Hi guys!
I received a lovely email yesterday which inspired this post. First, the email:
"Guess what I'm having for lunch?
I asked myself what would nourish me and give me energy?
Answer- chickpeas, sirena tuna with chilli, walnuts, rocket, cherry tomatoes and a little hommus mixed through it. OMG it is so yummy and I feel great.
Loving your L.E.A.N philosophy. It's just the thing to get me out of my current fat crisis and the hole I have been stuck in without doing my head in in the process.
love your work xx" - G.A
We will keep the lovely sender annonymous, but just LOVED her outlook and was very pleased that one simple article had such an impact! :)
I thought, if this article has this impact on one person, let's share this wider! So....
Here is the original article/philosophy our annonymous corresponder is referring to :)
I sincerely hope you enjoy it and that it inspires a new way of thinking in you! :)
Be L.E.A.N in 2010- a New Mantra :)This may sound like another fad, Nazi-style, lecture from a health nut who has little tolerance for anything other than pure and ultimate dedication and worship to a clean lifestyle, but that’s where you’d be wrong.
See I have been a Dietitian and seeing clients now for over 8 years, and I can tell you that I for one am totally fed-up with all the fad and fickle diets, programs, empty promises, miracle cures, quick fix approaches and hero’s out there who want to tell you number 1, it’s your fault and your doing something wrong, and number 2 that THEY have the answer and secret you seek!
Having once being an overweight, unfit, lethargic and unmotivated “chubber” myself, I know too well the reality of the transition that needs to occur from the state of stagnant, stuck, idle and “can’t be bothered” to fit, fantastic, full of energy and “like WOW! I feel good!”
It’s not all roses. It’s not all easy. An answer or solution doesn’t just fall in your lap.
That does NOT mean, however, that it can’t be FUN, ADVENTUROUS, EXCITING and completely SATISFYING! If your like most humans, you thrive on a challenge. It’s only when you are thrown in the deep end you discover that in fact you Do know how to swim! Or at the least, stay afloat.
Staying in the shallow end may feel safe; it may feel nice and you can kid yourself that your not missing out on anything by not being in the end where all the action, spunks and fun is happening, but the reality is, being in the shallow end IS for babies! It IS for whimps and it IS for those who aren’t ready to GROW UP.
Now if I am sounding like the Nazi I promised I wasn‘t, I do apologise. If you met me in person, you would know I am completely compassionate, completely caring and completely ON YOUR SIDE.
It’s just that every now and then we all need a wake-up call, and I’m not doing you any favours by supporting your choice to kid yourself and dishonouring your desire to look, feel and BE better.
Currently I am working with one incredibly inspiring lady. All my clients are inspiring, but this woman is incredible. She came to me at 150kg and declared she wanted my assistance to publicly shed 50kg in 50 weeks. Now I admit, I smelt somewhat of a Fad Rat in the beginning and I kept my incredibly sceptical sun shades on so that I could get a scope of the whole scene.
What I can tell you now is that this woman MEANS business! And if anything, she is the one who taught me that KIDIDNG YOURSELF is self-sabotage. It doesn’t help you and it doesn’t get you results. It simply keeps you trapped in a cycle, feeling bad about yourself and year, after year, making the SAME New Year’s Resolutions!
So since commencing work with this amazing lady, I have promised myself to remember to always be HONEST about where someone is at in relation to their goals and if that current state is moving them towards where they want to go, or away.
Now that that is out of the way and off my chest, lets get to the crux of this column. What I would LOVE you to take away from this piece is a new PERSPECTIVE. A new way of looking at the whole “lose weight, get fit, be healthy” spectrum that completely and utterly SERVES you. A new approach that does EVERYTHING to support you in your desires to have more energy, be healthier, look better and feel good!
That perspective is framed with the L.E.A.N acronym . Take on this perspective, make it your 2010 mantra and be amazed at the results by the year’s end. You will need to keep this close and in mind ALL the time. Do not be strayed, seduced or distracted by those other “garden-path” approaches. Stay true and loyal to this perspective and I promise you, you will be delighted with yourself.
L- LOVING and LIGHT- “Argh!” You may disappointingly sigh. Another “fluffy, fairy approach”, another “new-ager” or simply “what the?!” But take a little time to digest the mean of this simple perspective.
Take time to be aware of how loving, forgiving, non-judgemental, compassionate and kind you are in every moment towards yourself, others and the world in general. If your mental chatter is primarily negative, cynical, critical, un-trusting and just plain “stick in the mud”, then I would seriously consider what impact this is having on your external world.
What we focus on we create more of. There is SO much for me to share on this, but you are highly intelligent, so all I ask is for you to TEST this idea. First NOTICE what you focus on most of the time; what your primary thoughts are. Then look at what’s showing up for you and if you are in fact getting more of the very content that lives in your mind.
Simply, if you are constantly thinking things like, “I’m tired, lazy, slack, unmotivated, and hopeless”, then its little surprise you would feel that way. Try focusing on things that you like about yourself, things you are grateful for and really live in that space and see how your external world changes. Try, “I love that I have functioning and capable limbs, I love that I have the CHOICE to exercise or not, I LOVE that I have access to fresh, wholesome, delicious food”
See how much lighter you feel when you change your thoughts. Feeling HEAVY and TIRED comes from directing our energy and focus into numerous and endless energy DRAINS. They are everywhere. Stop your leaks and direct your energy to places that RENEW your vibrancy.
E- ENERGETIC- “Eat to Energise” is the key here. Constantly observe your food choices and how they make you feel afterwards. Do you feel light, happy, energised or sluggish, guilty and “cloudy”? I guarantee you that if you start to pay the slightest attention to how you feel after you eat (especially 1-2 hours afterwards), then you will automatically start to consider options that may make you feel different.
Foods that give us ENDLESS ENERGY include water, vegies, fruit, herbs and spices. Just like the add for CENTRUM will tell you that the little vitamin pill “unlocks the energy within”, these babies will properly and thoroughly unlock the energy contained within your body. They contain all the vitamins, minerals and whole array of synergistically acting compounds that magically make you feel ALIVE!
I challenge you to first consider how many of these types of foods make up your day, and secondly to DOUBLE that. Notice what impact it has and how different you feel after eating a meal that is 50-75% this composition, vs. highly processed, refined and instant. Choose more foods that are FRESH and minimally PROCESSED.
A- ACTIVE- be active in LIFE, in LOVE and in LEARNING. When you are taking an ACTIVE role in looking after your PHYSICAL, MENTAL, EMOTIONAL and SPIRITUAL needs you will feel instantly more energised.
Being PHYSICALLY ACTIVE is something that we as humans NEED. It is a BASIC need in fact and something that we definitely suffer from NOT having in our life. Furthermore, being PHYSICALLY active has profound effects on our mental, emotional and spiritual domains. We feel less stressed, happier, more motivated and energised when we simply “suck it up” and get on with at least starting some type of physical movement.
I will tell you that this is one area this incredibly inspirational lady EXCELS at. Even at 150kg with NUMEROUS challenges, this woman enrolled the help she needed and dedicated herself to DAILY physical activity NO MATTER what was going on, how busy she was, or how sore she felt. Her mantra really was, “suck it up” and “no excuses”. It was really tough for her for the first few weeks, then after that, each session made her feel more positive, more healthy and more motivated. Stick it out, make the commitment and see the difference.
N- NOURISHED- Nurture and Nourish your body, mind and soul. Constantly reflect on how your THOUGHTS, ACTIONS and CHOICES are either nourishing, depleting or doing nothing for you and the goals/end results you are striving for. Is this meal nourishing me? Is this thought nourishing me? This situation? This person? This WAY OF BEING?
Big questions, with MASSIVE pay-off’s.
I will leave it at that. I’m sure I’ve waffled on enough.
I simply wanted to set the frame-work. I am NOT a surface dweller who plays in fantasy and fad-land with the fairies. I have done this for long enough to know what works and what doesn’t.
I can tell you that only by being and getting real will we get the results we want. Not just in health, but in life.
And that means diving DEEP.
So, work on being L.E.A.N in 2010, and just marvel at what transpires around you!
To your health, happiness and FUN!
BridgetJane
Food Body Lifestyle Guru
Writer, Speaker, Consultant
www.newleafnutrition.com.au
Become a FAN on FACEBOOK FOLLOW me on TWITTERBridget@newleafnutrition.com.au
0421 332243
This article was published first in ONYA, see it
here
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