By Alexandra Jamieson on January 4, 2012
1. Get clear.
Want to see the most marvelous waterfall at sunset? Let’s go! Wait – where are we going?
You can’t find it without directions, right?
To transform your health, energy, and body, you need to take stock of where you are now, what you’re eating, and what you want to change. Write down everything – how you feel when you wake up, what cravings you have, what your diet is like, your exercise routine (if any), and what you would like to feel and look like.
Got it written down? Good. Now let’s begin.
2. Get support.
Now you’re ready to climb the mountain to see the waterfall, and you’ve even timed it so you can get there right at sunset to catch the most spectacular view.
But what supplies do you need? There are twelve paths to choose from – which one is safe, fast and will get you to the best spot?
That’s where expert support comes into play. Talk with someone who has been there before – read the blogs of experts, watch inspiring movies online or listen to radio shows on the area of health that interests you the most. Find a tribe of people who are dedicated to making the same changes you want to accomplish.
There is power in joining forces – they’ll pull you along, and you’ll help them at the same time.
3. Make a plan.
Once you have the map, the expert guide and the support, look at the goals you’ve created.
Do you want to eat more vegetables? Less sugar? Kick your caffeine habit completely? Do you want to lose 20 pounds or clear up your skin? Great!
What is the first step towards your goal? If it’s eating less sugar, maybe it’s time to learn about natural foods that give you the sweet sensation you’re looking for without robbing your energy (more on that in a minute). Or maybe you need to throw away the bags of candy or chocolate lingering from Halloween. Or maybe there’s something in your lifestyle that triggers your sugar cravings that you can address in a non-food-way.
Whatever the issue is, there are steps you can take to make it a non-issue: Start brainstorming on what to do first, then what you can do tomorrow, and in no time you’ll be free and clear!
4. Be seasonal.
Use seasonal, local produce as much as possible.
When you eat veggies from a nearby farm, they offer you the energy and nutrients that support you where you are and when you are. Here’s what I mean:
Eating iceberg lettuce and watermelon north of the 45th parallel in winter does not support your body in the cold, sunless months. Instead, choose winter squash, cabbage, other hearty winter greens and apples and pears. These fruits and veggies give you great, fresh nutrition rather than arriving depleted from half way across the world.
5. Sleep more.
The human body is built to follow natural rhythms. Our inner body clock, called circadian rhythm, triggers the natural impulses to wake up with the sun, sleep when it’s dark, as well as a host of other natural body processes.
When your natural circadian rhythm is thrown off, due to jet lag or just staying up too late night after night, your body and brain work at half-speed, and your body feels off balance. Years of staying up late and not getting enough sleep during the darker, winter months, makes caffeine necessary and cravings for sugar more intense.
This winter, try an experiment: Go to bed early and wake up early. Get into bed by 9 P.M. and wake up at 4 or 5 A.M. Even a few days a week of this pattern will help you feel more refreshed, healthier, and those intense food cravings will release their hold on you just a bit more.
6. Make breakfast a priority.
Now that you’re sleeping better, you can wake up earlier and get a good breakfast in your body. Still everyone is different and you might need something that your partner or child doesn’t like or desire. Experiment with different types of food for your morning meal, alternating savory, sweet, liquid or combination breakfasts.
You might notice that a protein-rich meal keeps you filled longer. Or perhaps you find that a light meal of fruit and herbal tea is perfect.
Try it out – notice what happens for the rest of the day with your cravings. Your first meal can determine your energy for the rest of the day.
7. Skip the white foods.
Any white, refined food is going to steal nutrients and energy from your body.
White flour, white sugar, white table salt.
All of these foods are stripped of nutrition, vitamins and minerals, and offer only the jolt of carbohydrate or sodium. Without any supportive nutrients, your body must draw on its own precious stores to metabolize the refined food, leading to depleted energy over time.
8. Sweeten the deal.
Use more naturally sweet foods instead of relying on white foods, candy, and soda for energy.
Include sweet root veggies, fruits and even whole grains to satisfy your sweet cravings.
Sweet potatoes offer carotenoid antioxidants, and help your body respond to insulin better. Parsnips are high in silicon and fiber, and are high in calcium. Beets are high in boron, a mineral critical for the production of human sex hormones.
Adding daily doses of sweet veggies, you’ll crave less sugary treats, and you’ll be giving your body necessary nutrients for long-term health.
9. Move your body like your life depends on it – because it does!
I don’t care what you do – you can run, walk, swim, bike, dance, lift, jump or even get jiggy between the sheets more often (I personally vote for the last one! Sex and masturbation are great for your immune system, sleep and attitude.) – just move. Daily. As if it were your last day on earth.
Transform your relationship with food and your body; join Alex Jamieson’s 8-Week Delicious Detox Tele-Series beginning Thursday, January 5th at 2pm EST. Details and sign-up are here: http://deliciousvitality.com/
Photo credit: 23am.com
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By Guest Blogger on December 5, 2011
God, do I love to dance.
I love the way music feels in my body. It’s like the boom, boom ka of a drumbeat calls my cells to celebrate, which call to my bones, which call to my muscles, and before you know it, I am movin’ and groovin’ with pure abandonment.
I loved to dance so much that, in 4th grade, I decided that was it. Move over Jennifer Beals: There’s a new flash dancer on the way. The boom boom ka and I were going to be wed forever.
I spent countless hours in dance studios, pointing, stretching, turning, and jumping. However, at around 16 years old, the magical rhythm of the music that once soothed my soul turned into the ringing of Pavlov’s bell. It became the signal that I needed to work harder, turn faster, be thinner, jump higher, and plie my way to perfection.
I spent several years moving my body with one intention. Do better.
Even getting hired to tour with a renowned dance company didn’t quiet the, “This isn’t good enough” voice that joined me every time I slipped into my dance shoes.
But in 1996, while I was battling it out with myself in dance class, my mom was presented with her own battle. She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
She took on the challenge like a warrior goddess presented with the task of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. Determined. While she did what her doctors told her, being a child of the 60’s, peace love and everything in between, my mom employed her family as part of her healing team.
We went to meditation and tai chi classes, changed our diet, and found a way to love each other on a deeper level.
My mom was certain that the way to heal her body was through a whole lotta love and tenderness.
So, strange that at the same time, I was certain that the only way to get my body to what I wanted it to do was to beat it into submission. If I didn’t crack the whip on myself, wouldn’t my lazy butt end up on the couch, eating ice cream and watching hours of television?
My mom’s approach was the opposite. She allowed herself to have days of “Well, this really sucks” that were always followed by days where she would paint on her eyebrows and proudly walk out the door. When asked how she was doing, she said, “Gettin’ better every day.” And she meant it.
My mom’s healthy vibrant cells won out over ovarian cancer.(They won out again over breast cancer six years later! A miracle indeed. ) I learned that she did not win because she beat, prodded, forced, or made herself do anything.
She was kind to herself, every step of the way.
When I finally took on this approach in my own life, not only did my body change, but my whole life changed. The extra pounds I hung onto melted away. The self-criticism that spilled into other areas of my life was transformed to a sweet, steady voice reminding that I am doing pretty damn good.
If you’re looking to make radical changes with your body, whether it’s to heal, lose weight or even train for a marathon, it starts with radical kindness and compassion.
Here are a few radical ways to move your body:
1. Get on the love train: We choose our thoughts. You can’t get to destination I love my body by riding the I can’t stand my ______ (insert body part) train. That train ride will only lead to one place: where it is dark and murky and the sun rarely shines.
It starts with love and absolute appreciation for what you are able to do today.
Do whatever it takes to make appreciation for what you can do your primary thoughts. You might have to slow down to access these thoughts, or you might need to ramp it up, but be determined to catch that love train.
2. Set your intention: Instead of jumping on the treadmill or into your favorite exercise class with the intention that you have to burn off the calories you ate the day before, try something different.
Try sweating with the intention that you are going access your power. Intend that you are going to open your heart. You are going to heal. You are going to shine. You are going to become more of who you are meant to be.
This philosophy can be applied to any kind of physical activity you’re doing.
The more you sweat with love, the easier it becomes to be loving even when you are not exercising. This new behavior changes your brain chemistry, which, without doubt, spills into all areas of your life.
3. Add affirmations: I created a playlist and recorded spoken affirmations over it so that when I go for a walk, a run, or even dance around my apartment, I am moving with specific intentions.
I started sharing the playlist with my clients and friends, who love to incorporate it into their workouts.
It’s one thing to think affirmations. It takes it to a whole other level when you are moving and saying them to the rhythm of music. The affirmations become a part of your muscle memory, and they get embedded into your cells. This is where the real change happens.
Bottom line: Decide today that you are moving to celebrate your life. Let the boom boom ka fill you with joy as you move to any rhythm, cherishing the body you’re in and all that it does to support you. It’s has taken you this far. What a blessing.
Money-back guarantee that your body will change, your life will change, and moving will feel more like the final scene in Flash Dance … What a feeling!
Erin Stutland is a life coach, personal trainer and fitness instructor. She is the creator of SHRINK SESSION: 30 Days To Tighten Your Body + Rewire Your Mind and Air In Sculpt. She is one of four Premiere Intensati Leaders in the world.
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By Gabrielle Bernstein on November 16, 2010
Juice has gotten trendier with each passing year, and for good reason. When I found myself choosing green juice over my morning coffee I knew I was hooked. One juice in particular has recently captured my attention: a new brand called Liquid Pump, a creation of The Pump Energy Food, a New York City staple. Liquid Pump is not your grocery store’s juice. It’s made fresh every morning at The Pump, it’s non-pasteurized, and it doesn’t contain any preservatives, artificial flavors or colors, or refined sugars. The simple, raw ingredients speak for themselves: simplicity is delicious. Liquid Pump is cold-pressed, allowing it to retain the nutrients of the produce—much like old-fashioned hand-squeezing methods. My favorite is the Green Magic Drink, which is made from cold-pressed OJ, pineapple, basil and avocado.
I’ve become so hooked that I find myself hopping in my Ford Edge to pick up a few days’ worth of juice at one time. I’ve learned that drinking Liquid Pump for breakfast and lunch gives me more energy. This is what many of my Rha foodie friends refer to as eating light to heavy. Rather than eating my largest meal at lunchtime, I’ve taken to the Rha approach. The light-to-heavy method actually is super effective because I’m not digesting a huge meal in the middle of the day. I’ll have my Liquid Pump for breakfast and lunch, and by 3 p.m. I’ll have a hearty salad followed by some protein and veggies for dinner later on. In addition, the Liquid Pump is perfect for eating healthily on-the-go—it redefines the notion of convenience food. Grab a bottle and you’ve just given your body more than a day’s worth of vital nutrients.
You can check out more of my blogs here!
Photo Credit: Untitled Blue
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