Do Something You Love!!

       This really doesn’t need any description; it’s just doing whatever you love. Why wouldn’t you? If you could do something boring and uninteresting or something that you love which would you choose? Well I’d hope you would pick the latter because by doing things you love you’re going to be happier; there’s no denying that. Don’t let yourself think you’re being selfish or feel guilty for taking some time to do something you love. Everyone deserves to be happy and do what they want.

      This was one of my favorite topics because I made myself do something I love every day. Who wouldn’t want that? For me,  I love reading, writing, being outside, spending time with people I love, eating, and watching movies along with a very long list of much more. Some days I didn’t even realize I was doing it because you normally don’t have to think about doing something you love, it just comes naturally. However, on the days when I had a lot to do or promised to do things for others, I’d feel guilty for taking some time for myself. After I realized I felt guilty I’d scold myself and say “I deserve this.” Then I’d do whatever it was I loved to do. Sometimes it was listening to music for 10 minutes or watching a half hour TV show. These were quick things I could fit into a busy schedule.

     If it helps, make a list of hobbies or activities you like and do them. There’s no reason not to! Also whenever you see something that you think would be fun, write it down so you won’t forget then do it.

      

      Tips

• ·         Make a list of activities or hobbies you want to do then do it
• ·         Write down ideas of things you’d love to do so you don’t forget
• ·         Don’t let yourself feel guilty, you deserve to do what you love
• ·         Have fun!

Aaaahhh....veggies!

Last week, I had been feeling pretty run down for a few days and when I stopped to think about why, the answer was obvious. I’d been helping my husband with his business – selling olivewood carvings at a festival. I had eaten sandwiches, pizza, and french fries for two days. Now to some people, this would not be a big deal (my husband, for one, doesn’t seem to be affected by what he eats). For me, all those simple carbs send me on a roller coaster of short highs and long lows. We’ve all heard that eating this way kills our energy levels, but for it to be so blatant was surprising to me. So, on day 3, I decided to take control of my food! We stopped at my favorite place for breakfast – Sheetz, and instead of a sandwich I got a salad with tuna. Then I picked up pre-packaged cut veggies, a single-serving of pepper jack cheese, and some almonds. I did have to add a few fig newtons as an afternoon snack –but no festival food. In one day, I was feeling remarkably better. I have noticed in the past that I can greatly improve my energy (and my mood, for that matter!) by simply eating veggie-based meals for a day. This was a great little experiment to show how food can really change our lives.

This is my yummy Sheetz salad:

So the takeaway is not surprising…something we all know…our diet can drastically affect our energy and our mood. Try it – for just a day. Focus on veggies as the foundation of your meal and then build around them. You won’t regret it!!

Focusing on the Present

Wouldn’t you rather enjoy life than just get through each day?  Focusing on the present or "being in the now" doesn’t necessarily mean you always have to focus on exactly what’s happening. It means enjoying every day and not worrying about the past or future. It’s so easy to worry and stress about events in the future. No matter what, the future will become the present and there’s no point in being worried about the little things if they can’t change the outcome. Being in the now also can mean just enjoying the little things in life every day and not trying to just get through life. When focusing on everything I’m doing I try to notice where I am, my surroundings, noises, smells, the beauty, the action, and my own feelings.  I also notice how my body feels and if anything is wrong or uncomfortable. This is easier during a meditation, especially at a yoga class. Yoga is where I usually practice being in the present. I’ve found that when I stop and notice my surroundings I see things I’ve never observed before. Also I become much happier after I notice the beauty that is all around me. I never believed that could be possible until I tried it. I was shocked and continue doing it every day.

Being in the now was hard for me at first. In order to incorporate this into my life, I decided to focus on specific tasks. My favorite time to try it was when I was eating. I am always amazed by how different my food tastes when I’m focusing on only eating. Instead of reading, watching TV, or doing other tasks while eating, I would just focus on the food. The flavor was so rich and one hundred times better! When I drive I always notice my surroundings and enjoy the beauty of it all. It makes the drive more enjoyable and I find myself in a better mood at the end of the drive. Another time to try focusing on the present is when showering. I’m usually singing or thinking of other things, but when I tried ‘being in the now’, I was amazed at the change! The smell of my body wash, shampoo, and conditioner was more fragrant when I focused on it and nothing else. It was truly wonderful and easy to do! After doing this several times, I was able to incorporate this more into my life without having to think about it. It became second nature.

Tips

·         Notice your surroundings and focus on being in the moment

·         Use all your senses to enjoy everything around you

·         When doing everyday tasks focus on what you’re doing instead of worrying or thinking of what else needs to be done.

·         Don’t just make it through every day; enjoy each day and what you are doing.

·         Stop every hour or two and say “I am here and everything is great” just to make sure you’re in the present.

My burger is how many calories?!?!?

I’m a visual person, so it wasn’t until I started measuring my food and seeing the calories in each meal that I truly understood how many calories I was eating. For a few weeks, I decided to count calories every day to really see what I was eating. What a shock! It’s especially telling when I eat out – boy the calories add up. I started taking pictures of what a 400 calorie meal looks like….to burn it into my brain! Wait until you see what I found!

For this first month, I’m comparing 400 calories of a Five Guys little cheeseburger with 400 calories of one of my favorite meals – a vegetarian chicken patty and kale-quinoa salad – a staple in my house. Here are the pics.

As you can probably guess, I left the burger meal feeling hungry and was full for hours on the quinoa salad meal. Not to mention the differences in my energy levels. What an eye-opener!

Consider figuring out how much of your favorite meal is in 400 calories. Post a pic in the comments to show us your shocking meals!

The Joys of Meditation!

Meditation is an extremely beneficial practice. It’s a wonderful way to relax, hold an intention, and release negative thoughts or feelings. It’s great for both the body and mind.

Meditation has become a large and beneficial part of my life. It has helped me in so many ways. I’ve found that when I’m upset or stressed, I take a few minutes, sometimes not even a full minute, and focus on taking deep breaths. By focusing on my breathing, I forget about whatever stressed me out or upset me. This is a great way to handle problems, because instead of bringing more anger and frustration to the situation, you’re calm and ready to create a reasonable solution. I also found that by meditating, I can connect with myself quickly. We all lose that connection with ourselves once in a while due to stress and busy schedules. For me, meditation is a way to find that connection again.   

Yoga is a very popular tool for meditation and I have become a huge fan of it. When I go to Yoga, I leave feeling both calm and rejuvenated. Yoga has many benefits that are not only physical, but also psychological.  Many of these benefits include decreases the aging process, lowers high blood pressure, reduces stress, increases creativity, happiness, and stability of emotions along with decreasing stress, depression and anxiety. I do a lot of meditation at my yoga classes but whenever I don’t have any classes I find ways to do it around the house. At night I do different exercises that include meditations. These include karma releasing, meditations for inner peace, healing, and much more. Not only were these great meditations but they relaxed me and helped me fall asleep easier. These are guided meditations, meaning it’s usually a CD with someone guiding me through the meditation. You do not have to do this if you don’t want to or are not comfortable with it. You can meditate on your own by finding a nice quiet space and eliminating all distractions for about 15-20 minutes, while focusing on relaxing, releasing stress, or whatever your intention is. You don’t even have to meditate for this long; five minutes would suffice especially if you have a busy schedule. As long as you have a little alone time to relax and rejuvenate yourself without any distractions; you will feel the benefits!

Tips

·         Find a meditative activity to join such as yoga.

·         Make a special area just for meditation

·         Take as long as you need out of your day to meditate

·         You can meditate on your own by finding a nice quiet space and eliminating all distractions.

·         When you’re upset instead of focusing on the anger, try to steal a minute or two to meditate and calm down.

…..…. don’t be limited to these ideas, think of more creative ways to meditate.