Friday, December 24, 2010

Intuitive Self-Defense


Everywhere I go people are baking or eating sweets. It's that party time of the year. This is when intuitive eaters use self-defense to tune in to their senses and bodies and take control of their eating. When you eat at a party, your choices are personal and they will be the ones you live with after the holidays.
Using foresight is
looking ahead at the consequences of what you're about to do. 

Foresight is your intuitive way of seeing the long term picture. The intuitive eater looks at a plate of cookies and thinks, "If I eat a handful of these now, how will if feel in an hour?" The answer is 'not good'. The intuitive solution is to enjoy a cookie and move far away from the plate to socialize.
         The long term benefit of this solution is you feel good about your choice because you took control, it was right for you, and your body feels good too.
       
For intuitive eaters  enjoying a cookie is part of enjoying the whole party.
For dieters who feel deprived, the plate of cookies is a destination.
Don't get stuck at a plate of sweets. Use foresight.

          Acid reflux is an uncomfortable condition where stomach acids end up in the esophagus. It can be caused by over eating. When you overeat your stomach expands and the muscle at the top that usually stays shut, stretches open. Yuck. Another cause can be drinking alcohol in quantities or combinations that don't work for your body. You can avoid this uncomfortable condition by using foresight with your senses. Use intuitive self-defense to stay tuned in to your body.

Foresight is your natural intuitive self-defense. 
Use it with your 5 senses to keep clear about the present, 
so that you stay real and make eating choices that work with your body long term.

It's great that you are choosing to take control of your eating choices. Use foresight with your senses to realize the long term impact on your body of overeating or over-drinking. 
And now, relax and enjoy the party season!

Thursday, December 16, 2010

The 15 Minute Solution


Cravings and Candy

December is a time of heightened cravings. Family and friends ask, what do you want? We feel this emotionally, physically, and socially. When teased with holiday deserts, we see food not only with our eyes, but also with our hearts.

I was asked, "How can we connect with our intuition to know the difference between intuitive eating and 'unhealthy' cravings?"  
Intuitive eating feels good an hour later. 
'Unhealthy' cravings feel bad an hour later.
Intuitive eating balances what you crave with what you need to eat. Eating a square of chocolate because it makes you feel good and you like the way it tastes, is healthy. Chocolate is an anti-oxident. The body uses anti oxidents help to clean pollution from your system. Your body is intuitively efficient. Craving to eat something can mean that your body needs it. Intuitive eating is working with your body.
       When you eat one square of chocolate, it takes a full 15 minutes for your brain to know that your stomach has had happy piece of chocolate. This means, after eating one square of chocolate, take 15 minutes to socialize or even relax, to give your head time it needs to know if you still are physically craving chocolate.  Try it, and you will be surprised. 

Your body, just like your mind and and your heart, has a process it uses to be the best you can be. 
 -Respect and connect with your stomach by taking the harmless temptation of craving seriously. 
-Guide yourself intuitively by staying clear about what matters to you in the long run. 
     While you may crave candy, I bet you crave affection more. Overeating ignores your body and isolates you from others because you are not responding to what you really want. Your social needs, emotional needs, and physical needs are equally important.
Intuition connects with your point of balance so you know what you want. 
Balance is the secret of self control.
Unhealthy cravings lead to self-defeating behavior that feels bad. We all have an inner baby that manipulates us with impatience, self-pity, anger or doubt. Don't be bullied by 'unhealthy' cravings. 
Do your best for you.
Use the 15 minute rule before you go for more. 
During your 15 minutes, imagine how you feel when you take control of your choices, 
and with an open mind, stay clear about what matters to you. 
Trust your process. 
Intuitively you know what will make you feel good.