BBC PRESENTS: The Truth About Sugar - New Documentary 2015

Louise Hay leads the way in guiding us all to becoming the person we want to be.

saying "be in the moment, be in the now" is very well and good,

but it is not a roadmap to how to do it. how to do it is still a mystery.

louise hay lays it out like apples, peaches and pears on a golden kitchen table flooded with golden light. she teaches, gently, how to think. how to forgive and how to heal.

these things are hard for most to comprehend. i was for me.

but louise shows the way. this is just one of many of her magical, accessible recordings.

don't judge, just listen. give it a chance. it works!

The Trouble with Starting Again

the photo here shows a huge ginger root for the juicer, 5 of 10 pounds of carrots, 1 of 2 bunches of spinach (good for juice or smoothy), cilantro, parsley, head of romaine ( i know people frown on ice-burg, but i like it mixed in with other greens- it's a good staple). on the spendy side is the low carb protein powder and almond milk. i find have a protein shake is a good way to keep me from conjuring up a good tasting- "interesting" breakfast. it's quick and easy, and can sometimes get me out of the kitchen before i start "creating" in there.

the trouble with starting again is the fear of failure. the fear of going thru all the hard work, suffering, schlogging, trying and hoping- only to get tried-out after six or seven days, weeks, or months. Exhausting yourself again, then eating wrong and stopping everything, and gaining back the weight and losing all the momentum one more time. it's a trap.

so how about i don't do that again. how about i don't "try so hard", but i try just a little. if i just shop smarter, fill it with veg and expensive stuff that's good for me instead of cheap stuff that's not.

the other thing i have to remember is that "this is me". i have always been a little heavy, and will always be a little heavy. so this isn't a blog about, "look at me struggle and strive to be something i am not", it's a blog about taking responsibility for my own health. being mindful of who i am and what i can do to enjoy the best parts of life.

"leaning" towards yours goal.

leaning in the direction of your goal, is a choice we make 10 times a day.

sometimes i don't feel like being on a "diet". i don't feel like being perfect. but i also don't feel like going back to where i was, heavy and lethargic. in these cases, i am learning a new technique called "leaning". instead of asking what i should eat to "stay on my diet", i ask "which way would i like to lean today, toward a healthy body that functions better that the one i am in today, or towards the unhealthy body, the one i had before?" framing my decision in this light feels more like a nudge in the right direction, rather than a black and white ultimatum. i use my imagination and visualize the way i want to go. in this case, using the image above, do i want to go to the left or to the right? the action i take today determines that. but it's not like i have to cross a finish line or win a prize, just move in that direction. and i know that if i move in that direction most of the time, eventually i will get to that place.

mindful action

 

yesterday's post included the word lazy. "don't be lazy" was the message.

and although this is the point, i believe the way i presented the information was incomplete. but also the way our culture perceives laziness, and busyness is loaded with trap-doors. there is a "you gotta win" thing connected with everything these days. happiness is associated with winning, which implies being better than the next girl or guy. but life is not a race. it is a path.

there is a finish line, but it is not owning the biggest house or being on the cover of Vanity Fair. no, the finish line is death. our task, if life is a task, is to find purpose and passion along the way. life is about connecting with ourselves so that we can better connect with others. (first take the thorn out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.)

it is easy to let thing get complicated. it is difficult to keep thing simple. simplicity is the key. but don't get confused. simplicity is not being lazy about how you think or what you do, rather, it is being diligent about taking mindful action.

the body+mind+spirit is one. meditation does not always mean sitting on a pillow in a quiet dimly lit room, it may mean saying yes to the right things to eat while letting go of the urge to satisfy one's "love me now flavor sensation of corn chips and chocolate". not being lazy means doing your homework, shopping and chopping, walking out the door with a 2, 4 or 6 mile goal on your mind. it's not only knowing what you should do, but taking the action to do what you should do.

mindful action. being present in the moment. moving more & eating less.  simplicity.        connecting with others.   taking risks, doing new things. becoming our bigger selves. sharing our gifts.

maintainence

it's been a few months now, and i have lost 30lbs, improved my well-being and had a lot of fun along the way. i started with protein smoothies, moved to fish and veggies, began walking, got a juicier, lengthened my walks, started using the juicer and did a lot of research on setting goals and quieting the mind. i started packing my own healthy lunches for work, making big batches of lentil soup to eat when ever i didn't know what else to eat and i began to have a re-newed confidence in myself and my ability to make positive changes to my lifestyle habits that with last a lifetime.

today, i am on a brief vacation away from home, so of course their are many disruptions to my usual patterns. i also celebrated a birthday. but i am pleased to say that i have done so mindfully.
not to my usual strict codes of conduct, but with loving gentle self compassion. bending some of the rules, some of the time, while knowing that the path to health remains a gentle slope, is a good way to let your body and ego mind know that the beautiful world we live in with all the complexity of dark chocolate, and coffee, and a perfect slice of pizza on the street is still there to be enjoyed. (without guilt).

the time and effort i have put into improving my body, mind and spirit, is not lost when i break from my rules for myself. rather, my long term goals are very much in sight as i take little detours along the way.

mindfulness

Being mindful in the moment is the greatest gift we can give ourselves. Being mindful of the gifts we have been given and the love that surrounds us, is the first step in knowing that we are enough and we have enough.

Mindful eating has the powerful potential to transform people’s relationship to food and eating, to improve overall health, body image, relationships and self-esteem. Mindful eating involves many components such as:

• learning to make choices in beginning or ending a meal based on awareness of hunger and satiety cues;
• learning to identify personal triggers for mindless eating, such as emotions, social pressures, or certain foods;
• valuing quality over quantity of what you’re eating;
• appreciating the sensual, as well as the nourishing, capacity of food;
• feeling deep gratitude that may come from appreciating and experiencing food

Mindful eating draws substantially on the use of mindfulness meditation. Mindfulness helps focus our attention and awareness on the present moment, which in turn, helps us disengage from habitual, unsatisfying and unskillful habits and behaviors. Engaging in mindful eating meditation practices on a regular basis can help us discover a far more satisfying relationship to food and eating than we ever imagined or experienced before. A different kind of nourishment often emerges, the kind that offers satisfaction on a very deep emotional level.

For more info on this topic go to: 

today is an opportunity

as i continue this journey i am learning a great deal about nutrition and the power of movement. i am changing what i eat, even though i have regular slips, and beginning to understand how important it is to change what i think as well. i have a feeling that i can no longer afford to be vague about what i want in life. just trudging forward in what is a "perfectly fine world" is not getting it anymore. it's time to zero in on my true hopes and dreams. yes i want to have a healthy body, but what do i want for my mind and spirit? what are my goals?

from an early age we are told "you can do anything!". remember the inspirational posters in the halls at middle and high school: shoot for the stars! and then life begins and maybe you go to collage and you get a job and you have some adventures and some success and you are working for free to build your portfolio and the next thing you know (or i should say, the next thing I know) i'm 50. was i a success? what did i do and what did i not do? but more importantly, what am i going to do next? who am i going to be next? this is where the work begins. here is where the opportunity begins. where do i go from here: i begin with gratitude. i reflect daily on all the beauty and wealth and health i have. but i must also begin to focus on legacy each day. what i want to accomplish next and what i want to give back. getting clear on my goals and dreams clears the fog of indecision and self doubt. if my total goal is for body+mind+spirit balance, i need to take the time to sit down and get clear on these things. 

(below is a tony robbins video at TED Talks, which is not his best, but covers some of the topics i've discussed here- it's just 20 minutes)

i am worthy, grateful, mindful and strong.

knowing i am on the right path in my head is one thing. knowing it in my body is another. i struggle sometimes, so i am dedicating today's blog post to the ideas i need to internalize. i am about to begin the process, a new one for me, of quieting my mind. some call this meditation. i will call it my "practice". please share with me and others exeriences you have had with meditation in the comments area below. and if you haven't done so already, join our community by signing up for email at the top of the column on the right. peace!

reconfiguring our actions to manifest a new success

in a world that's faster and faster, and where "more and more" becomes the mantra of the people, perhaps it's time to consider how we fit in and what works for us in the long run. in order to change our perception of what success looks like, we may have to change our relationship to it. in sri sri ravi shankar's 2010 blog post entitled "our connection to nature",  he talks about how ancient wisdom describes human beings as having five layers of experience: the environment, the physical body, the mind, the intuition and our self or spirit.

sri sri ravi shankar says this:

Our connection with the environment is our first level of experience, and one of the most important. If our environment is clean and positive, it has a positive impact on all the other layers of our existence. As a result, they come into balance and we experience a greater sense of peace and connection within ourselves and with others around us.

Today we live in a world where many have become greedy and want to make quick profits and achieve quick results. Their actions disrupt the ecological balance, and not only pollute the physical environment, but also stimulate negative emotions on a subtle level, within themselves and also in those around them. These negative energies expanded and compounded again and again are the root cause of much of the violence and misery in this world. Most wars and conflicts are triggered by such feelings, and result in damage to the environment, which then takes a long time to restore and repair. We need to attend to the human psyche which is the root cause of pollution, both physical and emotional. If compassion and care are kindled within our selves, they will form the basis for a deeper connection to, and care for, both others and the environment.

so! this is about taking care of ourselves and our planet on a daily basis...NOT greedily grabbing all we can and hoarding for the future. seth godin, the original and helpful voice on the new landscape of digital connection for which there are no maps, is a singular thought leader and innovator in what he describes as our post-industrial, post-geography "connection economy."

seth godin says:

"rather than merely tolerate change, we are all called now to rise to it. we are invited and stretched in whatever we do to be artists — to create in ways that matter to other people."

HOW DO THESE TWO CONCEPTS RELATE?  sri sri ravi shankar talks about how greed in its many forms disrupt the ecologial balance and seth godin talks about how greed for mass market share disrupts community balance. the new reality has got to be one of eco balance and community.

step one: take the thorn out of your own eye.
step two:take the thorn out of your neighbor's eye.

keep learning. embrace new experiences.

• Visit libraries and other community facilities – learn something new about cooking raw food, sprouting, walking, breathing or how to meditate.
• Try something you have always wanted to do but never actually done.
• Rediscover an old interest.
• Fix a bike, then ride it around the block a few times.
• learn an instrument, join a jam session, record song then post it online.
• Find and practice a new recipe for a food you know is good for you.
• Enhance your creativity - check out when art groups meet in your area.
• Join a book club or start one.
• Start learning another language then book a flight and speak it.
• Commit to learning to identify a new plant every day for a month.
• Learn to identify the various birds and bird calls in your garden.
• Join a zumba class or tai chi class – learn and be active at the same time!

5 ways to well-being

today i prepared a fresh mung bean and carrot salad for a friend for lunch, we then took a five mile walk and talked along the way about our goals for the future. we took turns being accountable to each other. we coached each other.
together we are resolved that the world can be a better place. and we know that we are the change that can make that happen. making change is difficult. i can be a struggle. it requires constant focus and readjustment. it is an uphill battle, but a worthy one. then one day you reach the top of the hill and you can begin to enjoy the process, it gets easier, more natural. one of the things i like about the journey i am on now is that i am learning so much. and what i am learning is important, not only to my survival and well-being, but can also be helpful to others and their survival and well-being. i found this video on well-being at new zealand mental health site. find out more here: http://www.mentalhealth.org.nz/page/1180-5-ways-to-wellbeing.
 

happiness

i have spent a great deal of time focusing on food and nutrition on this blog so far, and that is a good start. but as the intention of 50 POUNDS TO PASSION is to release the stuff of weight that holds us back to embrace the stuff which is the now. by eating right and staying in motion i will lose unwanted pounds, and that is good and natural. and as this process unfolds i need to also focus on my mind + spirit. keeping in balance is the way i choose to be.

quiet the mind

Normally when we think about some weight losing activity, we think about burning calories or sweating off the fat. When you meditate you have to sit very still, without making a move. Can meditation, therefore, be helpful in losing weight? Although you won't burn many calories during a typical meditation session, meditation may be one of the most important practices you will do in your effort to lose weight.

Weight loss is not just a physical activity. Sure, if you eat less and you exercise more, you will lose weight. However, all of our actions begin in our minds. If you are going to walk for forty five minutes every day, in order to increase your daily exercise, then you first have to decide to do it, and at the right time, you have to think and then go for your walk. These are all mental activities.

Similarly, if you realize that junk food is only making your waistline expand, and you want to stop eating it, you first have to make a decision to change your eating habits and then you have to walk past and not stop at the doughnut shop on your way to work. Again, these are mostly mental activities.

If you are trying to lose weight you probably already "know" that you have to exercise more, and change some of your eating habits. You "know" this to be a fact, yet you are unable to do it. All people, whether fat or slim, have this same dilemma. We "know" many things intellectually, but we are not always able to put our best intentions into action.

Meditation is one of the best methods to take control of your own self. During meditation you will learn how to make your mind stronger. A weight lifter typically exercises certain muscles, making them stronger and stronger. Similarly someone who meditates is exercising her "mental" muscle by directing her mind away from the noise of the world outside toward the calm within. Following the meditation instructions takes a bit of effort, but that effort will be rewarded.

If anyone meditates on a daily basis, she will not only become more able to concentrate during the meditation session but also more able to put her good intentions into practice and make positive changes in her life.

It is not a question of mind over matter, or having to do anything that you don't want to do. Meditation is an activity that changes you from the inside out. Instead of forcing yourself not to eat the doughnut in between meals, the very desire to eat it will vanish. Instead of fighting with yourself to go out for a walk, exercise will become something that you enjoy doing. If you get into the practice of meditation, no one will have to twist your arm to make you live a healthy lifestyle, it will become your natural choice.

Therefore, while you will not sweat off any pounds during your periods of meditation, the daily practice of meditation could be one of the most important parts of your effort to lose weight and live a long, healthy and happy life.

fast-food-floozie vs. long-haul-hanna

fast-food-floozie vs long-haul-hanna

i was talking with my eldest brother the other day, the one who has lost a bunch of weight and is keeping up with his running, and i reminded him about the importance of getting some raw green stuff into his system to help keep him strong. i am always pushing protein smoothie with greens on him, especially after he takes a long run.  i was pleasantly surprised when he told me that he WAS getting into smoothies, as his running partner had been been preparing them after a few of their runs. of course, she's starting him off with strawberry smoothies, which he liked. "tastes like a strawberry shake... almost!" he said. i said what about spinach and flax seed, have you tried that yet? "yeah, i'm not so much for the flax seed stuff" he admitted.

i remember when i first started drinking the more complex smoothies and having the same reaction. now, however, the flavor and texture really come in second to the nutritional content. these days i prefer a little grit and bits of chewable greens in my drink. 'figure it just comes with the territory. 
in the old days i was satisfied with cheap processed foods and imitation ice cream shakes. they tasted so good to me. like a cheap date, you know, big salty-sweet flavor explosions all night long and just a little tinge of regret in the morning. everything felt so good in the moment, but "no-so-much" in the long run. now, i'm eating whole fruits and vegetables and juicing ginger and turmeric root with kale, carrot and anise. it's a whole other deal. sometimes it takes a little work. sometimes it's not so convenient. but the pay off is always there, not always right away, but in the long haul. eating whole foods instead of commercially processed food is the same difference as having a committed life partner than a cheap one night stand. eating is a kind of relationship you have with your body.   and just like having a life partner, it's not always exciting, sometimes you have to be patient, sometimes there's something flashier across the street or at another table, but what you have is better because it's a commitment for life. i guess what i am saying is: treat your body with the respect you would have for your perfect life partner, and not the way you would treat a quick trick on a drunken week-end romp, because after-all you and you're body are going to be together for a long time.

the connection between philosophy & a good walk

The Gymnasiums of the Mind

In this Decenber 2012 article in Philosophy Now Christopher Orlet wanders down literary paths merrily swinging his arms and pondering the happy connection between philosophy and a good brisk walk.

If there is one idea intellectuals can agree upon it is that the act of ambulation – or as we say in the midwest, walking – often serves as a catalyst to creative contemplation and thought. It is a belief as old as the dust that powders the Acropolis, and no less fine. Followers of the Greek Aristotle were known as peripatetics because they passed their days strolling and mind-wrestling through the groves of the Academe. The Romans’ equally high opinion of walking was summed up pithily in the Latin proverb: “It is solved by walking.”

Nearly every philosopher-poet worth his salt has voiced similar sentiments. Erasmus recommended a little walk before supper and “after supper do the same.” Thomas Hobbes had an inkwell built into his walking stick to more easily jot down his brainstorms during his rambles. Jean- Jacques Rousseau claimed he could only meditate when walking: “When I stop, I cease to think,” he said. “My mind only works with my legs.” Søren Kierkegaard believed he’d walked himself into his best thoughts. In his brief life Henry David Thoreau walked an estimated 250,000 miles, or ten times the circumference of earth. “I think that I cannot preserve my health and spirits,” wrote Thoreau, “unless I spend four hours a day at least – and it is commonly more than that – sauntering through the woods and over the hills and fields absolutely free from worldly engagements.” Thoreau’s landlord and mentor Ralph Waldo Emerson characterized walking as “gymnastics for the mind.” (continue reading here)

risk and pain

risk and pain? gosh! who wants to talk about or think about that! we spent so much time seeking comfort and safety in this complicated world, we sometime forget that pain and risk are the elements that create that comfort. without pain and risk there would be no olympic champions to marvel over and respect, there would be no nobel peace prize winners, and yet we tend resist risk and pain in out own personal lives.

i attended a kundalini yoga class yesterday, for the first time in a long time and learned a great deal. firstly, i learned that i am a lot more out of shape that i thought i was (but that is about to change) and secondly, that yoga is painful! it hurts to hold a pose for a long time, and breathe and focus. it is difficult. no getting around that. but that is part of the point: yoga can be painful, just as life can be painful. it is how we deal with that pain that is important.

yoga is a "practice". the definition of practice is a repeated performance or systematic exercise for the purpose of acquiring skill or proficiency. one practices, dealing with or managing pain so that when painful situations arise in daily living one is better prepared at handling it. 

yoga is also sometime referred to as a "discipline". i'm interested in this word too as it applies to the process of life and personal development. wikipedia has this to say about discipline: 

Discipline is the assertion of willpower over more base desires, and is usually understood to be synonymous with self control. Self-discipline is to some extent a substitute for motivation, when one uses reason to determine the best course of action that opposes one's desires.

risk, pain, practice, discipline. these are heady concepts, but all part of the game when it comes to finding the path to better health in body, mind and spirit. take a deep breathe and plunge into the most rewarding time of you life: blossom!

the beginning is near

after 20 days of the new diet, one might hope for some amazing results. and after all the new adjustments and the hard work of establishing new habits anything less than WOW! may seem like a let down, and grounds for abandonment. it's important to manage expectations for stepping on the scale at this point. try to be realistic about what to expect, before stepping on the scale. know that every pound lost is a real achievement. remember that these are still the first steps of a long and glorious walk towards good health. also, remember that we have to get "here" before we can get "there". in 20 more days of being smart about what we eat and do we'll have even more to be proud of and be a little closer to where we envision to be. (and in some ways we are already there) 
the good news: the beginning is near! the beginning of really seeing and feeling the difference. 

educate yourself

HBO has produced an amazing series of programs called THE WEIGHT OF THE NATION. These programs are an excellent educational resource for anyone interested in good health, but especially those who are obese and looking for solid answers.

HERE'S THE OVERVEIW:
Bringing together the nation’s leading research institutions, THE WEIGHT OF THE NATION is a presentation of HBO and the Institute of Medicine (IOM), in association with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and in partnership with the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation and Kaiser Permanente.
The centerpiece of THE WEIGHT OF THE NATION campaign is the four-part documentary series, each featuring case studies, interviews with our nation’s leading experts, and individuals and their families struggling with obesity. The first film, CONSEQUENCES, examines the scope of the obesity epidemic and explores the serious health consequences of being overweight or obese. The second, CHOICES, offers viewers the skinny on fat, revealing what science has shown about how to lose weight, maintain weight loss and prevent weight gain. The third, CHILDREN IN CRISIS, documents the damage obesity is doing to our nation’s children. Through individual stories, this film describes how the strong forces at work in our society are causing children to consume too many calories and expend too little energy; tackling subjects from school lunches to the decline of physical education, the demise of school recess and the marketing of unhealthy food to children. The fourth film, CHALLENGES, examines the major driving forces causing the obesity epidemic, including agriculture, economics, evolutionary biology, food marketing, racial and socioeconomic disparities, physical inactivity, American food culture, and the strong influence of the food and beverage industry.

getting real

talking with a friend on the phone today, i mentioned the process i am going thru to achieve better physical condition. she said, "oh! i'm going on a diet-thing too! and i have discovered a new boot camp video that really works". when she got further along in the conversation, she mentioned that when her doctor told her, "that won't last" she was shocked. "where is the support?" she wondered. and i said... that won't last.

it seems that the doctor and i have learned something in common. when it comes to weight loss conversations, there's no room for bull shit. like me, he has probably seen people go on and off a million diets and end up at the same place in the end. better to call a spade a spade. in my friend's case, that ($150) video is going to be collecting dust on top of the tv in 4 to six weeks. at any rate,i'm fairly certain that it won't be the center of her fitness life a year from now. she'll be on to something newer and better as soon as the thrill of this routine wears off or worse she'll be out of the exercise circuit all together do to a pulled muscle or over exertion.

what's the harm in trying you may ask? the harm in "trying" is that this process is just another delay at getting to the heart of the matter: long-term, sustained weight loss. until we get to the point where we are truly honest with ourselves and decide to make real changes in our everyday habits, we are just chasing rabbits down a hole.

real change comes only when we take a for-real look at who we are and come to terms with the facts: i'm not happy, i'm not healthy and i am going to stop behaving in ways that are killing me softly. no super-duper, extra-amazing video is needed to start a new healthy lifestyle. getting up in the morning and going for a walk does that just fine. it doesn't require a sledge hammer to tap a nail into a wall to hang a photo of a friend. a hammer will do just fine. getting real and keeping things real on a daily basis, step by step, minute by minute is what is needed to find success.

simmer down. drink tea. take a 40 minute walk.