Having One Of THOSE Days???

Like everyone else, I have days, or in this case months, where I am not feeling 100%. I am not pleased with how I am dealing with certain things, or I am not giving myself the care that I know I deserve.
As someone who has spent the vast majority of the past 9 yrs deeply involved in the Nutrition Industry, I find that people often assume that I am perfect, and lead by example 100% of the time. They often think that I will be critiquing what they eat, how they lead their lives, exercise, what supplements they take etc. It is as if every statement I make is an all-encompassing judgement on them.
The truth is that I am human, and just like everyone out there, I MESS UP. I get stressed, I stress eat, I am not always 100% "on", I don't always go 150% on my workouts, I eat junk, I struggle with my weight, and yes- I have "fat days".

I often feel worse, because people believe I SHOULD have all the answers. I don't. It is frustrating that I fall prey to the same human behaviours many make when I KNOW BETTER- but the thing is, I'm human. The difference is that I am aware of it; so keenly aware of it, that it sometimes feels as though it is a value judgement on my self worth.

Then I get over it. How? By NOT making a big deal of it. I find the more time and emotion I put into berating myself and thinking about NOT repeating the behaviour, the more it becomes a focus; the more it is on my mind, and the more I engage in the very behaviour that I am trying to avoid.

I have been under a considerable amount of stress recently, and I do not expect it to get much easier any time soon. So I have to accept this and deal with it unless I plan on being miserable for the next 9 months. This is NOT okay by me. Being healthy means MENTALLY, Emotionally, as well as physically.

We need to be healthy in all areas, as they are all interrelated. You can't expect to be happy all the time, but you also can't expect to be happy if you are treating yourself poorly all the time.

Today I propose taking a breather. I have written numerous times about taking a 'geographic' (physical change of environment/geography) be it just going for a walk around your neighborhood, to the grocery store, to the book store, or as is the case for me today: to the mall. Yes I should be focused, researching and working. But I need a distraction first and foremost from the stress that is permitting me from focusing in the first place. I need a distraction from myself, from the stress and the 'you should' voices in my head. And if window shopping achieves that, then so be it. Walking through Chapters, by THE BODY SHOP (their Satsuma Body Butter will uplift your spirit no matter what!), sipping tea @ Starbucks (CALM Tazo tea- very appropriate), listening to the music, trying on ridiculously expensive eye creams and taking advantage of great tester face creams; perusing boutiques and wandering around is exactly what my soul needed today.

 A break to unwind. Permission to DO NOTHING, instead of trying to do everything, and yet getting nothing done. Allowing yourself to procrastinate every once in a while is restorative, and will renew your energy and enthusiasm for life- revive your vigor and hopefully renew your spirit. Renew your belief in yourself that YOU CAN DO IT: you can conquer any challenge that comes your way.  That you will deal with it with dignity, integrity, self-respect, and in a manner which serves to strengthen your inner belief... and in the mean time, if you happen to catch a great sale or buy a little treat for dessert... it won't hurt either ;)

Liberte Greek Yogurt, Sweetener and cinnamon added, with a crumbled Chocolite Cookies and Cream Bite and another Yogurt with the To.Die.For Peanut Butter Patty... highly recommend it. I inhaled 1/2 of the tub before I snapped a picture with my phone. If you see Liberte in stores, I highly recommend giving them a try. I am in the midst of doing a product review, (products do differ from Canada to the States), and am thrilled they don't use any hormones, chemicals, growth regulators ( rBGH free ) etc.

If you haven't tried CHOCOLITE Products.... go get some NOW!

How do you cope with stress? What stresses you out the most and what events/circumstances cause the most unease? What are your triggers? Do you have a pattern of things (deadlines, certain events, people, fear of not living up, fear of success/failure) that cause you to feel less than "100%" and fall prey to certain behaviors? How does this affect and effect you?
What has allowed you to "move on" and stop these thoughts/behaviours and turn things around?
What are some of your best "distractions" and ways to get your mind off of things?

I would like to add that if you are really feeling low, and are having a hard time coping PLEASE seek some help and talk to someone.

Healthy Habits; Taking yourself out of the situation.

Janetha posted an interesting post on Healthy Habits, which really got me thinking. I think a problem with many of us is NOT dealing with emotions. Or rather, dealing with them in unhealthy ways. In keeping with the 'Healthy Habits' theme, I wanted to introduce another 'healthy' habit that many of us could benefit from. Getting out of the negative situation!

Learning how to remove yourself from the situation that is causing you to cope in unhealthy ways is one of the first steps in realizing that you are worth it. Many people struggle with emotional eating, guilt, fear, anxiety, self worth and feel pressured to put on the 'all is well' front. I think it's necessary for us to realize that it is okay-  more than that: HEALTHY, for us to be able to recognize and feel that we are not okay at all times. Whether it is feeling the pressure to look a certain way, suppress emotions, appear put together and perfect, successful, or buy that perfect present; all of us succumb to pressure at times. Being able to put distance between us and the emotion is a great way to gain perspective. I call it 'Getting out of the eye of the storm'. REMOVE yourself physically from the situation.
This is one of the best ways to EMOTIONALLY and psychologically remove yourself from it as well.

I recently was feeling so stressed out, and the entire fridge lay temptation to being consumed within an hour. It is often hard to think 'How will I feel after this' when you are just trying to numb the emotions/fear/feelings down and get through your day. Rather than giving in, I recognized that I needed to get out.It is hard to stop, so rather than mentally exhaust myself trying to rationalize with myself, I grabbed my laptop, note book and headed to my favorite Starbucks. Getting out among people really helps get you out of your head. Listening to the Holiday Music (Josh Groban), listening to the laughter and conversations of people around me, and seeing all the people around me really helped.

Now I realize that it is seldom this easy. But having a 'back-up plan' and listening to your intuition, recognizing that something is off and you are not coping is one of the best habits we can develop. I think that too many of us have developed or started working on this habit too late in life.

Here are some ideas:
1. GET OUT OF YOUR APARTMENT/HOUSE/CONDO/desk etc.
Even if it is for 5-10 minutes, get away. Go for a quick walk, go window shop, or just sit somewhere safe until you can gain perspective and calm down a bit. You need to think straight and when you are riled up, this is no state to be making decisions in.

-When you are feeling a bit better, allow yourself to feel whatever it is you are feeling. Pain and hurt, as unpleasant as they are, are a healthy and integral part of our psyche.
-Take deep breaths!
- Distract yourself. I like walking through Chapter's or book stores, Home & Bath stores, grocery isles... anything with a lot of stuff to distract me with. Ironically, this lets me think clearer!
- Have a back up plan. If you are going through a rough time, brain-storm a few ideas ahead of time that you can do if you ever feel yourself getting overwhelmed. Join  a Yoga class, buy some paints, pick a favorite walking path, or head to your favorite grocery store (there are no right or wrong places-as long as they are safe!).
While this time of year is hard for so many people, the festive spirit and music/lights make it a wonderful place to reminisce, reflect, think and getaway without feeling too isolated and lonely.

I think so many of us put too much emphasis on trying to align ourselves with how we think we SHOULD be, vs how we really feel. This 'dis-alignment' causes so much grief.

Obviously, having someone you can talk to is essential to our well being. It's a hard step to make. We may not always be successful in extracting ourselves from toxic situations; the pain may be too great at times, and we may feel too tired. But those rare occasions that we are able to get out, and forgo the emotional binging, or whatever behaviour it is we end up regretting, it is the most empowering, and joyous feeling.

And for those times that you don't, and you do eat everything in your kitchen, cupboards, pantry, freezer etc, remember: IT'S OKAY!!! We all make mistakes, and we all go through times where our actions leave us feeling depressed, frustrated and regretful.

Just remember, that one day does not define you. Nor does one week, one month, or one year. Each day is a chance to make a fresh start, take a little better care of ourselves, learn to be in-touch with our feelings, and learn better ways to cope. Forgiveness of self and self-love are one of the healthiest habits I know.

Short term over-eating has long term effects

(All images from Google Image Results)

If we needed any more reason to get healthy and start eating a balanced, and nutritious diet, a Swedish study suggests short term over-eating could impact your long term health and increase the difficulty of weight loss and maintenance (I've included the study at the end of this post). This study has wide reaching implications, as many people put off 'healthy eating' or starting to live a healthy lifestyle- always procrastinating, and going overboard now, while promising to make it up next week etc. If you are a person who has ever said "oh, I'll start healthy eating on Monday, and indulge until then", know that putting things off will make them that much harder in the long run. Besides a declining metabolic rate, we also lose substantial muscle and our levels of CoQ10 diminish as we age.  It's not black or white, all or nothing. Think of it as a lifestyle, not a diet. Start making healthy, incremental changes: think at the margin. So whether or not you have that extra spoon-full, extra bag of chips, glass of wine... take into account what you're giving up in the long run and what the trade offs are. Why sabotage your health now and make it harder for yourself when you finally take your health seriously. Your health at the moment is all we have! Take care of it and nourish yourself with good food.

Balance and moderation is the key- as is mindfulness! Think of the reasons WHY you are eating- is it hunger or is it anxiety, depression, stress, rejection, issues with self-worth, loneliness and fear that you are trying to avoid and numb yourself to? What void are you trying to fill: hunger or an emotional void?
This is the time to reach out and ask for help. If you struggle with binge eating, stress/emotional eating, know that you are not alone. Asking for help is the hardest but most rewarding part; if separates us from the shame we carry. Putting it off won't make asking for help and getting help any easier! Learn to cope with stress in other ways than turning to food.

Simply staying mindful of what we are eating will help us maintain our health in years to come. Enjoy the taste, and focus on the food you are eating. If you want the slice of cake, by all means- Go for it! Indulging is part of a healthy lifestyle and mindset; just don't eat the entire cake! Don't take the box of cereal/ bag of chips, pint of ice cream with you to the computer or TV. You'll be so focused on what you're doing that you won't notice your hand reaching in until the box is empty!

I like to use the analogy of eating like we are trying to set an example for our younger selves. What does healthy eating look like to you, and how would you want your child to eat? Be proactive, act now and start to treat yourself the way you would want to be treated. We are adaptive by nature- pretty soon living a healthy lifestyle will come as naturally as breathing.

Opt for balance- if you want a burger, make sure you get some healthy veggies on the side. We all know people who make resolutions every year, and every year they are back where they started. This is because they are putting too much pressure on the situation, getting overwhelmed and having an "all or nothing"mentality. A healthy lifestyle should come naturally:
-Substitute high fat items for lower fat/calories/sugar options.
-Cut back on your sugar intake and processed foods. They offer no nutritional benefits.
- Make sure you eat every 3hrs or so. This way you maintain stable blood sugar levels, and you never become ravenous as a result (and then consuming the entire contents of your fridge).
-Plan ahead, and prep before time. Have healthy snacks ready to go. Make meals 'ready to go' and freeze extras or make large amounts that you can then have ready during the week.
-Add veggies to your meals and baking items. Use cauliflower/pumpkin puree, butternut squash/yogurt/cottage cheese/apple sauce in your baked good instead of oil. Adding broccoli, asparagus, spinach, artichoke, peppers on your pizza will increase the antioxidant and vitamin levels, as well as filling you up with more fiber, so that you are less likely to eat the entire pie. This also cuts calories, as it limits the amount of unhealthy ingredients you can put on it.
-Buy frozen veggies. I always have frozen broccoli and cauliflower in my freezer. This is fantastic for when I make large pasta bowl- I simply dump the whole bag (once cooked) into the pasta and stir it all up. This provides fiber, bulk,  nutrients, as well as limiting the simple carbs from the pasta.

It comes down to asking yourself "what am I worth", because we truly are what we eat, and what we are is  in our circle of influence. It determines our self-respect, because it mirrors how we view ourselves. As the saying goes: "The person I am today, is because of the choices I made yesterday'.

What are some strategies you use/could use to be more mindful of what you eat? If you could set an example for your 12yr old self, what would you tell her and what would you do differently?
What are some minor adjustment you could make in the short term, that would help you in the long run?
Do you struggle with emotional eating? Sometimes getting to the root of the problem requires us to  face some ugly truths/feeling that we are trying to suppress. Other times, it really is about making better choices and practicing mindfulness. Take a personal inventory, and see if your lifestyle is in alignment with your goal, and how you want to feel and live. Our health is such a strong determinant in all that we do, and knowing we can set ourselves up for a lifetime or energy, vitality, and health is empowering and motivating.

If you have concerns, or need help, I am including the link to the National Eating Disorder Information center:
http://www.nedic.ca/

Here is the study:

Short-Term Overeating Could Make Long-Term Weight Loss Tougher


Swedish study suggests pounds put on during high-cal, low-exercise periods stick around

By Alan Mozes

HealthDay Reporter

(HealthDay News) -- If you think a few weeks of slothful behavior and caloric overindulgence can be easily worked off at the gym, think again.

New Swedish research suggests that just a month's worth of unhealthy living changes physiology, making piled-on fat even harder to lose.

"A short period of [over-eating] can have later long-term effects," said study co-author Dr. Torbjorn Lindstrom, an associate professor in the department of medical and health sciences within the faculty of health sciences at Linkoping University. "Based on this, it can be recommended to avoid very high food-intake that might occur during shorter periods in normal life."

Lindstrom and his colleagues report their findings in the current issue of Nutrition & Metabolism. They focused on 18 normal-weight healthy participants (12 men and six women), averaging 26 years of age.

For one month, all 18 were placed on a restricted physical activity regimen that involved the equivalent of no more than 5,000 steps per day. Five thousand steps, the team noted, is the threshold for a "sedentary" lifestyle, whereas a "physically active" lifestyle involved 10,000 steps or more.

In addition, participants embarked on diets involving a 70 percent jump in daily caloric intake -- mainly from fast food -- amounting to about 5,750 calories ingested per day. The research also included a comparison group who did not change their diet/activity.

By the end of the month, the feasting group gained an average of 14 pounds. Their fat mass, specifically, was found to have gone up from about 20 percent of total body weight, to nearly 24 percent after the month-long intervention.

Participants lost most (more than 10 pounds) of that new weight over the ensuing six months. However, one year after the study's end, participants still registered a noticeable gain in fat mass (of about 3 pounds on average) compared with their pre-study status.

This fat stuck around despite the fact that the participants had returned to their lower-calorie pre-study diet and more active routines.

Two-and-a-half years after the study, fat mass gains were even greater, registering just under 7 pounds on average, the researchers found. There was no such long-term change among the control group who had stuck to their usual diet.

Based on the findings, the researchers conclude that a brief period of excessive over-eating, coupled with reined-in activity, may change body composition and lead to a significant boost in in body fat levels. And these changes appear to endure, despite a return to healthier behaviors.

Study author Asa Ernersson, a doctoral candidate at the university, said it's tough to tell whether older individuals might be impacted any more or less than younger people.

"Of, course there is a possibility that age has an important role for losing body weight gained after a short term period of overindulgence," he said. "But from this study we cannot draw any such conclusions, since most of the participants were between 20 and 30 years old."

Both Lindstrom and Ernersson said that more research exploring such questions is needed.

More information
For more on healthy eating, visit the U.S. National Institutes of Health.
SOURCES: Asa Ernersson, doctoral candidate, Linkopings University, Linkoping, Sweden; Torbjorn Lindstrom, M.D., associate professor, department of medical and health sciences, faculty of health sciences, Linkoping University, Linkoping, Sweden; August 2010 Nutrition & Metabolism