The autopilot hand to mouth action can be tamed if you insist on seeing what you are eating. Instead of mindlessly grabbing a full bag of (insert your fav snack) use your eye to scoop out a small portion. Where ever you choose to plant yourself look at the food before you eat, taste and enjoy it. 

Study after study shows that if you don’t use portion control you’ll eat what’s in front of you. Not because you’re hungry, but because it’s just there. So here are some helpful images to remember when deciding on the perfect portion:  

Snack Of Choice: Picture this.

Dark chocolate- A pot of lip gloss.

Popcorn- A shower-cap full.

Cheese- A tube of lipstick.

Piece of fruit- A tennis ball.

Ice cream- A half a tennis ball.

Nuts- A palmful.

Guacamole- Two cotton balls.

Chips or pretzels- A woman’s fist.

Two bagel halves- Two round make-up compacts.

We all know how powerful the habitual mind is in it’s busy, worried, caught up in all the details state. And that’s all the more reason to realize what opportunity each day can hold if we reconnect with the moment as it unfolds. Here is a simple yet life changing practice you can do at any moment to interject gaps of mindfulness into your day.

The Pause Practice: Simply take three conscious breaths at any moment when you notice you are drowning in thoughts or overwhelmed in emotion. “Pause practice can transform each day of your life. It creates an open doorway to the sacredness of the place in which you find yourself. The vastness, stillness, and magic of the place will dawn upon you, if you let your mind relax and drop for just a few breaths the storyline you are working so hard to maintain. If you pause just long enough, you can reconnect with exactly where you are, with the immediacy of your experience.” (Pema Chodron, Shambhala Sun) Just be where you are! Let the pause practice be like popping a bubble. Let it be just a moment in time, and then go on with your day.

So here is my challenge and yours: Leave gaps. The most important thing to do with each day, each morning, afternoon, and evening is to punctuate the endless script in your head with gaps of being present. These gaps, are like poking holes in the clouds. Many small holes can create one gigantic gap that can envelope your entire life, so that the continuity is no longer the mind’s rambling, but one continual gap of mindfulness.

In an ideal world we could maintain mindfulness, or present living, all the time. Yes, we all lead busy, detailed lives, but we can work toward being more aware of the fabulous life we have! Try the pause practice right now and see how you feel, awaken to your surroundings, or what have you. Let me know in the comments!

Live it up with even more mindfulness exercises here!

After a long stressful day at work, taking a yoga or pilates class is a sure fire way to calm and focus the mind. Both disciplines focus on turning inward and practicing body awareness. By placing your intention and awareness on the body or breath you become instantly present. The worries, and thoughts whirling in the mind quiet and tension subsides. And for crazy busy celebs, mind-body work is exactly what they need and desire. So, take a cue from the stellar ladies below and roll out a mat for some centering yoga or pilates.

Kerri Walsh, Beach volleyball olympic hopeful in Bejing, attributes her chiseled core to her pilates practice three times a week. “It makes you more felxible, so you’re stronger and more stable, too.” As if she doesn’t already work out enough! Those olympians just train, train, train.

Madonna, who’s turning 50 this year(!), literally transformed her entire self using mind body exercises. Madge’s friend Sting introduced her to the practice of Ashtanga yoga during a session with yogi guru Danny Paradise. Besides her amazing physical metamorphosis, yoga allows Madonna to find mental calm and clarity. She told ABC’s 20/20 “I want to be liberated from my ego, less concerned about what other people think of me.” She also said,”I remember that I couldn’t sit still for a second. I was always on the move. I was often pretty aggressive, wild and unpredictable, but all that’s changed.”

In the August issue of Self, Rebecca Romijn discusses her weekly fitness regime, which surprise, surprise, includes lots of pilates. She keeps up with her super fit, high octane beau Jerry O’Connel by practicing pilates three to four times a week and working the elliptical for 30 min. five days a week. The 30 year old model is more in tune with her mind and body then ever before…”When you’re in your 20’s, you’re sort of going along for the ride, still partying and not quite getting it. I don’t regret one second of it. But you’re constantly looking to the external to find happiness. The older you get, the more you realize it comes from a much deeper place.”

Victoria Beckham also swears by pilates because she can’t stand the gym. Since, the pilates method offers thousands of movement variations I can see why it keeps her excited about staying fit. Running on a treadmill staring at the wall could never keep my interest either! She admits, “I like to do pilates, even though I should go more often.”

1.) Walk, Walk, Walk: Stuff some sneaks in your bag and explore a new town on foot. You would never discover, that hole-in-the-wall burrito joint, or packed underground lounge on a tour bus. Mingle with the locals and find the hidden gems of your dream destination by walking everywhere. Stroll through museums, and parks to stay active. Forgot shoes? Hit the beach for a barefoot power walk in the dry sand… preferably at sunrise or sunset.

2.) Hit The Market: If you happen to be staying in a condo or room with a kitchen, save money and eat well by cooking some meals. I love finding outdoor markets where you can buy ingredients for authentic local dishes. Nothing beats the spices and insects I discovered in Thailand markets!

3.) When In Rome…Ride A Bike: If you’re more of a city lover, check out bike tours and rental shops. Like walking, riding around the narrow streets of a huge city is the best way to see everything and burn off any indulgences.

4.) Pack Snacks: Take plenty of nutritious snacks to keep you satisfied on all of your adventures. Save the calories for meals of the local fare. Baggies full of whole grain cracker, nuts, and dried fruit are perfect.

5.) Choose Active Adventures: Instead of lounging by the pool, sipping on high-cal pina coladas, sign up for a rainforest hike or kayak tour. Spend your days hiking breathtaking waterfalls or snorkeling with the sea turtles. The activities are endless!

The thought manifests as the word; The word manifests as the deed; The deed develops into habit; And habit hardens into character. So watch the thought and its ways with care, And let it spring from love born out of concern for all beings.
-Buddha

Mark’s Daily Apple simplifies spankin new research on the mind and body. Learn to control the mind and you’ll have control over your genes.

Think Simple Now explains how to use the first stages of sleep from a nap to spark your creativity.

Zen Habits helps us reclaim our lives by offering 20 ways to find more free time.

Elastic Waist proves that your neighborhood could be holding you back from reaching your goal weight.

Here are 7 fantastic ways to utilize the beach as your calorie blasting playground:

1.) Build A Sand Castle: Between the digging, hauling, pushing, and shaping of your fantasy sand palace, you’ll activate muscles rarely used and burn between 210-315 calories an hour.

2.) Volleyball: Create a community vibe by gathering friends and fresh faces for a game of Volleyball. Bump and set your way through an hour of this calf burner and roast up to 475 calories!

3.) Frisbee: Toss a neon frisbee into your beach tote for a wet and wild game. Playing in ankle deep water presents it’s challenges and therefor more of a workout. Playing catch or twirling a frisbee burns about 200 calories an hour. Depending of course on how daring and competitive you get!

4.) Surf/Bodyboard: If you’ve got the cojones to brave the pumping sets, you’ll be rewarded with a major full body workout that can burn up to 250 calories an hour.

5.) Swim or Bodysurf: If you’re a fish like me, the water is where it’s at. Diving through and catching waves is by far my fave pastime at the beach. Thankfully it burns up to 420 calories an hour. Just treading water in place works wonders.

6.) Rock Jump: Get your heart pumping by climbing and ahhhhh jumping off cliffs/rocks into the ocean below. If you’ve got the landscape use it to your advantage. Fearlessness can work off up to 500 calories.

7.) Build a Bomb Fire: When the sun slides to the horizon and you cozy up in a thick sweatshirt the only thing left to do is chat around a blazing fire. Just fifteen minutes of carrying wood from the car to the pit burns upwards of 70 calories.

All calorie calculations above are based on a 130lb. person. Want to know how much you’ll burn? Use Glamour’s calories by activity calculator here.

Source
Photo by Ron310

When work, men, and laundry have you ready to pluck your hair out strand by strand it’s time to de-stress! Some people need a quite bubble bath, candles and a good book to calm their tension, while others get their jollies by shaking out their frustration on the dance floor. I’m with that latter group and find myself blasting upbeat tunes to loosen up and relax. Chances are even the most determined wall flowers have found themselves dancing around their bedroom (behind closed doors) in underwear, flipping their hair and lip syncing in the mirror. It feels so good, why not?!

So, I thought I’d give us all an excuse to let off a little steam. Here’s a playlist of my favorite hair thrashing songs to get you amped:

Lifestyle: Summer is all about growth, lightness, activity, brightness, and creativity. Easily summed up as a yang season. It’s the perfect time to wake up early and enjoy all the sunny days have to offer. Look to the sun for nourishment and life. Work, play, travel, and smile! The beauty outside enlivens even the most boring day.

Eat: Brightly colored fruits and vegetables flourish at this time and should define Summer dishes. Cook lightly with a rainbow of ingredients. Regularly add a a little spicy, pungent, or even fiery flavor. When sauteing, use hight heat for a very short time, and steam or simmer foods as quickly as possible. Use little salt and more water. Cooling fresh foods such as salads, sprouts, fruit, cucumber, and tofu. Common fruits that beat the summer heat best are apples, watermelon, lemons, and limes.

Avoid feeling like a beached whale in your bikini, by limiting heavy foods like meats, eggs, and excesses of nuts, seeds, and grains. Eating less and lightly on hot, bright days is a healthy pattern easily forgotten when we don’t pay attention to our body’s internal workings. A super easy way to eat in season is to hit up the local farmers market. That way you’ll get fruits and veggies that only grow during this time of year from your local soil. Much better for you, the farmers, and the earth.

Drink: Opposite of common thought, it’s suggested to drink hot liquids and take warm showers to induce sudden sweating, which will cool the body. Ice cream screams your name on sweltering days, but isn’t a good choice since Summer heat combined with too much cold food weakens the digestive organs. Coldness causes contraction, interfering with digestion, and holds in sweat and heat. Iced drinks and ice cream actually contract the stomach and stop digestion!

The idea is to disperse the heat by bringing it to the surface of the body to then be sweated out. Try flower and leaf teas like chrysanthemum, mint, and chamomile. Even drinking room temperature lemonade and the teas above are better than the ice cold variety.

All I have to say is time for a mojito!! Well, maybe an iceless mojito…

Resource: Healing With Whole Foods, by Paul Pitchford

When prepping your famous gourmet burgers…

Take your time cutting up all your ingredients. Draw your focus to your soft, slow breathing. Look and really see the vivid colors of the kabob’s bell peppers, guacamole, or other bright dishes. Breath in through your nose and smell the BBQ out back. Hear the laughter of your friends and let your beer settle on your tongue before you swallow. Let all of your senses come alive. Just breathe.

When you’re hanging with friends and family…
Share your energy with everyone. Chat up your friends and be open to new people. Quite your minds dialogue about your social insecurities by focusing on your breath and what’s happening around you. Really listen to what people are saying and look into their eyes. Connect and exist together in that moment.

When you’re getting dolled up for the big night out…Hop in the shower and pamper yourself. Stand under the shower and feel the water dripping over your body. Close your eyes and hear what the water sounds like inside as it hits you. Take your sweet time scrubbing down, and then wrap up in a soft towel. Make-up is next, so be sure to care in how you apply. Instead of your typical mad dash. Look at your color options and maybe you’ll come up with a new way to blend your shadow. Feel the powder on your face and smell the light sent. It’s amazing what we miss!

With these tips in mind, you’ll be sure to soak it all in. Happy 4th!!