Let's Get Personal

To be honest with you, in terms of food and emotions, this past weekend was a rough one for me. It didn’t really feel like it at the time, but looking back, I can see that a lot of my food choices had to do with some underlying emotions that I was subconsciously not addressing.

Friday was the one-year anniversary of my dad’s death. It was a special day for my mom and me – we took some of his ashes up to Harper’s Ferry, WV, where he led a 100K hike for over 10 years.  We spent a lot of time as a family up there, so it was fitting to celebrate my dad’s life in nature where he had so many good experiences. My mom and I scattered his ashes into the C&O Canal, we shed some tears, and we enjoyed some delicious vegan chipotle pumpkin soup at the Canal House Café.

Do you know what else I did this weekend?  I ate.  A LOT.  Falafel, cupcakes, chili, sweet potato fries, peanut butter banana chocolate chip oatmeal, chips and salsa…the list could go on. It wasn’t until this morning that I made the connection between my incessant need to stuff myself to the brim with food and my underlying emotions about my dad’s death.  Realizing that, I don’t feel so bad about everything that I ate.

Healing is a long journey. As soon as you think you’ve made some good progress, something else comes up and there you are, down in the dumps again. In general, I feel like I’m doing really well for someone who lost her dad to cancer a year ago, and it’s mostly because I’ve learned a lot of techniques for dealing with emotional pain. Meditation, yoga, personal transformation, etc. This past week I added EFT, or meridian tapping, to my toolbox of healing, and it really helped me identify the emotions behind my over-eating. I did a little tapping this morning and realized what was going on with my eating. I immediately felt better – like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders and I could think clearly.

EFT is super easy to put into practice. All you have to do is tap on your meridian points while repeating statements that bring up your emotions. What I love about EFT is you can say all of the things about yourself that you feel deep in your gut that you rarely take time to acknowledge. Saying these things while tapping on your meridian points allows you to really get clear about the emotions, and then reprogram yourself so that you have a new set of emotions.

Confused? Watch this quick video where Jessica Ortner, tapping goddess, teaches you the easy steps to get you tapping.


Here's a diagram of the meridian points:


I’ve started tapping every morning for 5 minutes after I meditate, and WOW is it bringing up a lot of my emotional gunk. This is definitely a tool that I’ll be bringing in to my coaching practice.

So there you have it. I recognize that I’m not perfect, that I have emotions that affect my relationship with food, and that I’m still learning and growing every day. If you recognize that too, and you're ready to deal with some of those emotions, why not give tapping a try this week.

Challenge: Following Jessica Ortner's demonstration, try tapping on something that's been bothering you lately - issues with your boss, an unresolved relationship, overwhelm about your busy schedule - whatever it is for you, tap on it for 5-10 minutes each morning. Then, come back and let me know how it goes!
Bonus: If you really want more guidance with your tapping, the 2011 Tapping World Summit is FREE and there are still 3 more days to listen to the audio classes. The first few days of the Summit really got my interested in tapping, and now I'm hooked. It's a great resource that you can add to your toolbox, too!

Sending you peace & love,
Katie

Mirror, Mirror, On the Wall

Over the past few weeks, I’ve gotten a surprising number of complements on my complexion.  “You have great skin!”  “How come you never break out?”  “I wish my face was as clear as yours!”  I have to say these complements have done wonders for my self-esteem.

I’m not telling you this because I want to brag about my beautiful face (sarcasm), but because I want to share some secrets with you.  Here’s the first secret: I don’t have a clear face just because I didn’t get the acne gene.  In high school and college I had my fair share of mornings spent moaning at the mirror – “I swear that huge red thing was not there when I went to bed! How am I going to hide that before my date tonight?!”  Is it just me, or do those pesky things pop up (literally) when you least need them?

I know you’ve been there too.  So how did I transition from a mirror-moaner to a worshiper?  The answer lies in this week’s Secret/Not So Secret factoid.

Not so secret: Your lifestyle affects your skin.  Secret: If you’re looking for a devil to blame for your pesky pimples, I’ve got two for you - dairy and sugar.

Why Dairy?  Simply put, milk contains hormones.  Increased hormones in your body = increased oil underneath your skin. Increased oil = BREAKOUTS!  In addition, dairy products can cause inflammation in people that are lactose intolerant (and believe it or not, the majority of the U.S. actually is lactose intolerant).  Internal inflammation can lead to external inflammation in the form of zits.

But what about sugar?  Refined sugar quickly raises your blood sugar, which triggers a similar hormone response to dairy.  More inflammation, more hormones, more oil, more breakouts!  Check out this article for a more detailed explanation.

Still not convinced about the connection between dairy, sugar and acne?  Why not try an experiment?  Yup, it’s challenge time.

Challenge: For the next 7 days cut dairy and sugar out of your diet completely.  This includes all forms – cheese, milk, ice cream in the dairy category, and evaporated cane juice, brown sugar, raw sugar in the sugar category.  Why 7 days?  Because within the first 3 days, your body will probably start to detox and you may see an increase in breakouts.  Give it some time.  On the 8th day add in either dairy or sugar (but not both!). See how you feel the next morning. Got break outs brewing? On the 9th day add the other devil back in. Now are those pimples ready to pop? After this experiment, you'll know if one affects you more than the other. If both make you break out, then at least you'll have an idea of what foods to avoid before your next big date.

If you’re tired of breaking out, but all of this information sounds daunting, why not shoot me a little email and schedule a free nutrition breakthrough session with me?  We’ll go over your health concerns and goals, and together we can make an easy-to-follow plan to tackle your troubles!

Sweat, Baby, Sweat

My readers asked for it, so here it is: my secret, easy tips for finding the time to exercise on a budget.
I know you have your excuses. It's cold. My wallet is empty. I'm tired. I don't have space in my house. I'm out of shape. I've heard them all. What I'm going to tell you today will help you blow those excuses out of the water, without having to wake up at 6 am for an Army-style Boot Camp.
So here they are, my top 5 secrets for gettin' your sweat on!

• Not so secret: Start small. 5-10 minutes a day of light, intentional exercise, and you will see noticeable results in a shockingly short amount of time. Secret: You can stay small! 12-15 minutes of heart-pumping stuff is all you need! You don't need to run for 30 minutes every day, you don't need to do 1,000 push ups or a million crunches. Just get in 12-15 minutes of regular exercise each day, and you'll hold on to those results that you started to see after starting small with just 5-10 minutes!

• Not so secret: You can exercise at home. Secret: Exercising at home can be fun! If all you need is 10-15 minutes, it's easy to find something in your house that will keep you occupied for that short amount of time. If you live in a house, I know you have a set of stairs. If you live in an apartment, I know that you also have a set of stairs. Put your earphones in, and run up and down those stairs for 15 minutes. Feel the burn! You can also try to channel your inner elementary school P.E. class and do some jumping jacks. You wouldn't believe how sore your arms will be the next day. If you can't imagine doing jumping jacks for 15 straight minutes, try what I do: turn on the radio, and do one exercise for each song. Alternate with jumping jacks, stair climbing, jump roping, hula hooping, jogging the obstacle course between the rooms in your house...seriously, get creative! It's just 15 minutes, I know you can do it.

• Not so secret: You can find workout routines online. Secret: Ish Kamara, my personal trainer. He has an abundance of SERIOUS videos on his website that will really make you feel the burn. Go to the "women do it better" section and try anything that he has posted. I really like the "core ab combo" on the third page. It hurt to sneeze for 3 days. It was fabulous.

• Not so secret: It's good to go to a gym or attend a class to get motivated. Secret: You can do it for free! A lot of gyms offer free trials or classes for your first (or first few visits). Take advantage of them! Almost every Zumba class will do a free first class, and a lot of yoga studios will too. Gold's Gym also does a free week trial, and I don't know about you but I have at least 5 Gold's within a 15 mile radius of my house. I've already done free trials at 2 of them!

• Not so secret: When you exercise more, you can worry less about what you eat. Secret: If you pair a consistent, easy workout routine with healthy eating, you will see amazing results!

So there you have it, my top 5 secrets for staying in shape without making your wallet or your schedule sweat. Do you want more motivation and support? Head on over to Kris Carr's CrazySexyLife and join her Fit Club! She's leading a 3 week exercise challenge, and I know I'll be taking part.

As I mentioned in my newsletter, I'm limiting myself to 10 new clients from now till the end of February. Will you be one of the 10? As part of my program, I can help you find the motivation and keep you accountable to your exercise routine. I will also help you figure out how to complement your new routine with the right foods for optimal results. Why not show yourself some love and be one of the 10 before space runs out!

Challenge: Try out these tips, and leave me a comment in the next week to let me know how it goes. Everyone who leaves me a comment will be entered into a contest to win an at-home exercise kit to make exercising easier! You don't want to miss this, trust me! So don't forget, try out these tips, leave me a comment, and get entered to win! I'll announce the winner in next Monday's blog post!

Happy "U" Day!
Katie

Make V-Day "U"-Day

Here it comes, the holiday to end all holidays (at least for those single people out there). Maybe you've got someone special to celebrate Valentine's Day with this year. Maybe you're like me, and you pretty much boycott it each year, avoiding restaurants and hallmark like the plague until the calendar page flips to February 15th. This year, I'm being proactive and turning V-Day into U-Day. Whether you've got someone to smooch or not, why don't you celebrate U-Day with me too!

When was the last time you did something just for "U?" With life as busy as it is these days, it's hard to take time out of your day to take care of yourself. So why not take a day that's all about love and use it to love yourself?

Self-care is all about rest, reflection, relaxation, and rejuvenating your soul. When these are lacking from your life, it leads to stress, sorrow and self-deprecation! If you don't love your luscious little self, who will? Your thoughts have the power to make or break your reality. If you feel down in the dumps, chances are that's how your life will play out. If you feel nourished and taken care of, the world will continue to nourish and take care of you in surprising ways! Have you ever noticed that when something goes wrong and you start to hear that Negative Nancy voice in the back (or front) of your head, it's not long before something else goes wrong too? This week, I challenge you to try something (or all things!) from my nourishment menu and see how you feel after a week of focusing more on fabulous U!

My Nourishment Menu:
-Meditate.
-Journal.
-Take a bubble bath.
-Make a cup of tea and settle down on the couch with a good book and a fluffy blanket.
-Stretch.
-Take a power nap.
-Breathe deeply for 5 minutes.
-Cuddle with my dog.
-Shake my booty to my favorite tunes (making sure no one's watching, of course).

If you made a nourishment menu, what would be on it? Write your own, try them out, and let me know how it goes!

Happy U-Day!
Katie

Day 9 of the 21-Day Cleanse

Well, I'm officially over a week into my cleanse. Overall, it hasn't been all that hard - I already don't eat dairy, meat or coffee. What I knew would be hard from the beginning was eliminating the sugar (Hi, my name is Katie, and I'm a sugar-holic) and the gluten.

How did I beat my sugar cravings? During the first few days of the cleanse, I ate dates and raisins when I would normally eat a chocolatey sugary dessert. Three days in, my cravings really kicked in and I made some hot chocolate (with coconut milk, raw cacao and agave, so it would still be within the cleanse). It was so rich and I felt so full after dinner that I haven't felt the need to do that again! After the three day hump, the dessert thing has been pretty smooth sailing!

Gluten has been hard just because I have to think really hard about what I eat! In case you're wondering, gluten-free essentially means you don't eat any wheat products. I've been avoiding my staple sprouted grain bread, as well as whole wheat tortillas, oatmeal, cous cous, and a number of other processed foods that contain some sneaky wheat (kill two birds with one stone!). I haven't really noticed any difference in how I feel other than some potential detoxing symptoms, so I think after this cleanse I'll go back to eating gluten. I've been eating millet bread which is sweetened with fruit juice concentrate, and to me it seems healthier to eat my sprouted grain bread which doesn't have added sweetener.

The last component that has been really hard was the juice fast that I did on the 7th day. It coincided with a double shift at work, which I think actually turned out to be beneficial because I wasn't sitting at home wishing that I could be eating. I had a surprising amount of energy all day once I finally got enough juice in my system to not be hungry. I think I would even do a juice fast every Sunday brunch that I have to work, because it really helped me stay focused and energized! The downfall to my juice fast was that the next day I was ravished! To top it off, I had a session with my personal trainer. Before I went, I ate some miso soup and a banana smoothie with kale and coconut milk, which was not enough to sustain a workout. I felt really weak and it was hard to do the exercises. I ate straight through the afternoon, and then binged on hummus and almond butter when I got home from work. I feel very back on track today (check out my lunch below!), but now I know for my next cleanse that I need to ease back into solid foods before I get so starving, and I need to take it easy the day after!

Overall, so far so good :) Keep an eye out for my next cleansing post!

Peace, love and green veggies,
Katie