What do you notice?

Do you notice what matters to you? When you do, Life gets easier, better and often sexier.

Intuition takes what we notice with our senses and kicks it up a notch, making things clearer.  Tuning-in to what we sense when we eat is as simple as opening our eyes.

When we notice what we see, hear and feel, we take control of our choices. Only you know what feels best inside your body. Only you know how you feel when you sit down to eat. Notice what you notice. It's liberating.

• Shaking up eating routines makes it easier to notice messages from our body. 
• Now that it's spring, why not make lunch your main meal and have a light dinner? 
• Try eating ethnic food once a week to wake up your palate. The more we taste at mealtime, the more efficient and healthier our digestion!

• Don't eat because it's "time to eat". 
• The only time to eat is when your body needs fuel.

Eating out of habit is a silly way to put on weight. Eating when you're hungry is how to stay in sync with your metabolism.

• Make the choice to take control of your eating by noticing how you feel.  
• Connect with your senses to be sure about what you really want.

It doesn't make sense to plan what we're going to eat in advance. A lot can happen in our lives in a few minutes that changes everything. We can't really know what we'll feel like eating in 6 hours. Even when we cook for a family, there are times to be flexible. Notice what's going on that changes your appetite and eat accordingly.

Intuition is our 6th sense. Like seeing, hearing, taste, touch and smell, intuition is a total reflection of what's happening right now. The job of intuition is to protect our choices so that we honor our body, heart and being. We often experience our 6th sense as a gentle, persistent urge. It's easy to ignore, just like it's easy to ignore what we see and hear.

Make a commitment to yourself to notice what you notice, and see what happens.
It's not expensive or time consuming to be in sync with yourself.  In fact, it feels good.

Trust your intuition when you connect with your body at mealtime. Don't rush yourself. Notice what matters to you.

Eat when you're hungry. Stop when you're not.

You'll feel good about it. 

#janebernard

Breaking rules

-->I have discovered that when rules get tedious, it’s time to change them. That feeling is an intuitive nudge. It's physical. Listen to your body. The only rule that makes sense 24/7 is to protect yourself.

Rules are made to be broken. 90% of rules are designed to expire. They should come with a time-stamp. Generally, rules are created to solve a problem or correct confusion. Good rules fix the problem.

Rules teach and we learn. For example, with dieting, you may decide to have desserts only on weekends as an experiment to gently lose weight.You make it a rule. It becomes a handrail to keep you on track and then it becomes automatic, part of you. You feel a calm,  healthy sense of accomplishment. The rule has done its job.

The rules made for breaking are ones that serve no purpose. They are the ones that feel tedious. We need to let go of them and see what needs fixing and what doesn't. It's important to look at the big picture.  Ask yourself:

• If I eat what I want right now, how will I feel about it in an hour? 
• Is this rule important to achieve my long-term eating goals?

Today, nearly everywhere, rules are broken. It's time to think outside the box. Problems, like everything else, change. This is part of the topography of living. Everything upgrades, including your needs and your eating goals.  Upgrade is another word for change.  If your needs have changed, ask yourself:

• What has changed? How can I use it to my advantage?
• How does my body respond to this old rule? Does it still make sense for me?

With intuitive eating, instead of rules, we have guidelines - universal values that are easy to feel -  such as curiosity or dignity. No rules, just guidelines to help you think with your senses and feel with your mind. What do you see? What do you feel? What do you think? It's time to think differently by tuning into your body. That is way to respond to what's real instead of trying to fit what you eat into a neat box of rules. Change is normal. Living and eating need choices. Stress and daily surprises all create unpredictable circumstances at mealtime. Listen to your body. You will know when to break the rules.

For great eating tips and easy insights for making your own rules, download Am I Really Hungry?.



#janebernard

The Myth of Self-Control

Change happens inside us. 

'Self-control' imposed by ideas or rules can feel like a threat to your body. Feeling threatened puts your body in the survival mode. 

Your body :

              - is genetically programmed for survival. It can force you to eat, breathe or sleep to survive. 

              - will be fat any time it decides that being fat is the best way to keep you safe. 

              - decides how much you weigh, not your conscience or a book you read. 

That's why self-control is a myth. Since our body controls itself, it has complete control over how fast we burn fat. Because it's intuitive to protect and empower your body, trusting your intuition keeps your body feeling safe. 

Tune in with your senses and notice what you notice. Your 6th sense will kick in to enhance your observations and what is right to eat to be your healthy shape will be automatic.

Intuitive eating feels like self respect. Your body relaxes, you enjoy eating and the pounds fall off! That's what's happening with people doing my IntuEating program right now! It's easy to talk about, but letting go of self-control is a challenge when you are used to dieting. Be patient with yourself.

Begin this way:

            - Nourish your body every day by only eating what you really want.

            - Listen with your senses to your heart and body.

            - Visualize your healthy fit body, exactly the way you want to look and feel before you get out of bed in the morning and before every meal. Feed that body.

When you force yourself to lose weight, you are violating your bodies natural laws and it rebels by holding on to fat. The real path for self-control is to connect with yourself using dignity and your senses to be clear about what feels right. Take a deep breath and realize that your body is talking to you.

Listen to your body and trust yourself.

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.  

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!

Body Language

Your body is talking to you. Learn body language.

Your body clearly tells when you are hungry. It has a language all its own that is a kind of a nudge or at times a push, or even a kick in the gut. At other times, when you are around food, your body will communicate by feeling shut down. Learning to recognize your body’s language will help you to stay tuned in to when to eat and to what's good to eat.

Listening to your body will have it, and you, feeling satisfied and energized.

Tune in to your body language by respecting and feeling it.
Here are ways to stay connected with your body when you eat:

First: Be Tolerant of your whole self- body and mind, by acknowledging that you are trying hard to eat smart for your body. Part of being tolerant is forgiving the past and staying in the present.

Hey- the present is the only thing that exists right now!

Second: Stay Alert by using your 6 senses (see, smell, taste, touch, hear, intuition) when you are around food. A lot of over eating happens because we don’t even notice we are putting food into our body. Being alert you will notice how your body feels when you eat. 

Let your intuition work for you.

Trust your intuition the way you trust your ears and eyes. Using your 5 physical senses when you eat takes you away from what you’re thinking and connects you with your body.

Your intuition stays in touch with your mind, body, and your heart to keep your priorities clear.

Third: Stay Determined to follow through with being Tolerant and Alert. 

Determination is your commitment to connect with your whole being for eating smart. 

Determination is will-power.  You have it!

You can rely on following your intuitive truth to create the changes you want.

Don’t wait until your body is screaming at you with gas or bloat pain. 
Don’t wait until your body is embarrassing you when you put on your bathing suit or when you’re ready to make love. 

Listen to your body.

Then: Be proud of your body. Respect your whole self- body, mind, and heart and you will be proud of your self. Eat smart by respecting your self. Your body will be purring, and you will be happy.

All About You

You are very special.

As you use your intuition, you will become aware of how special you are. The ten tools of intuitive eating are your private source of reinforcement to achieve your eating goals. Each intuitive tool is custom designed for you.

Face it, eating is an intimate act. You are putting stuff into your body. The food you eat impacts the way you look, duh!, and also the way you feel and the way you will feel when you wake up tomorrow. Eating and appetites are personal. Am I Really Hungry, 6th sense diet: Intuitive Eating shows you how know yourself better and to enjoy it all.

Your intuition is like your fingerprints and your DNA. No two people have the same fingerprints, or the same DNA. Every person’s intuition is completely unique. Your intuitive diet is a response to who you are, what you want, what you know, what you feel, and to your dreams.

That’s right, your 6th sense connects with your dreams as deeply as it connects with your senses of seeing, hearing, tasting, touching and smell. As you become an intuitive eater, many emotional buttons around eating fade away. You will begin to eat to enjoy food. When you eat to feel good, you do. Importantly, you feel good about your self.

Today, take time when you eat to look at what's on your plate. If you're feeling fat, remove 1/2 of it and then slowly eat what is left. Use your senses when you eat- taking time to see what you are eating, to taste, smell it and to feel what your are eating, will be surprisingly satisfying.

Using your intuition puts you in control of your body and your decisions. Intuitive eating is all about you.

Mind Trash

Pay attention, your 6^th sense is guiding to you.

Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart.  Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakens.  (Carl Jung )

Have you ever imagined that you have an amazing amount of innate power?  You do. As you fine tune your senses you will discover an energy force inside that is constantly directing your attention at sights and sounds and smells. Take your desire to have a slimmer, healthy, body seriously, connect with your innate power, your 6^th sense, and watch what happens.

It won’t happen over night, but it will become obvious within a few weeks that by eating intuitively your habits have changed and so has your body. There is no magic trick, but there is the danger of mind trash that will sabotage you if you are not aware of it. 

Mind trash is an enormous mental burden that we all carry. It’s a pre-occupation with negative thoughts, belief systems, concerns or fantasies about our body or our self that stir up “justifiable” anger or impatience or feelings of being helpless. You don’t need any of it. Mind trash blocks your natural protective intuitive response to what you are about to eat.

What happens when you allow mind trash to trash your eating is you binge or purge or resent your meal. Mind trash clutters your way to the body you want with layers of fat. It creates feelings of dependency when you really are free and you really are in control.  In fact, you are free and in control every time you eat. No one is standing over you with a whip saying, you’re bad, instead, the pre-occupation with negative thoughts is making you insecure. When you eat start with your eyes.  Your intuition will connect what you see, with what you know in your mind from experience, and you can chose what and how much to eat, based on what feels right. 

Mind trash is like a road block to your intuition.  Your senses of hearing, seeing, taste, touch, and smell are the way to connect with your intuition. Use your senses to free your self.  When your senses are not fine tuned, it can be hard to know what you really need to eat to feel your best and have the best quality of life. Fine tune your senses and you will tune in to your innate power, your intuition. 

It’s time to throw out the trash, and start fresh. Every one of us makes mistakes, and every one of us can change the way we see things. When things aren’t real, they are a waste of time. Use your senses to connect with your 6^th sense, and tune in to what is real for your needs. By really smelling and tasting your food and listening to your body, you let your intuition guide you.

Often we justify what we eat or don’t eat because we dislike the truth.  You know that expression, The Truth Shall Set You Free?  Of course, you’ve heard it with your ears. Try listening to it with your heart. Try to imagine what you are really looking at when you sit down to eat. The truth is that portions in this country are often impossibly over-sized. The truth is your stomach is talking to you, telling you it hurts when you stuff it.  Hey, that’s the truth, but are you listening?  Or instead are you listening to mind trash?

The next time you sit down to eat. Before you begin, visualize your ideal body.  Now, if you’re alone, play with your food a little bit, and smell it before you taste it.  Look at the size and quality of your food. Feel your appetite and relate to your physical hunger. As you think about what you really want to eat, your focus will create an emotional emphasis that will propel you, and your intuition will guide you to protect and respect your body.

What do you see? Do you see calories, do you see rules, do you see something delicious, do you see something that will give you gas, do you see a plate full of food that will keep you up all night? Okay- if you do, you have a choice. Don’t eat it. 

Your mind is trashed when you believe you are bad because of a number on a scale, or if you believe you are unable to know what is best for your body, because a book says, “this is the answer, do this and lose weight”. While there are many excellent diet books and methods to wade through on the way to weight loss, there is only one expert when it comes to your body and that is you.  It is natural, when you’ve lost touch with your senses that you may feel out of control with eating. But that is easy to fix.

Remember this, if you cannot see that you have a choice then there is apparently no choice.  You cannot see if your eyes are covered with doubts about your self or your body because these doubts are negative filters that fuel mind trash. Open your eyes.  Every person sees exactly what they want to see. It’s only when you balance what you see, with what you hear, and what you know from experience, with what you feel in your heart, that you connect with your 6^th sense and see your truth. Then, feed your truth.

Keep your mind open as you fine tune your senses. Doubt is a form of self sabotage. Why not trust that you know more then you realize about your self and your needs. All of us are conditioned to ignore our intuition. This is especially true when it comes to eating which is amazing since our intuition, our appetites, and our hunger are all connected.

When you ignore your senses, you sabotage your happiness.

Connect with your body when you eat.

If you think about eating strictly in terms of calories and rigid diets, you are missing the point of eating which is to re-fuel your body so you can have the best quality of life possible. It is intuitive to respond to your body when you eat. Your body is clear about when you're hungry, what you're hungry for, and how you feel about what you eat.

Being in tune with your 5 senses keeps you in touch with subtle bodily feelings that you may currently be ignoring. Then your intuition connects what you sense, with your mind, and that is how you realize when a decision that might habitually seem perfectly natural and reasonable is not really focused on who you are or your hunger. Intuition balances and connects your senses, mind, and emotions, it constantly gives an update that is an empowering perspective. You perceive this as an insight.

The fact is nobody rules your hunger, or your body, but you, which is why it is good to connect with your body by listening to your senses. Trusting your inner voice frees you, from rules imposed by the experience of others, to create ways of eating based on your own life realities. It also frees you to adopt rules others have discovered that intuitively feel right for you. As you learn to recognize your intuition, you will have a different perspective about eating choices.

It is not always easy to know what we want to eat because often we are a slave to our desires. This morning I saw a TV commercial for a vegetable chopper. A great looking guy in his 20’s was really enjoying chopping onions while he said, “You will have an exciting Life with (product name).”  “You can chop your troubles away!”  “You will get skinny again, one slap/chop at a time.” The target of this commercial is our desire to live a great life. But the reality is, even if this is the best vegetable chopper ever invented, it won’t bring excitement into your life. If you are a slave to your desires, you will call that 800 number right now. If you listen to your intuition, you will laugh out loud at this charming and audacious commercial.

Fine tuning your senses helps you identify and change deep-seated patterns or habits in your diet decisions that prevent you from realizing your long term diet goals.

Ignoring what you see, hear, smell, taste, or see hurts your body. When you ignore your senses you are not in control of your appetites.

Ultimately, when you ignore what you want, by ignoring your senses, your body knows it and shows it. Remember the role of your senses is to give you pleasure and protection.  Protect your self.  Use your senses to connect with your body and you will recognize that you are in control of your choices.

Will really listening you your senses guarantee that you will lose weight?

No.  Paying attention to your senses is the beginning of recognizing your 6th sense. It's like opening the door. Intuitive eaters maintain their 6th sense connection by depending on intuitive eating tools. Once you master the tools, this diet is guaranteed.

Dr. Alan Hirsch, a neurologist, inventor of SENSA and Neurological Director of The Smell and Taste treatment  and Research Foundation in Chicago, has done remarkable studies on taste and weight loss and observed the profound effect your senses of taste and smell have on the amount of food you eat.  Dr. Hirsch discovered that patients who lost their sense of smell gained 10 to 30 pounds.  As a result he theorized that if the loss of smell leads to weight gain, that enhancing smell can promote weight loss.  And it does! Smell you food before you eat it and watch your habits change.