Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Mindful Eating for Body, Mind and Spirit

Winter has arrived in the beautiful Shuswap, and chilly weather has most of us craving heavy and filling foods like creamy pasta casserole, warm cinnamon buns, pumpkin spice lattes and rich beef stews. Many dieters have an especially difficult time sticking to their eating plans this time of year, and let's face it, who doesn't love to indulge in thanksgiving leftovers, Halloween treats and Christmas baking? Well fear not, the mindful eating practice covered in this article will not ask you to forgo eating any of your cold weather favorites. In fact, when it comes to eating for weight Ioss (without other health complications) I say down with restrictive diets all together! 
So what is this healthy eating without dieting you ask? This is an ancient technique that has very practical implications today. This ritual encourages you to say yes to food according to your body's needs. Mindful eating is eating with intention and attention. 
Eating with the intention of nourishing your body
Eating with the attention necessary for noticing and enjoying your food and its effects on your body. 
Sounds easy right? Not so fast..... Mindful eating is easy once you've trained yourself to have self awareness, and it may take some time to develop consciousness around what you eat. Once you develop this skill, you can say good bye to crash diets, guilt and obesity. 
In today's world, we eat for a multitude of reasons, most of which have nothing to do with intention of nourishment or attention to effects on our bodies.  We eat to curb stress, because we're lonely, because we're nutrient deficient and addicted to carbs and fat. Eating is often mindless consuming and guilt inducing. 
How do you start the journey to eating mindfully? By understanding your food triggers and then creating space between the trigger and your reaction to it. This practice develops your response-ability, or your ability to respond thoughtfully to your food trigger. Before eating, ask yourself these questions:
Am I hungry?
How do I feel?
Why do I eat?
When do I want to eat?
What do I eat?
How do I eat?
How much do I eat?
Where do I invest my consumed energy?

These questions will help you to determine your food habits and patterns, which is the first step on your mindful eating journey. Stay tuned for my December article, where we'll discuss more mindful eating strategies and I'll teach you a hands on exercise to help your mindful eating journey. 

Jennifer Szabo
Transformational Wellness Coach
Zumba Fitness/ yoga Instructor
Facebook: Zumba,yoga & wellness with Jenn

Monday, December 14, 2015

The Gift of Self Care This Christmas


Often times in life, we put our wants needs and desires behind those of our families, friends, bosses and neighbors. Most of us do this act of self sacrifice because we want to be the best version of ourselves for our loved ones, and Christmas is prime time to think about others. We have been told to be unselfish. We have been taught to give everything to our families. We have been told that the way to show that we care is by caring for those around us before caring for ourselves, and if we do this, we will feel fulfilled. But, I say down with self sacrifice this holiday season! Putting ourselves last over and over again actually works in the opposite way we think it's going to. This behavior only depletes us and creates resentment when we neglect our own needs. Make this Christmas a time of balance. As we are focused on gifts, activities, cooking, decorating and baking, let's reduce stress and engage in daily acts of self love. 
As a fairly new mom, I have diligently cared for my baby every single day for nearly 2 years. I have skipped meals, showers and social functions to tend to the needs and whims of my son. More days than I care to admit, I've been a walking zombie. I forget to do important chores, I've felt stressed, tired and maxed out most days. I've really neglected myself in pursuit of being a great mom. But here's the funny part; I was a better mom on days when I placed myself at the top of my to do list. On those very rare occasions when I had a massage or allowed myself a relaxing long shower, I had more quality time and energy to give to my family. You see, we cannot pour from an empty cup. We must take care of ourselves first, and fill up our own cup if we want to show up fully for others. Right here and now I give you full permission to take care of yourself; have a relaxing cup of tea, give yourself a neck massage or call up a good friend. Put the demands of work, responsibility and holiday expectations aside for 5 minutes and be good to yourself..... Guilt free! These small acts of self care will leave you feeling more like giving to your loved ones. Fill your own cup first, and your cup will overflow with love and giving to others this holiday season. Merry Christmas!

Jennifer Szabo
Transformational Wellness Coach
Zumba Fitness & Yoga instructor