a fun journey!

Here is who joined me for the journey last week:

Annika, from Annika Perry

Judy, from Edwina’s Episodes

Bee, from A Spirit of Healing

Amy, from Reade and Write

Sana, from World’s Kitchen

Melissa, from the Aran Artisan

Carolyn, from Carolyn in Joy

Melissa, from Melissa Barker-Simpson

Let’s see, now… so far this year we have set our goals and looked at ways to make some life changes on our healthy journey. We are learning what being healthy means to us, specifically. That is great! Remember, everyone’s journey is different. We all aren’t looking for the same things here. I want to lose weight, some people want more exercise, and still others want to just take it slow and concentrate of becoming more mindful of what healthy means to them.

So, what does healthy mean?

Image credit:
stylefox.com

There seems to be a plethora of images and definitions about what “healthy” means. I believe we should all define that word for ourselves. Educate yourself on the differences, and then make your own decision.

Here is the other thing I think about becoming more healthy:

Don’t jump into some diet that is so strict that you can’t indulge and have some treats once in awhile. All you are doing is setting yourself up for failure, and then you blame yourself for making the decision to indulge! It becomes a vicious circle that only makes you feel more guilty about living!

Instead of eating 10 mint chocolate chip walnut cookies, only eat two with a cup of tea or coffee. You still get your treat and that makes you feel special, as it should. If you have a huge family gathering and Grandma makes her special apple pie, don’t turn that down! Have the pie. Just make it a small portion so that you get to enjoy the luxuries from Grandma’s kitchen. Life is too short to not indulge. Learn to pace yourself.

Speaking of indulgence, I overestimated myself last week. I did indulge in the most wicked crusty garlic artisan bread I have ever had! I had that moment where I wondered if I should eat it. I made the decision, and I ate 2 pieces of the crusty bread with my homemade veggie soup. My planning was all wrong and I gained back the weight I lost last week. Add that to the fact that I did not exercise enough… Well, the writing was on the scale!

EEEK! Drat! Now, what? When life hands you lemons… MAKE lemonade!

When you make the wrong eating decisions, you must pull up your big girl pants and move on! Why punish yourself over a decision you make a few days ago? Learn from it and move on!

Timing is everything! If you must indulge pick a day early in the week and tell yourself that you will allow yourself to have that tidbit that you desire more than life itself, no later than Wednesday! That way you have plenty of time to lose the extra weight you gain through the week. You still get your indulgence, and you still achieve your goal. I weigh myself and record my weight on Saturday morning, so that is why I chose Wednesday as my day of NO RETURN.

What did I do wrong last week… I was in a hurry. I let my desire for bread and cookies get the best of me. We are all human! Don’t punish yourself and beat yourself up. Get over yourself! Do better this week and smile. Always SMILE.

HOW ARE YOU DOING EATING YOUR VEGETABLES?


I did try a new squash last week. This is called a kabocha squash. Realsimple.com
shares:

“This pumpkin-shaped Japanese squash (typically 2 to 3 pounds) is fairly new to the U.S. market but has caught on quickly due to its subtle, honeyed sweetness and smooth, almost fiberless texture. The jade green exterior has light green stripes, and the meat is a pale orange. Drier and denser than most squashes, the kabocha can be baked or steamed, like acorn squash, or pureed to give soups a buttery richness. Great for Soups.”

It was a bit pricey in cost but worth a try. I steam all of my squash (and most fresh veggies) in my steamer I purchased from Target. I did like the way it tasted. It had a smooth texture and I added it to my smoothies a few mornings. It would taste wonderful with a bit of butter and just a touch of salt, too. I would have this squash in place of a potato because the calories and sugars are less.

Image credit: EBFarm.com

Squash is a great alternative to potatoes. I buy many different kinds of squash and eat them regularly. Spaghetti squash is amazing and will save you tons of calories if you use the squash like pasta noodles. I do the same thing with this squash. It is fabulous steamed!

Cooksmarts.com
has a produce cooking website dedicated to all things vegetables. It is worth checking out if you get sick of the same old veggies!

Remember to eat the most colorful foods. Food that is white (potatoes, rice, bread, pasta, etc.) have a higher calorie count. Limit those foods and replace them with more vegetables. The fresher the better. If you have to eat canned, rinse them and microwave them. It will help you eliminate much of the salt.

The American Diabetes Association has a great explanation of what carbohydrates are. Carbs affect our blood sugar levels so you really need to understand the difference between the good and bad carbs. Believe it or not… fruits and veggies are CARBS!

Yoli.com shares the difference between good and bad carbs:

PopSugar.com has a two-week weight loss plan using vegetarian dinners all under 300 calories.

Go to MyPlate.gov to see what the healthy eating guidelines are.

Image Credit: MyPlate.gov


Image credit: USDA MyPlate.gov

How is that for some veggie inspiration? If you would like to join me in your own healthy living journey, please do. Use whatever program works for you. You do not even have to follow a program if you don’t want to. The whole idea is to start thinking about ways that you can become healthier and fit. This includes going gluten-free, fat-free, lactose-free, starting an exercise program, or even a new way of eating such as becoming a vegetarian. If it has to do with becoming healthy, write about it!

Link to my post with a ping back each week in a separate post on your own blog. I will add your blog to a list of healthy living supporters that others can visit to gain motivation on each of my Mindful Monday Healthy Living posts. Together we can become healthier!

Remember, this is not a challenge.  Each of us has different goals that we wish to attain. This is an offering of support and a place where my online community can come to participate in attaining a healthy lifestyle.  If you would like to join in with your own Mindful Monday – Healthy Living goals you can do so in the comments, or on a separate post of your own making.  If you want to link back to my post, please feel free to do so, however, it is not necessary.  My main aim here is to give and get support to become more mindful of my journey to healthy living.

Thanks for being part of my fabulous journey to a healthy lifestyle. Don’t forget to share your journey. ❤ No matter what your goals are in becoming more healthy, together we can do it!

011416_1827_RonovanWrit3.png from Silver Threading ❤