What’s more painful than chronic physical pain?

The pain that lives inside of us, that’s what. Can you imagine being 100 pounds overweight and living with all of the agony that goes along with that? The inability to buy a dress or the fear goes with flying on an airplane? Now, can you imagine losing that weight and still coming up short? Still feeling deep inside that you are not good enough? Never believing for more than a few moments at a time, that you are beautiful and valuable?

Those are the every-day feelings that attach themselves to thousands and thousands of people who suffer from eating disorders – even after they “recover”. Even after they lose the weight, the pain inside continues. We fill the overweight person with Cinderella dreams of becoming a swan, after feeling like the ugly duckling for so many years. No matter how much we try to repair what’s on the outside, losing the weight doesn’t always heal a broken body image.

Body image is how we see ourselves from the inside out. Interestingly, there are very few of us who don’t have a distortion in our “internal mirror.” Like the reflections in a fun house, our image is out of wack. Obese people often live in eternal (and deadly) denial, and many times, thin people harm themselves through starvation, compulsive exercise and purging. And there’s no easy fix to any of this. There’s no exiting the fun house with a few laughs at the experience. The ride goes on and on.

The simple truth is that getting off that wheel starts with what we eat, how we live, and how we feel. The more we can simply surrender our love affair with self-criticism, the more room we have to learn self-care and self-esteem. And learn it and learn it and learn it some more.

After a lifetime of taunts, teases and put downs from everywhere we look (the media, the magazine covers and the world at large), we now have to learn a whole new way to love ourselves no matter what. AND forgive ourselves for the hatred to begin with!

We can’t love ourselves and chastise at the same time. It’s got to be the whole shebang if we’re really going to change. And why not? Change is all around us. The world keeps revolving and WE need to move with it. Human beings are remarkable. We can survive. We have survived the most harmful of things, so why not tackle the pain inside of us?

We can come out of the other side of self-hatred and discover an experience as beautiful and magnificent as falling in love. We can LEARN to love our selves and our lives.

Step 1. Start your day with a prayer to remember that you are powerful and precious. On your knees, ask the power around you to remind you to love yourself today. No matter what. Let every negative comment or thought simply float away unjudged. If you want peace, you must give up the idea of conflict entirely and all the time. This is now your new goal.

Step 2. Take the TIME to do loving things. How do you build self-esteem? You DO esteemable things. Let that materialize as loving actions toward YOU today. We’re talking about basics here. Rest, downtime, company, healthy food and movement. Those are the basics. How long since your day revolved around those things? Too long, I bet.

Step 3. Love is a two-way street. So treat yourself to time with those who LOVE YOU. Recreate your childhood (whether yours was happy or not) and run, skip, jump, climb and play with those you love deeply.

The simple truth is that YOU have the right to be honored and comforted, fulfilled and LOVED today – from the inside and the outside.

If you would like to begin transforming your relationship with your body and on practice how to overcome your pain, please join me and a lovely group of women THIS Thursday for a 4 week tele-class – “Enjoying the summer diet free”. www.summerdietfree.com

I would LOVE to have you there!!

As many of you regular readers know, I grew up an obese child and young adult, stuck in a cycle of binge eating and self-loathing. Finally in my 20s, I discovered that the key to a healthy body and happy life was learning how to love myself, warts and all. I shed 100 lbs of excess weight (and countless lbs of low self-esteem) and am proud to say I’ve keep myself healthy for the 20+ years since. But not without dedication and diligence.

A big part of self-love is self-care, which includes exercise. For me, that’s getting at least an hour of activity a day, either at the gym, hiking near my home, sometimes even yoga. And as is true for many of my students, I have to stick to it or I fall off the wagon; once I don’t work out for a few days, I can easily stretch that (through those self-justifying tricks we all have) into weeks. And that’s just not good for our bodies, minds or souls.

So, why self care on the road?

Yes, vacation is a time to take it easy, and sometimes traveling for work is so much of a hassle that getting exercise falls to the bottom of the list. However, traveling is when your body and mind need exercise the most!

* General health guidelines from both private doctors and government health officials recommend at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day. Unfortunately, there are no allowances to take two weeks off because you’re just taking it easy on vacation.

* The importance of routine in maintaining a healthy body weight and image is crucial. For your long-term well being, don’t let travel interfere with that routine more than it has to.

* Numerous studies show that exercise helps our bodies recover from jet lag more quickly.

So, how to?

Don’t get me wrong – we are all entitled to taking it easy. Don’t beat yourself up for sitting by the pool for a day or indulging in some delicious (if not totally healthy) local cuisine. But follow these tips for getting exercise and eating well on the road, and then getting back into your regular self-care routine when you return will be so much easier.

1) Do your homework: Investigate on the good ol’ Internet

Although many of us may curse the Internet for sucking us into its black hole of wasting time, it does have many wonderful things on it!. It is a great resource for information on exercise opportunities and good food options. Happy Cow is a particular favorite of mine; it’s a vegetarian website that chronicles healthy spots far and wide. Even if you’re not a veggie, this website recommends good organic restaurants and places that are dedicated to healthful eating.

Check out your hotel’s website or even use that old-fashioned phone to learn if it has a gym and/or pool on-site. Swimming is a great form of exercise, so take advantage of having pool to use, especially if you don’t at home.

This is just one tip of many to create a healthful traveling experience and set yourself up for success.  Next week I will offer more great tips on how to stay healthy and keep up a routine in part 2 of this blog post, so check back in.  In the meantime, what do you do on the road to honor your body?  Please comment below. Blessings!

If you struggle with sugar, you’re not alone! Sugar is a major hurdle for many of my clients and one of the singificant things keeping them from attaining a healthy weight. Just like alcohol or nicotine, sugar is addictive; nutrition data shows that the body releases endorphins when hit with a sugar rush. Those endorphins make you feel good, so you want more. It’s a vicious cycle!

Here are some tips to help you kick your sugar habit:

•Replace dessert with fruit

Fructose, the sugar found in fruits is digested more slowly because of the other nutrients in fruit, such as fiber. You’ll still get the sweet taste without all the additives and processed sugar. And I’m talking real fruit here, not canned peaches in syrup or sugar-enhanced applesauce. Strawberries in spring, nectarines in summer, apples in fall, oranges in winter, just to name of few! Plus all the extra benefits of fruits – antioxidants, vitamins, minerals – make you healthier and help lose weight.

• That said, fresh is better than dried

Part of what makes fruit a valuable habit for permanent weight loss is that it’s got a good amount of water in it, meaning that a good percentage of the volume your consuming is actually just plain old H2O. Dried fruit, while still packed with all the good fiber, vitamins, etc, is much higher in calories per serving. But of course it’s still better than a serving of candy bar. If you’re going to grab some raisins or dried apricots, just make sure to get “no sugar added” dried fruit.

• Take advantage of the season

Summer is fast approaching, and with it comes the year’s greatest variety of in-season fresh produce. Sugar is added to so many packaged foods, even savory ones. By hitting the farmers markets and produce section rather than the aisles of boxes and cans, you can avoid extra grams of added sweeteners.

• Identify triggers and avoid them

For me, it’s chocolate; for a good friend, it’s soda pop. Whatever it is for you, there’s probably one (or a few) sweet food that you crave regularly. Knowledge is power – you know you can’t resist, so don’t even make it an option! Keep your trigger foods out of your pantry.

• Don’t beat yourself up if you backslide

Giving up sugar can be seriously difficult, so it’s important not to get down on yourself if you give in to your cravings every once in a while. I’ve learned in my Body Image Mastery work that the key to permanent weight loss is being kind to, accepting and forgiving of yourself. So whether it’s two cupcakes at a birthday party and a box of candy at the movies, remember tomorrow is another day. Another chance to get back on the freedom-from-sugar wagon. Don’t despair, and don’t beat yourself up.
Cutting out or reducing our intake of processed sugar is a key step to achieving a healthy weight. These few little tips are just the start to transforming your diet and your health – what are your tips, dear Pinkys? Let’s help each other out! Comment below or email me at laura@onepinky.com.

Each body is unique – what works for some people may not work for others (for example, I am a vegetarian but some people just feel better eating meat). At the bottom of this blog I have a special free offer to help you figure out exactly what your body wants. However these 10 guidelines work no matter who you are (unless, I guess, you’re allergic to eggs or lemons!).

Here are 10 Helpful Nutrition Facts:

1. Lemon is your best friend!!

• Lemons are one of those “secret weapons” that can add a little kick to fresh vegetables, spinach salad, fish or chicken.  Lemons alkalize the body (that is, balance your internal pH levels) and add a lot of flavor but very few calories.

2. Keep Your Plate Colorful

• When you sit down to eat, make sure you pick food from across the color spectrum; different colors offer different antioxidants.  Think, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and red cabbage. Just think of how beautiful that looks (and tastes too)!

3. Use a Seven-Year-Old’s Vocabulary

• Currently the FDA has over 3,000 “approved” food additives, and unless you have an amazing memory, you often need a dictionary.  Another alarming fact about these “approved” food additives: NO ONE knows for sure how they affect the body.  David Zinczenko, editor-in-chief of Men’s Health recommends this rule: “If a seven year old can’t pronounce it, you do not want to eat it.”

4. Take the Complete Organic Challenge

• By choosing to buy and eat only organic food, you can drastically change your life. Food is fuel for your body.  Why would you want to choose processed foods knowing how they can negatively impact your body?

5. A Dozen Eggs: A Healthy Staple

• Never leave the grocery store or farmer’s market  without a dozen eggs in your fridge at home.  A boiled egg provides a daily snack that is 70 calories, and  full of protein, iron, & vitamin D.

6. A Balanced Meal is a Balanced Body

• When planning out meals and snacks, pick a mixture of carbohydrates, fat and protein.  By keeping these three food groups balanced, you keep the body’s bone health, blood sugar and weight management in line.  The key is not overusing any one type of food.

7. Be conscious of what your body needs.

• Everybody has different needs, and while we don’t want to cut out entire food groups (that would be silly), we may find through a process of elimination, (or not being able to eliminate at all), that we are allergic to certain things. Wheat and dairy are common when it comes to allergies (I am allergic to both and have grown to accept that). Try cutting out one group at a time for about 10 days and notice how your body reacts.

8. Breakfast Helps With Weight Loss

• When you wake up, your main priority is eating breakfast.  Research shows breakfast can help you lose weight as well as keep it off.  A good breakfast includes fiber with protein and a little fat. By adding a little fat to your breakfast you actually jump-start your metabolism.  You won’t be hungry again till lunch.  EXAMPLES,  oatmeal with nuts and fruit or boiled egg , yogurt and fruit or some protein powder with milk or almond milk (for people like me who cannot tolerate dairy). 
  

9. Watch Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead

•           The film will hopefully inspire you to run to the store, buy a juicer and get juicing for optimal health. http://www.fatsickandnearlydead.com/

10. Acknowledge Your Inner Critic

•           This last guideline has nothing to do with nutrition and yet is vital to your health. Your thoughts create your reality, and if you have a critical voice running your life, changing your eating plan will feel extra challenging.

Just for today, begin to notice that critical voice that drives you to eat. It takes up so much of your life force by draining you of valuable energy. Notice that nasty voice instead of trying to ignore it, cease fueling it by no longer agreeing with it. For example, if that mean voice says, “You have tried every diet and there is no hope for you,” your job is to stop, listen and go about your day. Don’t feed that voice, but instead say to yourself, “I appreciate your opinion voice, however, I have a different one and I know I am ok”.

Health is a gift, one not to be taken for granted. While nutrition is a science, you can keep it really simple and just practice one or two of these guidelines for the next 30 days and see how you feel. Taking care of you and your body is not something that needs to be on the back burner, because you’ll pay with your health and happiness sooner or later. And my hope for you is that you have a peaceful, healthy, quality of life.

And on that note, I have a special offer to help you on the path towards that life. Sign up for a free, 15-minute laser phone consultation with me. The time is yours to ask questions about these guidelines, get personal advice based on your specific situations and needs, discuss issues that have prevented you from living healthfully in the past. It’s 15 free minutes, no strings attached, to jump-start your journey to self-love and health. Email me here to set up a call with me.

- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

I always wish you peace. Inner Peace no matter where you are or where you’re not. Be at Peace right now this moment.

Glad to hear your birthday was so happy Leah.

And CONGRATULATIONS on your weight release.

WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

In keeping with your healthy eating….

Here are some tips I have learned along the path on eating well….seems appropriate to share around Thanksgiving.

The Principle of Balance

The Principle of Balance is based on the concept of yin and yang, the opposing energy forces from ancient Chinese and Japanese traditions. Everything in the world has some properties of yin and yang, but in varying proportions.

Yin energy is light, expansive, wet, soft, cold and more vegetal. Yang energy is heavy, contracting, dry, hard, hot and more animal. The terms expansion and contraction to explain the yin and yang energy of the food you eat.

Some foods, like sugar and alcohol, are examples of food that is way too expansive for your body. Your blood stream quickly absorbs sugar and produces energy, making you feel temporarily open and relaxed yet these foods are damaging because they are not balanced.

Other foods, like excessive and poor-quality salt and animal products, are more contracting and cause your cells to contract and lose fluids, making you feel —–tight and constricted.

Your body is always seeking balance. If you eat too much salt, your body becomes too contractive and you will quickly find yourself craving something sweet. Notice this the next time you go to see a movie. While they may not fully understand this concept, the movie theaters are well aware that both soda pop (sweet and expansive) and popcorn (salty and contracting) are ever-popular combinations for concession sales.

Without understanding this principle, you may unknowingly create imbalance in a vicious cycle of cravings.

The Principle of Acid and Alkaline

To maintain health, your blood must be slightly alkaline. The foods we eat and the lifestyle choices we make impact our body’s ability to maintain that alkaline state.

Foods can be alkaline, acidic or neutral in your body. Your goal would be to have a balance of alkaline and acidic foods so that you can maintain the alkaline state of your blood. If you get out of balance and your blood becomes too acidic, you become more susceptible to illness and disease.

At the same time, lifestyle choices like stress, taking prescription drugs and not getting enough sleep can create acidic blood. Paying attention to a balanced lifestyle is also key to your health and longevity.

The Principle of Uniqueness

As humans, we share so many similarities with one another, but your body is unique. Each of us is an experiment of one and for that reason, you may need to modify certain elements of any diet or lifestyle to suit your own individuality.

Any time you try a new way of eating, it’s vital to observe your body’s reactions and assess whether this new path is bringing you back toward balance.

Happy Healthy Holiday All.

Much Love and Warmth, XO

Laura

She told me that I am one of the healthiest eaters on the planet.

If I totally lived without my ego, I would never compare myself to anyone again.  However, when the compliment came in, instead of receiving it with love, I thought to myself,  “Compared to most people, I am probably in the top 2% of healthy eaters.”

And yet my inner critic/gremlin/ego, showed up to say how much I was still not doing right.  This voice said, “If you were really a good eater, you’d be juicing everyday, etc., etc.”

I know I eat well! And there is always room for improvement (for myself and most of us).

My proud moment today came when I went to a new chiropractor. She asked me to fill out intake forms which is customary for first time appointments. The forms inquired about my diet and I actually found myself checking “no” to 90% of the things that would be considered “undesirable” and “over-consumption”.

We can all find things to slowly improve upon no matter where we are in our process or program.  And for today, we can celebrate all the good things we do for our mind, body, and spirit.

Tomorrow at my “Gratitude for our Bodies”  workshop (at the Bay Club in Corte Madera CA at 1pm PT), we will be celebrating our fabulous bodies.

Gratitude heals everything and I am grateful for this day.  I am grateful for the luxurious hot bath I just enjoyed.  And I am grateful to lead a community of women who are powerful and strong.

Live, Learn and Let Go

and LOVE!

XO, Laura