Living Mindfully

Make Eating Mindful

admin — Tue, 15 May 2012 21:15:02 +0000

It is very normal to feel uncertain when first embracing mindfulness at the table. Creating a mindful eating practice means simply becoming more curious and aware while eating ~ yet the whole concept can appear overwhelming at first. Considering awareness in three distinct areas can make creating a mindful eating practice much easier.

The heart and soul of why women eat…it’s not what you think

admin — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 18:02:29 +0000

Unfortunately, most women spend their days juggling many roles, conflicting commitments and the wants and needs of others. Often we come last, if there’s time. The temptation to reach for food as comfort or distraction can be overwhelming; although the issue is rarely about food — more times than not, the underlying force is emotion. Eating emotionally can become a way of life and extra pounds an unwanted result.

“Cheat Meals”: A Frightening Concept

admin — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 00:18:31 +0000

Is it okay to have a "cheat meal" when you're dieting? Joy Bauer, featured nutrition "expert" on NBC's The Today Show, addressed this question during a recent segment* of "Joy's Diet SOS". Shockingly, Joy gives a weekend meal of total indulgence "two thumbs up" for dieters. Her reasons being: preventing feelings of deprivation, providing staying power for continuing to diet and rewarding dieters for putting in "so much HARD work during the week".

Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda

admin — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 18:39:09 +0000

It's pretty safe to say that everybody, at one point or another, has felt the pain of regret-a missed opportunity, perhaps, or the sense of having made a mistake. But when Abigail Stewart, PhD, a professor of psychology and women's studies at the University of Michigan, started tracking women in their late 30s, she found that this pain can be turned to your advantage.

Change Your Brain, Change Your Life

admin — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 00:08:46 +0000

Mindfulness meditation — nonjudgmental awareness of sensations, feelings, and state of mind — has been proven to make measurable changes in brain regions associated with memory, sense of self, empathy, and stress. According to the Harvard Gazette, a team led by Harvard-affiliated researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital are the first to document meditation-produced changes in the brain.

Mindfulness: Meditative Awareness

admin — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 20:13:29 +0000

Mindfulness is about being fully awake in our lives and being aware of whatever is happening in the present moment - without judgment. Mindfulness is about cultivating a curiosity about ourselves and about who we are - being curious about how we view our world and our place in it...and about appreciating the fullness of each moment that we are given on this earth. Mindfulness is about paying attention in a particular and very important way: on purpose and in the present moment, with kindness and compassion.

Eating Mindfully: An Introduction and Overview

admin — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 22:16:22 +0000

This year, National Eating Disorders Awareness Week is February 26-March 3, 2012. In recognition of this significant event, my thoughts are with both the individuals suffering from a diagnosed eating disorder as well as with the individuals who fall outside of the diagnostic box yet who suffer daily in many ways. As a medical professional treating people with eating disorders and related issues, I understand firsthand that these individuals long for a life of balance and wise nourishment yet find themselves eating in unhealthy ways, often causing weight gain and distress. Emotional eating can become a way of life, leaving a person feeling trapped and at the mercy of their thoughts, feelings and habitual behavior.

Weighing in on Georgia’s Anti-Obesity Campaign

admin — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 18:28:12 +0000

Having worked with obesity for over 25 years in my consulting and coaching practice, I know one thing for sure: no one who is obese wants to be that way. The extra pounds are not the issue - though health and wellness are certainly a large part of the situation. The true issue is why do individuals, young or older, turn to food for emotional support, distraction or other reasons rather than true hunger?

Food for Thought

admin — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 00:48:46 +0000

I found this quote from Winnie the Pooh, a book I read many times over the years to my now grown children, as I was cleaning out my desk and wondered: how many of you can relate to Pooh? How many of you eat for excitement? Does food break the boredom and add some "fun" into your day or evening? And how many of you would like to use food for nourishment and, yes, for enjoyment but not necessarily for "excitement"?

When the Going Gets Tough

admin — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 06:37:40 +0000

I’m speaking of is the moment during a healing journey when it’s clearly time for action. Goals have been established, the past discussed, contributing events and significant people defined and it is now time to bring attention to intention and take the first action step. This is a time of personal challenge yet more importantly a time of personal triumph: taking the action step and then taking the next..and the next.. creating your path as you go.