Hello my lovelies! How many of you have been on the grapefruit diet? Cabbage soup diet? How about the "drink this for 48 hours and lose 10 pounds diet"? No? Not you? Well, surely you've tried water fasting for 7 days, only to give up after a day and have a burger and fries?
Hmmm.
I thought so. What's going on here? Why do we do this to ourselves? I mean, I know it's obvious that the ultimate goal is weight loss. However, by what means? What are the deeper reasons...and more importantly, the deeper consequences?
I saw this post today, and laughed at the author's candid reactions to certain foods that she vowed never to try again (some healthy, and some not so much). After the humor, I applauded her for deciding not to subject herself over and over to things that don't work for her!
When it comes to "dieting", why can't we do the same? Let's go...
1. We forget. Truly. We go on all of these crazy, short term, sometimes non-nutritive diets, and forget how irritable, anxious, bitchy, and HUNGRY we were while on them. But! Our high school reunion is coming up, and we have just gotto show that one person we were secretly jealous of how much thinner than her we are now! Right? You gained the weight back the next week. Sigh.
2. We think one size fits all. In diets, and clothes sizes, we tend to believe the hype and think everything is for everybody. Come on, really? We all have unique fingerprints! The same perfume that I wear can smell completely different on you. Why wouldn't that qualify us to have some bioindividuality in what makes each of us function at our best? When I was in nutrition school, I learned that there are over 100 dietary theories out there. Whoa! Atkins, Paleo, The Blood Type Diet, Vegan, Vegetarian, Mediterranean, The South Beach Diet, Low Carb, High Carb...arrrrgh! If you're new healthy living, it can be very confusing. What to do? Marketing gurus convince us that this diet is better than that diet. Look! She lost 100 pounds in 2 weeks while doing this, you can too! Ok, a bit of a stretch, but you get my point.
3. We're lost. There is a part of us that is neglecting the essence of who we are and what we truly need to be happy. When you continually put yourself through discomfort and mental trauma (intentional or not) for temporary external results, what does this tell your subconscious? One: that short term quick fixes are the only solution to issues in your life. Two: that you're not really worthy of finding out the deeper truths and lasting answers to whatever it is you're needing.
Issue arises~>binge on something nice and fattening~>feel guilty~>go on a quick diet~>lose some weight~>feel deprived during the process~>binge afterwards~>repeat.
Bummer.
So, you want to get off this ride, huh? I did too. I decided to let go of all the madness, lies I'd been told (and told myself), embrace and love my body and self at that moment, and not wait until I lost x pounds. I asked my body what it wanted and needed to function optimally. I went to a biofeedback session here in Atlanta to find out what I needed to further remove from my diet and environment for an even healthier lifestyle. Even though I was already vegan, I would still feel sluggish and bloated. I found out I had allergies to gluten, malt, citrus (boo! I love lemons and grapefruit), so I reduced those items or cut them out completely.
Bottom line...find out what works for you. Stop dieting! If you eat something and it makes you feel bad (bloated, headaches, itchy, rash, moody), cut it out. If you are constantly craving a certain food or foods, you may be deficient in specific nutrients. It does not mean you just get to eat that whole tub of ice cream! Check out this post from my newsletter on the cravings issue.
Remember to incorporate lots of fresh, whole foods in your diet (organic when possible)...yet still watch for sensitivities. Adjust as necessary until you find a way of eating that leaves you feeling energetic and makes you glow!
Treat yourself occasionally. No deprivation. Get exercise of some sort daily. Do something good for yourself and others. Smile. Surround yourself with love, and lovely people. Have some cabbage soup if you want to...you just won't need it 3 times a day for 10 days ever again!
Until next time,
Love & Happiness!
Nikki
Nikki Thomas, RN, CPN, CHHC, AADP is a lover of life, health, and truth. I strive to help you find your balance and sanity in this occasionally insane world. I am a registered nurse, a board certified holistic health practitioner, life and health coach. Let's talk about health & wellness, fashion, beauty, and food!
Hello again, my lovelies! It's officially summer and I know you guys have some amazing plans for these couple of months. I'm excited to say that my practice has been keeping me busy! I'm manifesting plans for upcoming sugar detox teleseminars and classes, as well as some other surprises. Be sure to follow the Get This Glow! Health &Wellness Facebook page for details in the next few weeks.
You know how much I love bringing you all helpful and exciting new information that keep you healthy and sexy. So...I have a treat right now that I know you'll appreciate. I met this amazing woman Lizzie May (owner of Lizzie May Wellness) while in nutrition school at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition last year. She is a fellow holistic health care practitioner, as well as an ACE certified personal trainer. Her positive energy and love for a healthy lifestyle is super contagious, and she makes you feel like you're friends after your first conversation. Recently, she expanded her brand to include Ancient Balance bamboo extract. I love bamboo extract for what it does for my hair, skin, and nails...so when I found out I could get it from a peer I admired, I jumped on it! Her story is extremely inspirational. Here's a peek into her world.
Get This Glow! Health & Wellness: Lizzie May! Thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to talk to me and my readers. Can you share a bit about yourself and your passion for health and wellness?
Lizzie May: Sure! I live in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, after spending 10 years in Southern California. I have a bachelors in psychology from Occidental College and I am an ACE certified personal trainer and board certified holistic health coach.
My main passions center around eating and supplementation for glowing skin, energy, and longevity.
Even though I'm currently quite healthy and I eat a nutritious diet, this wasn't always the case. I actually "stumbled" into my passions for health and wellness when I was in my 20's. Back then, I was working 80 hours a week, living on energy drinks and processed foods, and my health was beyond terrible. Keep in mind that prior to the decline in my health, I had always been a very fit athlete, competing in cross-country and track all through college. However, after 3 years of burning the candle at both ends in the corporate world, I could barely run a mile, was chronically exhausted, and most upsetting to me, my skin was a mess!
I first decided to turn my nutrition and lifestyle habits around for the purpose of clearing up my skin, but I found that once I cleaned up my diet and cleared my skin, I felt way too good to ever return to my old, unhealthy ways.
The skin is truly a reflection of our internal health: when our skin glows (without wearing luminizer) it reveals that our bodies are truly being nourished from the inside.
I am currently writing an eBook that includes diet tips, recipes, and more in-depth food, supplement, and lifestyle recommendations for clear, radiant skin. It will be sold on my website later this year.
GTG:What a great journey! We'll be looking forward to your eBook for sure. I mentioned our common love for bamboo extract earlier. What exactly is bamboo extract, and why should people incorporate it into their lifestyles?
LM:Bamboo extract is a medicinal food concentrate made from the leaves and stems of the Moso Bamboo grass, an edible grass that has been used medicinally for centuries in China, India, and Tibet. This extract is widely consumed in these areas to promote youthful appearance, energy, and mental clarity.
In addition to these energizing benefits, bamboo, which is anti-bacterial in nature, has been used traditionally to ward off disease, balance hormones, detoxify the body, strengthen bones and teeth, smooth the skin, and avoid infection. It is a true superfood that nourishes the body and reduces the need for stimulants like coffee and energy drinks.
When taken consistently, bamboo extract promotes a feeling of balanced, jitter-free energy. I think everyone I meet these days could use more energy; hence it is a great supplement to incorporate into one’s daily lifestyle.
To expand on the anti-aging properties of bamboo (my favorite part), it contains over 70% organic silica and is 10 times more potent than horsetail silica. If our bodies are deficient in silica, our skin’s elasticity will become impaired, leaving us much more susceptible to wrinkles and sagging skin.
Unfortunately, as we age, the body retains less and less silica, leaving us much more prone to wrinkling and sagging skin. Silica prevents and reverses wrinkling of the skin by supporting collagen production. Bamboo extract, due to its high silica content, is such an amazing skin rejuvenator and that’s why I love it so much.
When taken internally, bamboo extract not only revitalizes the skin, but other cellular functions within the body, so you’re really achieving smooth, glowing skin from the inside out.
GTG: I love it! It has so many healing properties, and makes us feel AND look good! What is the main mistake you see people making when it comes to eating healthier?
LM: Hmm, that’s a tough one! I would say that the main mistake I see in people who are trying to start “eating healthier” is that they go for the quick fix, and make drastic, unsustainable changes to their diet. That quick fix approach really doesn’t promote long-term results and sometimes does more harm than good.
For example, I know so many people who eat processed junk food for the majority of the year, and then do a very restrictive cleanse or diet that leaves them so weak and famished that they’re barely able to walk or talk when swimsuit season comes around. That’s not sustainable and while doing a restrictive cleanse may be a good “jumpstart” for some people, unless you’re really taking a long term approach to healthy eating, you’re not going to maintain the results you achieved on a 500 calorie a day diet.
Also, I see a lot of people who have really damaged their metabolisms with restrictive and yo-yo dieting: it's no fun to gain weight on 1500 calories a day because of a damaged metabolism!
Simple sustainable changes could include something like drinking a large glass of water before your dinner every night for a week, or adding in green vegetables to your lunch for two weeks. When you make simple, doable changes like that, you start to feel more energized without being overwhelmed with a very restrictive diet. Then, it's easier to maintain that healthy momentum and build in more simple, sustainable changes. As the former queen of crash diets, it took me many years to learn this!
GTG: I think you hit the nail on the head with that one. My clients come to me because they've tried everything...every "quick fix" pill, powder and potion without lasting results. Balance, and sustainable changes are key to a successful healthy journey. Let's switch gears for a second. As entrepreneurs, we tend to forget to take a break sometimes! What do you like to do for fun? Any exciting plans for the summer?
LM: Yes, it's so important to take breaks! This is something that I have really had to learn, as I used to view relaxation and fun as "a waste of time" which is totally ridiculous and couldn't be farther from the truth.
I use a daily planner and many times I actually schedule my "fun days" and "fun hours" because they are so important to my physical and mental well-being. I also turn my phone off or on airplane mode quite frequently: sometimes a "fun hour" is just an hour without any technology or cell phone. My family didn't like me being so inaccessible when I first started turning off my phone, but when they saw how much happier and relaxed I was when I didn’t have my phone on, they got on board.
I realize that turning your phone off isn’t an option for everybody, especially if you have children or a job that requires you to be accessible at all times, but for me, I really cherish my “no phone” times and they really help me to truly relax.
As for fun activities, I love running, hiking, and I really love photography.
I do have exciting plans this summer: I'm going to France! My best friend's family has a chateau in the French countryside, and so I'm going to get some much-needed R&R there while I catch up with old college friends.
GTG: We should all take a page out of your book and schedule "fun hours"! Awesome idea. Lizzie May, it's been great spending time with you, and getting to know you better. Thanks for adding knowledge and insight on how we can all live healthier lives! You have to come back again. Oh, and have a TON of fun in France!! Before you go, can you tell everyone how they can get Ancient Balance bamboo extract in their lives?
We post bamboo extract smoothie recipes and health tips on our facebook page and we love connecting with our customers! Thank you so much and I would love to come back again!
*all photos and video except for Get This Glow! Health & Wellness logo in this post are courtesy of @LizzieMayWellness*
There you have it, lovelies. If that doesn't inspire you to get your Glow! on, I'm not sure what will. This was a lot of fun. So now...what are your plans for the summer again? =)
.jpg)
