6th sense eating

6th sense eating is a collaboration of your body with your head, heart and mind. It's using the truth you can see, taste, smell and feel to notice what you notice and tune-in to what feels good to you. 

Don't be trapped by a diet. Instead, find ways to feel good and feel dignified at the same time. Sensual eating is the intuitive way to think creatively about your needs. You don't need permission to think for yourself. Only you know what feels good. 

 Here's how to begin:   

• make healthy 3-ingredient pancakes:  bananas, eggs + peanut butter
• make shakes with dates instead of sugar
• use fruit instead of syrup on top of pancakes
• spread avocado instead of mayo to moisten sandwich
• bake zucchini instead of french fries
• freeze grapes for snacks instead of candy
• use yogurt instead of mayo in salads
• dip in Greek yogurt instead of sour cream
• sprinkle with nutritional yeast instead of cheese
• use potatoes instead of cream in soup
• use liquid aminos instead of cheese on pasta
• add grains to chili instead of meat
• make meatballs with oats instead of bread crumbs 

It’s easy to combine the simplicity of what you sense, the honesty of what you feel with your mind, and the anchor of what you know from experience, to be a 6th sense eater. Living well requires us to taste our dreams, inhale our desires and roll with our moments. If you feel frustrated around eating, then it may be a result of over-thinking. Learn to think with your senses and feel with your mind. Be liberated by being true to yourself.  It's simple.

Know yourself better: Intuitive Thinking

“The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” ~ Mark Twain.

#janebernard

Is eating self-control a myth?

If you want to trim some pounds or take control of eating, tune-in to your body. 

Your body  has complete control over how fast it burns fat.

If you force yourself to lose weight, you are violating natural physical laws. Your body controls itself and  will rebel by holding on to fat. The path for physical self-control is to connect with physical needs by being present when you eat and  patient with yourself. Use dignity to notice how you feel and what you crave. Use your 5 senses to be clear about what feels right. 

There is no such thing as 'one size fits all' eating. Everyone's body is unique. Using a book or diet method to force yourself into 'healthy' eating misses the point of noticing what your body needs. 

'Self-control' imposed by ideas or rules feels like a threat to your body. Self-control based on fear,  is a myth. Feeling threatened puts your body in the survival mode where there is no "self-control".

•  Everyone is physically programmed for survival. That's why our body can force us to eat, breathe or sleep. 
• Our body is designed hold on to fat any time it decides that reserve fat is the best way to keep us safe, and that's what happens if you starve yourself. Our body decides how much we weigh - not your conscience, a diet program or a book. 
  
• Can you manipulate your body? Sure. When we ignore our body and overeat, or when we starve our body and diet - we are manipulating. It's a mistake. For optimum weight, tune-in to your body.

For genuine eating self-control, get to know your body. Tune in with your senses to see and feel what you eat. You have awesome intuition. Notice what you notice. You may discover you abuse your body. That is something you can control. Use intuitive eating to enhance your observations. The better you know yourself, the more automatic it becomes to eat in sync with the body you want.

Take a deep breath today and realize that your body is talking to you.

Begin this way:

• Be picky. Nourish your body every day by only eating what your body really wants. 
• Be personal. Listen with your senses to your heart and body. Respond to your needs.
• Take charge. I you think your body wants you to eat an entire cheese-cake, think again. Use common sense. 
• Visualize and imagine 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.

Learn to tune-in to your body by using your senses. Learn to understand your eating needs. 

Download: I Am Really Hungry: Body, Mind, Soul Food. You'll be happy you did!

# janebernard

Plan for Eating Self-Control

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The holiday season is in front of us. There will be parties, stress and eating temptation.
Let this plan become your habit and enjoy the season. 

• Be curious with your heart and your head.
• Ignore the ‘inner baby’ who just wants to eat. That inner baby is unhappy and a bully.
• Take control of holiday eating by being loyal to your heart.
• When an eating choice doesn’t feel good, it’s bad. 
• Trust your gut.

The holiday season is coming. Use intuition to take control of eating choices.

Curiosity is the natural intuitive search for comfort, understanding and stimulation.  Loyalty is the guideline for intuitive self-respect. Together, they are your plan for eating self-control.

 Be curious. Demand, expect and create the quality of life you want by sensing what will work for you. Don’t deny your pleasures. Instead, take control by eating in moderation. This holiday season:

• Check in with your heart and curiosity to stay in control of smart choices.
• Spend time satisfying social hunger by talking, dancing and catching up with old friends.

Streamline your life by knowing that when you are at parties, you can use curiosity to:

• Eat less, but eat variety.
• Take 'tastes' and savor them.
• Pause to notice what you eat.

Use loyalty to

• Notice your body and heart. Trust your intuition.   
• Ignore your ‘inner baby’ emotions.
• Stay in tune with your gut. 

Keep intuitive tips, tricks and techniques on your phone 24/7 for support.   

Use curiosity and self-respect to get rid of guilt and end binging.

Use your senses to notice what you notice.

Be loyal to you to avoid emotional eating

Be curious. Be loyal to you. Have fun!

www.farmrich.com

#janebernard

Smart Carbs

It has been found that people who stay slim eat the most carbs. 

If you're wondering how can this be, read on. There are certain carbs called, "Resistant Starches" (list below).  Hundreds of studies show that when we have these as part of one meal a day, we eat less and burn more calories. 

• The special thing about these carbs is, they fill us up. We don't need a lot to be satisfied. Many inhibit our appetite. This means they are more filling than protein or fat.
• The reason why is: we digest them more slowly than other types of foods. This triggers the comforting sensation of fullness.
• When including carbs as part of a meal, it is important to reduce portions of protein and vegetable so that the plate is balanced. Moderation always works best.

• Balanced eating -- without cutting out an entire food group -- provides more long-term energy. Additionally, cravings are less, which keeps us upbeat.
• Starch resistant carbs flip on all of our fullness triggers. This releases hormones in our body that increase eating satisfaction. 
• Balance is natural momentum that feels like inner stability. Momentum is energy and inner stability is a stress buster. It makes sense to eat balanced.

Best of all, eating balanced meals and gently losing weight is inspiring. The result is you may discover other more attractive, easy forms of keeping weight off -- like taking a walk after dinner or eating smaller portions. Balance is nature's way of doing magic. It's intuitive.

Resistant Starches

Bananas

Oatmeal

White Beans

Lentils

Potatoes

Plantains

Garbanzo Beans

 Pearl Barley

Whole Wheat Pasta

Brown Rice

Being in sync with your body is sexy. Intuitive eating is healthy. Stay sexy. Be healthy. Live fully.

Funny Food, by artist/musician Bill Wurtzel

#janebernard

Design for Weight Loss

Protect yourself by knowing options for wise choices. 

A goal of intuitive eating is to enjoy food that fills us with nourishment. That way, we eat to give ourselves hours to be productive and enjoy our lives. Sometimes our eating goals are sabotaged by the environment. Some forms of distraction from goals are impossible to avoid. But when it comes to the design of your own eating environment, you can be in control.

Because we are sensual beings, our physical environment impacts how much we eat. Using our senses, including common sense, reminds us to balance internal messages with our external reality. It's always good to be curious, to ask yourself, am I really hungry for this? and choose to stay in sync with your physical needs by eating slower.

Ways our decorating choices impact our eating include:

• Furniture is important. When we eat standing up or on the go, we are likely to eat more than we need. Sitting at a table in the chair helps us connect physically with our body when we eat. Additionally, not watching television forces us to notice how much food we are eating. Instead of TV, why not turn on some 'mood music' and use your eyes to see how much food you want to eat.
• The size of dishes we use for eating manipulates the amount of food we eat. Choose plates that are 9"across and bowls that hold 17oz. These are the perfect size for smart eating. You will discover that you have enough to eat and that the visual of seeing these dishes full of food is satisfying. Just like when we shop for pair of jeans and we see a smaller size and think it would be nice to get the smaller size, eating from smaller plates will change how much food you naturally consume, and perhaps your pant size, too. 
• Lighting effects how fast we eat. According to Dr. Brian Wansink, director of Cornell University's Food and Brand Lab, very bright lights make us eat faster. Dim lighting encourages us to be less inhibited and eat more desserts! Keep lighting bright enough so you can see what you're eating and be comfortable to eat what is just right for your needs.
• We know colors impact our choices and we dress every day with this in mind. In fact, color impacts more than our fashion sense. When eating, if the walls are painted red or orange, we rush. When walls are blue or green, this encourages us to linger and ultimately overindulge. The best color for keeping control of healthy eating choices is neutral shades like white, gray, or beige. The food on your plate should be colorful. They say we are supposed to eat a "rainbow" at every meal!

   

Blueberry Blossom, photo by RPC

  #janebernard
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Me, Myself and I

Three Ways to Change the Way You Eat

It's Friday night and time to think outside the box. Decide to co-create your healthy shape with your body. Benefit by eating less and getting more energy from the food you eat. The way your body responds to food is a "team" effort. Think it as "Me", "Myself" and "I". Think of your body as a co-creator of your appearance and health and tune in to what you sense. Relax when you eat and feel your food transmitting energy and vibrance. Listen to the whisper of your body.

Be your own best friend. (ME)

• Commit to doing what you want.  Whether you want to lose weight or not, there is no reason why you can't still be your own best friend.
• Sounds like a no-brainer, but how often have you overindulged for some momentary pleasure, only to regret it the next time you put on your favorite pair of skinny pants?  
• "Me, Myself and I" is all you've got. Be your own best friend. You need a best friend who loves you. Look out for yourself by tuning in to what isn't obvious.
• Use Dignity and Courage to be your own best friend.  Let ME feel some satisfaction.

Trust your 'new' best friend. (MYSELF)

• When you commit to trusting that you want to eat to look and feel your best, you will discover that your appetite shifts. Once you commit, the next time that the huge portion of pasta with meat sauce beckons your taste buds, your heart and stomach will join forces to honor your commitment to eat less. They will rebel.
• It's "Me and "Myself" saying to "I", "ENOUGH!"
• This is Foresight. Foresight is looking ahead at the consequences before you do something.
• You will notice this as a slight turning feeling in your stomach. You will feel a little 'off'. That's your body communicating with you. Work with your body to look and feel your best. Don't fight yourself. You will feel younger!

Put destructive habits on 'lock-down'. (I)

• "I want" is the spoiled child who is tired, stressed, bored and self-destructive.  Reasoning doesn't work with "I". We all have an "I" who is emotional and spoiled.  Nobody likes a spoiled child.
• Tough love is true love. Tough love is doing what is right, instead of what is easiest. That's what a best friend (ME) would do. 
• Keep your sense of humor intact. Laugh at the old ways and manipulate your "I" with real love. Tune in to what you feel and listen to your heart.
• When you put "I" in its proper place often enough, you feel a whole new level of satisfaction.

Every bite of food you eat is you co-creating your health, appearance and state of mind with yourself. Listen to the whisper of your body. Eat with your senses first.

• Use your eyes to see what you feel like eating. 
• Let your nose begin the digestive process so that it's more efficient. 
• When you get that gut feeling, trust it. The gut feeling is your best friend. Together, you can do anything.

The payoff for being your own best friend is connecting with naked truths about who you are and what deeply matters in your life. When ME, MYSELF and I are in sync, all choices are easier. Get into the habit of using intuitive tools like Dignity, Courage and Foresight to keep the truth on the table. You will discover that you have amazing potential!

#janebernard

The Flavor of Patience

Eating is about more than food.

That's why losing weight is about more than eating.

Patience is the taste of connecting with what we really want. That's self-respect. When we ignore what we want physically, mentally or emotionally, we develop a habit of resentment. No one can move forward to achieve their goals with resentment.

Eating is about taking care of ourselves. To lose weight permanently, we have to acknowledge and feed what we care about within ourselves. Because love, conversation, sleep and relaxation nurture us, these are all ways we feed ourselves.

Approaching mealtime with an attitude of patience brings a gentle fresh perspective that we can taste with our spirit and inhale with our hearts.

• How does that happen? 
• When we're patient with ourselves, our spirit connects with hope; it's naturally soothing.
• Our heart feels efforts acknowledged, which is uplifting. 

• How does that help me lose weight?
• Self-respect reduces stress. This reduces emotional eating.

•  Seriously?! How can patience stop binging?
• We are born to enjoy our bodies. Our body is the home of our heart. When we ignore what feels right, we sabotage ourselves. Binging is a confused way we try to soothe ourselves. It's an effort to cover pain that instead, causes the pain to implode. That's why we feel badly about ourselves after a binge. 

Patience is a big part of self-respect and key to the natural power of self-control. The flavor of patience is satisfaction. Being patient by taking a deep breath before digging into our dinner is a stress buster in our busy lives. You may think, 'I don't have time for patience when I eat', but the opposite is true. Patience is an intuitive tool that prevents abusive eating.

To learn more ways of using patience and other intuitive tools, download a copy of Am I Really Hungry? 6th sense diet : Intuitive Eating.

#janebernard

Eat less; taste more.

Stop struggling with your body to lose weight.  Why not love yourself, eat less and taste more instead? It's much easier.

Taste is personal and so is our body. Our bodies are designed to be part of a flow. Just like our hearts, internally everything has a rhythm. Ignoring who we are inside doesn't change it. It's easier to identify with who we are and then be good to ourselves.

Starving, binging and overly ambitious self-discipline are all hostile to our body. When we do these to our selves, instinctively our body feels physically threatened. This releases a protective hormone that signals our system to grab a layer of fat for survival.  It may sound crazy, but that's what happens.

From a sensual intuitive perspective, the point of eating is pleasure and satisfaction.

Eating for pleasure is all about taste. Besides enjoying that moment when the perfect taste of your choice explodes on your tongue, taste includes sharing that sensual experience. We are all sensual beings. Eating is a perfect time to let that part of us shine. Find someone whose tastes match yours and split your favorite meal. If you're really close, feed each other. Be sure to include eye contact because this makes the taste experience even more amazing.

The kind of satisfaction our body gets from eating is finding more energy, physical comfort and good health. None of these can be forced. Instead, eat less and taste more. When we really taste our food, it takes less food for us to feel satisfied.

Be kind to you. Decide to give yourself the chance to lose weight naturally by enjoying food more! While your body is personal it is also an efficient, independent machine with systems, connections and its own way of keeping you alive. Work with yourself and watch the results!

#janebernard

A Fresh Start

It's time to shed winter with a fresh start and new passions. A fresh attitude around food and eating does wonders! Let go of diets. Instead, please your senses and make personal priorities your choice. Spring is a pleasure. Relax, smell the new season and give yourself a chance to feel it! 

Sensual Pleasures include:

Taste * Smell * Texture * Relaxation * Comfort * Satisfaction * Peace of Mind *

Pleasure touches and refreshes every part of our lives. We know this because when it's missing, we feel lousy.  Use intuition to lose weight by eating for physical satisfaction and pleasure. The passion will follow.

Follow these intuitive guidelines for  a fresh start.

P = priorities. Make eating priorities personal, uniquely suited to your needs and physical goals. The first priority is to trust your gut.

L = lifestyle. Lifestyle dictates eating choices. You choose how much you want to eat. Be flexible because change happens all the time. Don't eat when you're preoccupied or stressed.

E = enjoy. Studies have shown when we really enjoy what we eat, our digestion is 70% more efficient. Enjoyment also reduces stress. If you are not enjoying your food, don't eat.

A = attitude of awareness. Tune in with your 5 senses to stay in tune with your body. When it comes to eating, our body is the source of our pleasure. Eat for energy, strength and good health. The rest of your day will be in sync.

S = sensual. We are sensual beings. Don't ignore it. When we satisfy ourselves sensually at mealtime, we feel comfortably full, but not stuffed. We feel good. Sensual eating includes letting your eyes feast on those you love or letting your ears listen to music that uplifts your spirit. Every part of what makes you, you, is important.

U = understanding. Kindness is allowing yourself to enjoy what you want in a way that respects your priorities. There is nothing forbidden or restricted. There is only common sense. Common sense is to protect our heart, body and soul. Wrong choices feel heavy. Common sense choices literally lighten us. Managing weight with common sense is perfect for Spring.

R = realistic. We all have unique metabolism and genetic body shapes. Be yourself and give yourself a hug. What's realistic is what works for your body. You can feel it, and ultimately you can see it. What you eat is just about you.

E = enthusiasm. It's a sparkle in your step and in your smile that makes you attractive. Enthusiasm is the beginning of passion and passion is what a Springtime fresh start brings. Tune-in to pleasure at mealtime and discover that you eat less because you're enjoying yourself more. 

Albert Einstein famously said, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." If you diet, re-read that quote. 95% of people who diet gain back more weight than they lose! Diets are deprivation. Spring and intuitive eating are about pleasure. Enjoy the season!

Chocolate, Libido & Binging

Valentine's Day is packed with libido raising chocolates and other waist expanding temptations. How do we enjoy it without being trapped by the sweetness of the treat?  Of course the celebration of love is a good thing. How do we avoid unhealthy temptation and embrace tasty love?

To separate love and libido from unhealthy temptation when you're enjoying a treat, look at your sweet and your sweetheart and check-in with the way you feel.

1. Confusing eating with satisfying intimacy causes disappointment that leads to binging. The libido thrives on anticipation, not big meals. Taking it slowly keeps you in control. Plan a light meal like tapas and put on some music. All of our senses connect with libido. Be creative with the way you choose to enjoy your treat and your evening. Rub a piece of chocolate across your lips and try to have your partner lick it off without either of you laughing. Of course, laughter is a libido boost- way more than chocolate. Libido is the drive for physical intimacy a feeling of anticipation, an openness to possibility and romantic potential.  If you feel this:

• Be true to yourself by taking your time. Patience heightens anticipation which makes your experience more exciting.
• Take it to a higher level with eye contact while you savor your treat. Also give the verbal pleasure signal of "mmnnn". 
• Just take a nibble, because you want your body to be relaxed for the next part of the evening. Feeling full signals your body to focus on digesting food. That kills libido.
•  Say Thank you! and mean it. Let the big picture come into focus naturally. 

2. Love, like eating, is an inner connection.  Food only represents love when we savor it; binging is a kind of disconnect. A great and enduring love affair is founded on open communication and mutual respect. The loving way to eat is to keep open communication with your body by tuning-in with your senses before and while you eat. It's the intuitive way to respect your body and to respect yourself. Love feels like a light in your heart, or it is a peaceful, gently exciting sense of being appreciated that is relaxing and deeply affirming. Real love is a direct connection with dignity and self-respect.

• When chocolate represents love and you take a nibble, your energy will soar. This is a happy feeling that lasts as long as you stay true to the feelings of dignity and self-respect.
• Get sensual. Love yourself by eating lightly and let that lightness connect with your heart. Touch your partner's fingers. Smile while giving your partner eye contact. Make love with your eyes - if you dare!
• Share a taste with your partner and say, Thank you! from the heart. You will feel satisfied, leaving the remaining chocolate as a symbol of love and anticipation for the future.

3. Temptation, created by emotions and stress, causes binging. Taking control of the temptation can be a turn-on for both of you, because it makes priorities clear. Take control by focusing on the big picture. Your priority is to appreciate each other and the meaning of the celebration. What you eat should compliment the evening, not rule it. Temptation is an urge often accompanied by a subtle feeling of frustration, a whiff of self-defeat in the air. If you feel this:

• Remember to be true to your body and your heart, together. To stay connected with your intuition, use determination to feel good about your experience.
• Take a taste and savor it with a "mmnnnn". Look your partner right in the eye and feed him/her a taste.
• Say Thank you! and mean it. 
• Thank yourself because you are focused on what you want and who you are.  You are honoring yourself. Love will find you through your smile as temptation turns into self-confidence. You will feel it.

Plato said, At the touch of love, everyone becomes a poet. I guess, in a perfect world we would all be poets. Enjoy your chocolate, dance with your libido and fall in love all over again this Valentine's Day! Be loving towards yourself. Write a poem about chocolate instead of eating it, or share it with a stranger. Tweet about it. Remember, whether it's a cold winter day or hot in July, Love for you is in the air every day.

For more common sense ways to deal with temptation and frustration around eating and to learn how to tune-in to your body with intuitive sensual thinking download: Am I Really Hungry, 6th Sense Diet:Intuitive Eating