Healthy eating does not mean eating “good” foods and avoiding “bad” foods. I wholeheartedly recommend you toss those labels out with the trash. Rubbish - be gone! Food means different things to different people. Food can be… fuelrewardpunishmentescapeshamefreedoma way to bond with othersa way to check out For me, food is mostly about information. Every time you choose to eat one thing over another, you’re voting for what’s really important to you in the here and now. That’s … [Read more...] about Shame Free Eating
Simplify
Environment Matters
Why? It’s 10:00 in the evening, the kids are finally in bed, you’ve been going non-stop since sunrise and you want a snack. You open the fridge. There’s a container of leftovers, a granny smith apple, some red grapes and aha! – a package of Hostess Cupcakes. You reach for the cupcakes. While most of us strive to eat well, the actions we take don’t always sync up with our goals. We don’t set out to overeat – or choose unhealthy foods. No one wants to become overweight. So why are two thirds of Americans classified as overweight or obese? Your brain is to blame. The problem doesn’t have to do with a lack of willpower or not knowing what to eat. Our neurological response to food has evolved over millions of years. During … [Read more...] about Environment Matters
Stress Management + Movement During Perimenopause
A study from the Department of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill suggests that estradiol fluctuations common during the menopausal transition may enhance emotional sensitivity to stress. If you’ve noticed mood swings and more frequent feelings of rejection, anger and irritability as you approach menopause, you’re not alone. In other words, you’re not losing it, you’re just perimenopausal. Your tolerance for stress has diminished. Stress isn’t just a feeling of being pulled in too many directions. Stress comes in many forms… Exercise (too much or too intense or none at all = metabolic stress)Nutritional deprivation and obsession (counting every calorie or macros, not eating enough food to fuel body … [Read more...] about Stress Management + Movement During Perimenopause
What’s the Rush?
Have you seen Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory? It happens to be one of my all-time favorite movies. My childhood best friend Jaimee and I know every line + every song. Do you remember the awful Veruca Salt? Guess what? She’s the embodiment of our default brain setting. Yep. We evolved as a species to seek immediate gratification. Just like Veruca. Our brain isn't wired to give a hoot about our long-term health. It only cares that we survive long enough to get our DNA into the next generation (and get a Golden Goose). The journalist (and meditation student) Dan Harris summed this concept up beautifully in a recent episode of his 10% Happier podcast… “We are not naturally inclined to do things like exercise … [Read more...] about What’s the Rush?