Good Carbs!?!?!?!

I like carbs. Sometimes I crave them and sometimes I crave protein. It's intuitive to crave a variety of foods. Intuitive eaters are curious to see what different eating options provide. Intuitive eating is open options. There are no rules, just tools.

I read a blog this morning about reasons carbs help you lose weight and was struck by the missing information. Immediately I connected with a power tool of intuitive eating, curiosity. Curiosity is like having x-ray vision and super hearing because it is looking closer and hearing more. This flexible open attitude is used by intuitive eaters to stay aware, in control of their weight.

Balanced eating makes sense intuitively because different organs in your body have different needs. Of course, before you eat, it's critical to check in with your body with your senses and intuition to feel if you have a craving for protein. If you do, and you want to slim down, don't combine the protein with a starch.  The reason is that when you eat a "resistant starch" alone, your body will convert that starch to a protein. But, if you mix these carbs with protein, your body will not need the carb as a protein and will convert it to a fattening starch.  

For ex: You can enjoy spaghetti with garlic and oil, or with a tomato sauce and your body will digest it as a protein. As soon as you add meat to the spaghetti, your body will digest it as a starch.

Sometimes when you feel a need for carbs, the ones called "Resistant Starches" can bring a satisfying slimming meal, especially if you have it with a light salad. Resistant starches include: bananas, oatmeal, white beans, black beans, lentils, potatoes, plantains, garbanzo beans, pearl barley, whole wheat or semolina pasta, and brown rice. 

A good carb breakfast is oatmeal, with bananas in it for sweetness, and a handful of walnuts for  your brain. Yep, walnuts, which look like tiny brains (!), are good for enhancing your brain power. I learned that using curiosity. Being curious is your intuitive way of staying aware. 

Rice and beans combined (no meat added) create a perfect protein and a satisfying slimming meal. ttp://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=2

Don't believe everything you read. To enjoy eating and stay in control, be curious about what you eat and how your body feels at mealtime. That's intuitive eating.

To learn more about your intuitive tools read: Am I Really Hungry? 6th Sense Diet : Intuitive Eating.

Get Sensual.

Intuitive eating includes being aware of sensations like hunger and fullness. It is intuitive to use your mind to notice how your body feels. 

Recognize how your body feels by using your 5 senses: taste, touch, smell, sight and hearing. 

Being sensual keeps you in touch with what matters. 

Your 5 senses tune you in to your body and the intuitive tools guide you to re-connect with self control around eating.  (http://www.IntuEating.com)

How the senses work:  

>The job of your senses is to give you pleasure and protection.

>When you use your senses, you are giving yourself every advantage they offer. 

>When you take them for granted, you ignore them and miss opportunities to protect yourself from  over eating.

You will discover that using your eyes when you eat keeps you more tuned in to how much you're eating.  Being aware of tastes, textures, smells and at the same time of being aware of how your body feels keeps you clearer about eating choices. It's the natural mind/body connection of your intuition. 

Be sensual. Changing from the habit of ignoring your senses to noticing what you notice will help you shed pounds. When you connect with your intuition, and use your 5 senses, you connect with your body.

Using your senses- sight, taste, touch, smell, hearing and your intuition 

complete the mind/body connection you need to make choices that protect you and

keep you eating healthy.

As you use your senses, start trusting what you notice to make your eating choices.
You know what you want for yourself.
You have learned from experience portions that feel good to your body.

Connecting with your body when you eat is a way of respecting yourself. It's the way to give yourself the chance you deserve to be healthy and happy. 

Intuitive eating is how to be clear about what's important for you. It is making eating choices that make sense and  feel good to you emotionally and physically. The only way to predict your future is to create it. By eating intuitively you create the body you want.

Guilt and Stress

Guilt around eating is motivated by a short term perspective and it creates unhealthy stress that leads to binging.

Guilt around eating is not part of intuitive eating. Guilt is a short-sighted 5 letter word. Binging is a self-destructive temper tantrum. Anything that motivates you to abuse yourself is not intuitive. 

 A habit of dieting is to think about eating foods as "good" or "bad". This creates guilt and stress. Try to let go of that. Instead, think of eating intuitively, as satisfying or comforting. Use your senses, including common sense and eat to feel good. Intuitive eaters eat what they want. When they slip, intuitive eaters get back on track because they are motivated to look and feel good. 


It is natural to learn from eating experiences. There is no magic mirror of approval when it comes to your body. Measuring progress at every meal creates emotional stress and misses the bigger picture. What you eat is the foundation for the rest of your life. Every meal is a step along your path. Nobody walks a straight path because stuff happens. 

Intuitive eating is a long-term perspective because your body is constantly changing. It's intuitive to see the bigger picture instead of judging every meal. Eating is about nourishment. Life is a do-it-yourself project. You can adjust, correct, and not-repeat choices. You are in control. Your body will be the result of choices you make today. Decide to eat what looks and feels good.


This is a new year and a time of new beginnings. Respecting yourself is a combination of trust and honor. Now is a perfect time to respect your self. Really trust your heart, body, mind, and six senses to protect you and let that self-respect honor and guide your eating choices.

2011/ Momentum

A New Year's resolution it is a commitment you make to yourself with inner courage for back bone, and Faith in what's right as your guide. This is the year to become an intuitive eater. 

A New Year's resolution is you taking control of your Life. 

Intuitive eating is you taking control of your eating.
  
Transforming from a mindset of 'dieting' to being an intuitive eater is a resolution that will serve you for the rest of you Life. This time next year you can be more comfortable around foods that tempt you, and happier with your body. 
Making a resolution creates momentum. 

At a party last night I did the 'intuitive pause' and used my senses look and listen. I was grateful to see abundant food and hear good cheer and people making New Year's resolutions. Energy in the room was enthusiastic, promising and positive. 2011 will be a year of seeing things differently. It will be a year to be less critical of yourself and more open to your potential. That's exciting.

More and more people are reaching out to learn about intuitive eating. I am finding myself in demand to speak, coach individuals and lead groups to maintain their healthy weight. A recent podcast, http://patrickwanis.com/RadioInterviews.asp#IntuitiveEating has helped spread the word. 

IntuEating.com is a new site set up for you to use to keep up the momentum with some concrete help as you use your intuition to lose weight , or to just maintain your weight. Yo-yo dieting is so last year.

 

May the sparkle of the New Year find you with good health, happiness, success, satisfaction and enthusiasm...

and if you're still working on all of that-

Wishing you sureness of purpose, balance between what you want and what you need, an open mind and brave spirit guiding you to fulfill your  dreams in 2011.

 

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