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!

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.

Wanting the love.

Everybody knows "food is love." Everybody intuitively wants love. That's why, at a celebration, where food is abundant, it's common to overeat. 

It's not surprising at Thanksgiving, a holiday of appreciation and feasting, to discover that you feel stuffed, instead of comfortably full. Maybe the sweet potatoes with marsh mellows were better than you remembered, and the vision, you intended, of portion control didn't work. Stuff happens, and it's okay. What really matters, is that you are aware of what happened that didn't make you feel good about your self, and that you commit to be kinder to your self next time. 

Don't beat yourself up. 

It is intuitive to forgive your self, because forgiving your self is a sign of self respect. Doing this will help you automatically be more prudent about eating choices over the rest of the holiday season. It is human nature to fall down, and it is intuitive to get back up and to keep going.

Because intuitive eating is having a flexible approach, post Thanksgiving is the time to cut your self a little slack. At holiday meals, the natural focus is on socializing. However, your intuition still is there. You are changing the way you want to maintain your optimum weight. Since you've already started being aware of your body, and of messages from your 6 senses, intuition is automatically part of  your food choices.

Intuitively: You take control of your eating by staying connected to what is really important to you, which is the way you feel, and the way you look.

Intuition is not something that you force on your self. Instead intuitive eating is a way of trusting your self to eat what's in your best interest for your optimum health - even when you're "socializing."

Stay committed to intuitive eating by choosing to forgive a holiday slip up, and try to maintain more vigilance the next time spirits are merry. Everything worth achieving takes time and effort - including getting the habit of being an intuitive eater.

Enjoy the holiday and enjoy eating. You deserve the love.<3

 

Party with the present.

Parties can be scary when they dredge up emotional memories. Parties can be fun and an opportunity to re-invent yourself, when you stay in the present.

Fear around eating is about the past. Intuition is about the present. During the holiday season, it's tempting to dwell in the emotional past. Use self-respect to avoid the temptation.

Fear is emotional sabotage that leads to self defeating choices. It is an emotional bully that makes you ignore your senses, common sense and your heart! The result is you feel 'out of sync' with yourself and may gorge at a party, or privately eat a loaf of bread.

• When you get that 'out of sync' feeling, reconnect with the present by using your senses to reconnect with what's real around you. Notice what you notice.
• Be honest with yourself about what's important to you and trust your intuition to stay clear about your personal priorities and values.
•  Allow yourself to feel dignified.

When you connect with your intuition, there is nothing to doubt. It is as real as your eyes reading this. When you are at a party, don't re-live your past, instead, connect with self-respect to protect and be good to who you are. Every effort you make, to be the best you can be, is important and admirable. :)

Being honest with yourself is what makes intuitive eating easy. 
It's honest to recognize fear is an emotion that has nothing to do with your appetite.

Stay true to you and stay 'in sync' with your body. 

Party with the present. 

The past is history. 

When you respect yourself, you protect yourself.  
Make a promise to do that.  

Breaking up is hard to do.

Why Good Diets Don't Work Long-Term...

Leaving a diet program can feel like defeat or even like a broken heart. But instead, it's the way of being true to your body.

My neighbor was ecstatic for 2 months. She was losing weight, feeling great, and 'knew' that she had finally found "the one". No, she had not found the man of her dreams, but she believed she had found the diet that worked for her. It was exciting, something like love.

And then stuff happened. First it was the backlash from a really horrible day, which resulted in a box of donuts with a coke, and that was followed by a great party where she thought she was having fun- until the next morning. Feeling let down, nothing was making sense for her. Emotion driven hunger had put her out of touch with her body, and out of touch with her common sense. 

There are many good diets. The reason they work in the beginning is the diet is new, full of potential and promise. In the beginning instead of feeling restricted, you feel like you're part of the program. 
Problem is, the program is consistent and does not vary, but Life is not consistent and your body's needs vary. 

So after the flush of new wears off, you start to become physically weary of this wonderful diet, and start rebelling, by breaking the rules of the program. It's intuitive to be true to your self. But when you're emotionally invested in a diet program, it's hard to do it without feeling guilty and emotionally let-down. This is when self abuse starts.

When you reach the point where your diet is becoming frustrating, or inconvenient, or just isn't working, it is time to use common sense. Common sense tells you to listen to your body, not to abuse it. My neighbor didn't realize that she could have outgrown the great diet. Her body was telling her that she needed to change.

A good diet is not the same as a romantic commitment. A good diet is only good while it works for you. When a good diet gets stale, it's time to fine tune your senses and tune into intuition and your body to see what's missing. 

Sure, breaking up is hard to do, but changing what you eat, and how you do it, is natural, healthy and keeps you slim. Visualize your ideal body, and see it when you see yourself. That's where your heart is. 

A diet is an agenda. If the agenda works for you, do it. When it gets stale, find a new agenda.

Enjoy the occasion.

With Halloween around the corner, the annual time of parties and eating approaches. This year, decide to enjoy the company and the occasion - more than the food. It is a habit when we diet to focus on food at a party instead of the party, the fun, the company and the occasion. The result is we miss stuff.

Worrying about food challenges and weight control puts pressure on you to obsess about food and eating. The result is you are knocked off balance emotionally. That's when self-destructive eating takes place.

Enjoy the company- but connect with your 6 senses first! It's a way of really being in the moment. Talk about what you sense. This is a great conversation starter because everyone gets pleasure through their senses.

Whether it's business, or a casual social environment, enjoying your self by connecting with your senses, you will be showing that you respect your self. You will send signals without using words, that you have priorities. Everyone respects that.

If a fellow reveler thrusts a huge slice of pumpkin pie your way, cut it in half, and find a plate to slide the extra on, so you won't be tempted. Smell the pie and really taste it. Ask another guest if she has tasted the pie. Instead to talking about how much you're eating, enjoy the flavor. Talk about the celebration, and how time flies, and how good it is to reconnect with people, and catch up on what has happened since the last time.

Before you go to a party, resolve to take a pause every time a food challenge or temptation is part of an event. Re-balance your perspective to enjoy the celebration by respecting your self. This is a personal decision. No one will notice and you will be in control. Then, enjoy the party.

Eat slowly, talk more. Eat less, enjoy it more. Focus on celebrating with your heart more than with your stomach. You will leave the party feeling great, and tomorrow you will wake up feeling in control.

Try this:

While you're eating with family, on a date, or at a party, stop eating. Put your fork down and ask the person sitting next to you to tell you about their day. Let your self be distracted from the food. Let your self enjoy the company.

Complaints

Is your body complaining?
Your body doesn't play games with you. It is merely a vehicle you use to maneuver through your day and your Life. But the body does complain. We experience complaints as tension, high blood pressure, discomfort, exhaustion, and a general sense of dissatisfaction.

Being nagged physically or emotionally is unpleasant and tiring. Sometimes you experience this as cravings. When emotional demands override the physical needs of your body, the complaining starts. ouch. Balance physical needs with nagging distractions that push your emotional button by depending on experience and intuitive common sense. I promise, you absolutely have the answers.

When you are around food, take a deep breath, and choose to Think Clearly.

Listen to your body by paying attention to your 6 senses: to what you see, taste, touch, smell, feel, and know in your heart, and mind.  

Small decisions  you make every day create the big picture of your Life.

Are the messages getting through at meal time that you're stuffed? or that the food is not what will fill you up because it's not what your body is craving. The message is: Pay Attention to your body with your 6 senses. You don't need the complaining.

Suggestions for a happy body:
When you're craving something sweet here's a satisfying alternative to junk food.

• Keep unsweetened frozen blueberries, strawberries, blackberries or raspberries in the freezer for sweet noshing. Berries taste good, and have anti-oxidants, and fiber. Anti-oxidants are good for fighting the effects of air pollution, and fiber keeps you regular. 
• You can also buy unsweetened frozen cantaloupes or mangoes to have on hand. 
• I like to freeze seedless grapes for a cool snack.

Frozen fruits can be mixed in the blender with ice cubes, milk, unsweetened juice, or yogurt for a fruit smoothie. In the morning, have a smoothie and a handful of walnuts and almonds for a quick, healthy, and power packed breakfast.

A kitchen timer can help you change your habit of eating too fast.
Set it for 30 minutes when you sit down to eat, then eat slowly so that your last bite coincides with the ding. This will allow for fullness signals to make it from your stomach to your brain. Also this will allow for more efficient digestion, because eating slowly is eating more relaxed.

Your body won't complain!

Navigating for Success

There is often much on your mind and shoulders when you eat. Life is a long series of hills and valleys that twist and turn without road maps. Challenges and opportunities are distracting, demanding, frustrating, fortifying, and rewarding.  

Weight issues are another twist to navigate. Eat to fortify your future. It is intuitive to focus on eating for quality of Life. Do this to re-affirm your long-term perspective and realign your priorities. The result is, the road of Life is easier to navigate. So, make meal time, a time of personal indulgence.

Do Not Quit
"When things go wrong as they sometimes will;
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill;
When the funds are low, and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but have to sigh;
When care is pressing you down a bit-
Rest if you must, but do not quit.

Success is failure turned inside out;

The silver tint of the clouds of doubt;

And you can never tell how close you are.

It may be near when it seems so far;

So stick to the fight when your hardest hit.

It's when things go wrong, you must not quit." (Anonymous)

What are you really hungry for? Hunger is a heart felt as well as a physical experience. Emotional hunger is real but you don't feed it with food. Use your six senses to recognize it. Feed what's real and you will discover that you can get what you want, and where you want to go.

Be true to your self. When you're struggling with weight issues, or emotional issues, be kind to your self, and be ready to give your self another chance. Using your eyes, ears, taste, smell, and touch when you eat, tunes you in to your body. See it healthy and your ideal weight. Feed your ideal self. Watch it evolve.

The only time you fail is when you give up.

Your intuition will never desert you. So use it. There is always another chance to listen to your body and your heart, and do the right thing. This is your Life and this is your time. Enjoy living, and enjoy eating!

Nobody is more important than you are, so respect your self. Navigate for success.

Shake it up!

This is the first day of Autumn. Leaves are turning colors and wind has picked up. The seasons are a symbol of natural rhythms that are part of Life. Shake up your eating habits and look at colors differently. Eat something that is only fresh now, and notice how your body responds. I think you'll have an unexpected energy boost.

Just like the weather has seasons and you change your wardrobe, the seasons are also a natural time for you to change the kinds of foods you eat. When eating is a habit - like you have the same lunch every day, or always eat a certain breakfast, or never have eggs for dinner- you lose touch with what your body really wants and needs.

Your body makes it clear when you're hungry. However it's important to realize your body's needs change all the time. That means different foods satisfy you at different times. Don't eat the same foods all the time because your body won't be satisfied, and you will still feel hungry. ouch. Take a few moments to notice what you're eating and how you feel.

It's September, and suddenly there are different fresh foods at the market. This is a natural head's up that something new is available. Take it as an opportunity to eat seasonal foods you never tried before. Different foods nourish different organs in your body. Your body will tell you what it needs. Be bold and enjoy the experiment.

You will achieve success of your eating goals by using your senses to notice what's going on with your body. Your senses naturally connect with what feels right, because your senses keep you in touch with the bigger picture of your life. Use your 6 senses and you will maintain, not gain weight.

When it comes to diet and eating, your habit may be to see your self though others eyes, or to feed your body what others suggest. Taking suggestions makes sense only when you use your brain with your gut and respond to what your body feels. You have the answers for you. Nobody else does.

Changing your eating routine is going to be exciting. Shake it up, feel refreshed and benefit with the body you want.

For practical intuitive solutions that are common sense for maintaining a your healthy weight, download: Am I Really Hungry? 6th Sense Diet : Intuitive Eating

and overcome eating challenges.

"If you can't solve a problem, it's because you're playing by the rules." P. Arden

Emotional Button Control

I have been writing a booklet about writer's block for a lecture I'm giving in October.* Writer's block is a form of self-sabotage, just like over-eating. People who write fall into emotional traps that push buttons, so that they lose their perspective about what they want to write. It's the same thing that happens when an emotional button sends you "hungry" for comfort food or into a tailspin of over-eating. Life happens.

If you focus on losing control, or beat your self up, you are continuing a cycle of emotional abuse. Focusing on what went wrong creates an emotional trap where perspective is lost. That's when you feel out of control. ouch!

The important thing is forgive your self.

That is when you are able to help your self. There is a saying, Give me the strength to accept things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

Talk to your self. Feed your self language of emotional support, not language of emotional abuse. Listen to how you talk to your self.

Reality is often not pleasing or easy to understand, but it is a sounding board for choices. The next time an emotional button is pushed, you can choose to notice that the emotion has nothing to do with hunger for food. One thing is independent of the other.

There really is a possibility at all times, for you to see the bigger picture.

Eat your next meal like it's the first time you ever ate. Really taste your food and savor the experience. Notice how hungry you are and respect the body you're feeding. Accept and allow the choices you make. Listen for your intuitive voice and trust it to protect you and provide you the opportunity to eat wisely to be happy with your body.

Your 6th sense balances your emotions with your ideas so that you can make clear choices when you sit down to eat. When you trust your intuition, you use it. Intuition is your innate wisdom. You will discover that when you trust your intuition, you are in control. You will feel good about your choices.

*If interested, you can download the booklet about writer's block:
The coupon code to get it free is :QZ62A
Book page link- http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/23345

Namaste.

Jane

Temptation and Obsession

What is the difference between temptation and obsession when it comes to diet?

Being tempted to eat means you are still in control. We all live with temptation. We are in a kind of flow, where choices must be made before we realize it. You are tempted to stay longer, leave earlier, eat more, work-out less, make a call, turn off the phone, take a chance, stay with the familiar, stop learning new things, start something new- .  

• Temptation makes you think twice. It puts you to the test. 
• Because temptation forces you to think twice, you are in control.

Temptation is the opportunity for you to remember your eating priorities. Feeding this satisfies you physically and emotionally. Think twice about what your body needs to feel satisfied by noticing what you notice.

• When you tune in to your body and make the choice to respect your self, things start to make sense. 
• Amazingly temptation brings out the best in you.

Obsessing feels like being out of control. It's unpleasant. In fact, obsession is losing perspective about what makes you feel good. It's like filling a sieve with water - it doesn't work. Perhaps the obsession is pizza, chocolate, or pasta and you only can think of finding satisfaction with your obsession. But- the problem is that it doesn’t happen. The result is of obsessive eating is physical discomfort and emotional dissatisfaction because in fact, food is not a substitute for what you really want. 

Only eating for good health, 

for quality of life, 

to enjoy the sharing the pleasure and 

to experience the satisfaction of taste and smell, can satisfy you physically. 

Anything else that may drive you to eat is self-destructive.

You can stay in control by remembering emotional demands are not your friend. Emotional demands ignore physical needs. Your senses connect with you physically.  Trust what you see and taste with what you know, before you allow your emotions to boss you around.  Ideas that turn into obsessions about what to eat, are not in sync with your physical needs. Don't abuse your body or allow stress to defeat your eating goals.

• Be flexible with yourself and you will discover that you have the answers. 
• Your first intuitive sense is your survival instinct. Use it. 

Many people write to me because they identify with my March 23 blog: Zig Zag Eating, http://fine-tuning-eating.blogspot.com/2010/03/zig-zag-eating.html.   Is that you?

We’re in this together, and we’ll walk through this together. You are not alone. Keep your head up and your eyes open. You have "it".

Namaste.

*JaneBernard

Every day is unpredictable.

     Every day is unpredictable. What happens decides what we much genuinely need to eat. For example- the weather, stress, happiness, and sleep all impact our organic self. We are intuitively responding with our senses to everything, all the time. 

Be gentle, you are organic.

Organic means: not artificial.

To be your ideal weight: work with your body, don’t fight it, or ignore it.

     Feed yourself what nourishes, not what ‘fills you up’. Nourishing ourselves is done with food, and with ideas. It is done by connecting with our 6 senses when you eat. Our senses work with our mind and body to keep us clear about what is nourishing. Let intuition be your guide and trust yourself.

     We each have a physical and a mental process of growing that cannot be rushed. We can’t be rushed to change our thinking, our weight, or our style. The first step is effort. Be proud that you are seeking answers and knowledge. That means you’re smart and you’re cool.

While you’re thinking, ask your self:

Do I have eating patterns?

What gets in my way of supporting my health and fitness when I eat?

How can I approach eating differently?

     Often, when thinking about losing and maintaining weight, we are easy prey to doubts or fear that we won’t be able to stick it out.  These self- defeating thinking habits interfere with responding to what our body needs. There is no such thing as a quick fix that endures. Every dieter knows this from experience.

Don't feed your self doubt or fear. 

When we listen to our senses, we are feeding ourselves compassion, and understanding. 

This is empowering!

Your body is not a machine and you are not generic. That’s why only you know your best eating choices. Use your eyes to see what you want. Connect with how your body feels. Think about what’s in your best interest. Respond to your life as it’s happening. Plan to feed your self in a healthy way to maintain your weight. That is a nourishing thought.  It is you respecting your self.

Your body cannot be rushed into change. To lose weight or maintain weight loss, be gentle with your self. Being gentle is the secret of self - control. 

Enjoy eating with all of your senses and you will eat less.  That's a promise.

Tricks

Are you being tricked into eating more than you’re really hungry for?

Fifty years ago the average restaurant dinner plate was just 8 inches across. That size plate holds about 140 calories. Today your dinner is probably served on a plate that is 12 inches across (or bigger). That size holds about 350 calories. Even spoons and forks are bigger now then they were.

Yikes- the bigger the plate the more you eat. The bigger the spoon or fork, the more food goes in to your mouth at once. This doesn't give your stomach much of an option. Ouch.

Another trick that makes us eat more is a huge plate with what appears to be small portions on it. This fools us every time. It’s like trick photography where they show you the same piece of bread on 2 plates. The same piece of bread looks much smaller on the bigger plate. But, it’s a trick! Big plates are deceptive.

If you don’t want to be bigger, consider the up side of using smaller plates and even smaller spoons and forks. Think of it as the easy way for you to achieve portion control. When you downsize your spoon and fork and ask for a smaller plate, you can enjoy conversation and not pay attention to how much you’re eating because your portion will be exactly right- not super-sized.

When you don’t over eat, it makes sense that you will maintain your weight. When it comes to eating, bigger is not better. The way to take control, is to not be tricked by accepting huge plates of food. You have 2 choices- ask for a smaller plate and just put on it what fits, or ask for your plate to be divided. The extra food can be put in a bag to eat another day, or if taking it home is a form of temptation, then give it away.

Eating what you like is an intuitive trick for burning more calories!

Enjoying what you eat at every meal is intuitive. It has been proven that when you enjoy what you eat, your body digests food more efficiently. This means eating what you like, instead of forcing yourself to eat “what is good for you”, actually burns more calories. And obviously, it keeps you happy.
Nice.

Climate Control

Hot Weather means different body needs.

I live in NYC and the heat for the past 3 days has been over 100 degrees setting all kinds of records. Heat affects us in so many ways- besides the obvious sweating and discomfort- really hot weather impacts our appetite. We instinctively eat less or lighter foods in hot weather.

This sounds good for losing weight, but the problem is that a lot of us live with air conditioning. When you’re cooled off, a big hot steak, and a piece of heavy cake looks appetizing. Ouch.

Don’t be fooled into eating by climate control.

Extreme heat also effects us emotionally. Temperatures can shorten, and moods can dip. Emotions that make you eat destructively or want to give up are not intuitive. Intuitively you want the best for your self.

A good summer habit is to sip water while working or relaxing.

Be careful of fruit drinks because they often are as sugary as soda. 

What your body wants when you are hot, is water. 

If you don’t like the taste of water, then try some of these tricks:
         -Put about an inch of fruit juice in your glass and fill the rest with water. If it’s available, add ice to help you cool down. Plus, the chilled drink may taste better to you.

         -Keep some herbal/fruity iced tea in the fridge. Many herbal teas have raspberry or other fruits in them. Since it’s hot to make tea, if you have the time, any tea can be made in advance by just placing tea bags in a pitcher of water, and letting it sit in a sunny window for a few hours or overnight. The flavor will automatically seep out of the bag and into the water. Sweeten your tea with fruit juice.

        -A slice of lemon or lime can make a glass of water a drink. Lemon or lime with a few tablespoons of juice mixed with water is very refreshing.

So when you’re feeling frazzled, drink some ice water sweetened with juice and take a cool shower. Don’t make any important decisions until your body is comfortable. Then use your six senses, tune in to your heart, remember lessons of past experiences, and you’ll know what is best for you.

Use the hot summer months to eat differently and see how your body responds. Trust your instinct to eat light and you will feel lighter. Winter eating habits are for the winter- your needs change with the seasons. Go with the flow and be adventurous.