Using Affirmations

 I have mentioned that motivation just like showering does not last and so we need it often. We need to take control and start our day off right. I am a true believer in affirmations, or statements that you say or write down to change a belief. Personally I have dealt with a lot of self doubt, guilt, and unrealistic expectations of myself. Saying affirmations in the morning has made a huge difference in my mental strength.

 Here are some ways to use affirmations:

• write down affirmations on index cards and stick them all over the house where you will see them
• sit with a journal and write out your affirmations 20-25 times regularly
• repeat your affirmations to yourself at similar times throughout the day

Here are some affirmations to get your started. Read through the list and find around 5 or 6 that resonate with you. You might hear a voice telling you that what ever you just read was not true. This is a good indicator that the belief needs some work. Remember that our beliefs are connected with our thoughts, actions, and ultimately our behaviors.

• I only make decisions that will aid in my overall health and wellbeing.
• I am free from all personal comparisons that affect my sense of self-worth
• I treat my body with love and kindness.
• I deserve to take the time to nourish myself with healthy food.
• My body is getting stronger, slimmer, and healthier every day.
• I have nothing to fear, nothing to resist, nothing to fear, nothing to defend, and nothing to feel guilty about.
• I am glad to be me. There is no one else in this whole world I would rather be.
• I like myself now, but am loving the person I am becoming.
• I value my own needs, feelings, and opinions.
• I do the things I need to do when I need to do them.

Books To Read

Reading a book on health and wellness every month is a way to keep yourself motivated, learn new strategies to adopt, and to not feel like you are in this journey alone. The question though is what to read. Well I put a list of books together that I would suggest starting with. Each of the books selected has had a great impact on my life and I use their strategies, suggestions, and teachings with my clients as well.

Rules of Normal Eating: A Commonsense Approach for Dieters, Overeaters, Undereaters, Emotional Eaters, and Everyone in Between!

            Karen Koenig

 Finding Your Own North Star: Claiming the Life You Were Meant to Live

           Martha Beck

 The Secret

           Rhonda Byrne

 Fit Moms for Life: How To Have Endless Energy to Outplay Your Kids

           Dustin Maher

If you are Going to Eat From the Fridge Pull Up a Chair

          Geneen Roth

 The Culprit and The Cure: Why lifestyle is the culprit behind American’s poor health and how transforming that lifestyle can be the cure 

          Steven G Aldana

 Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals

           Michael Pollan

Enjoy Reading

Nutrition Rules to Follow

Dustin Maher has put out a new book called Fit Moms for Life: How to Have Endless Energy to Outplay Your Kids. The book is a great motivator and provides a well laid out plan to follow in order to achieve the body of your dreams. There is a nutrition component where he talks about sixteen “Rules to Eat By” in order to see great results.

All of the rules are great, but I want to touch on two of them, because if you do nothing else I feel they are the best to start with. They focus on the start of your day and the end of your day. The first one is breakfast. First of all make sure you are eating breakfast and then be sure to include protein. Protein is going to satisfy you and keep your blood sugars in check. Dustin suggests two eggs, sprouted grain toast and a quarter to half of an avocado. Some other good choices would be an omelet with loads of vegetables and shredded cheese, yogurt with fruit, 2 hard boiled eggs with fruit, or a smoothie made with protein powder.
 
The other rule is for the later part of your day and it states not to eat grains or starchy carbs after 4:00 PM. The reason for this is that your body doesn’t need that type of fuel for the level of activity most people will be doing in the evening. The extra carbs will be stored as fat if not burned. Dinners should consist of lean protein, a little fat, and lots of non-starchy vegetables (leafy greens, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, ect.)

I feel both of these rules are great. I have followed the first rule for many years, but am working on being more diligent with the second rule.
 
For more tips from Dustin or to check out his book go to: http://dustinmaherfitness.com

Clean Eating

Do you pay attention to how many ingredients are listed on the label of the foods that you are eating? A great way to know that you are eating the right foods is to stick with foods that do not even have a label. Have you heard of shopping the perimeter of the grocery store? This is where the REAL food is (Nuts, meats, fruit, vegetables, dairy, grains, ect)

The philosophy of eating real food is also known as Clean Eating or staying away from foods that are prepackaged with lots of added dyes, chemicals, and fillers. I love Tosca Reno. She is a big advocate of clean eating and has any tools out to get you on the right track. For more information on her and what she offers check out:
http://eatcleandiet.com/

There is also a Clean Eating Magazine out, which contains menus using foods in season along with grocery lists. Past editions are posted online along with tips and recipes at:
http://www.cleaneatingmag.com/
 
To revamp your whole diet to clean eating might be challenging at first, but find ways to make small strides in that direction.