The Myth of Weight Gain & What To Do About It

Calories LetterpressAre you swept up, once again, in the first-of-the-year weight-loss battle?

Post holidays, it’s not uncommon to be 5-10 pounds heavier than you were two weeks ago and frustrated (yet again) that yet another year has passed where you ate all this junky food and are feeling like crap from all the over-indulgence.

Chances are you’re also thinking about what to do to start losing that weight. (It’s why Gym memberships EXPLODE during January.) You’re going to start seeing all these Detox and Cleanse programs – with the emphasis on exercising more and reducing calories.

While that’s all well & good, there’s also an elephant in the room!

What if I told you that your struggles to lose weight aren’t so much about how much you’re eating, but rather WHAT you’re eating? And that the chemicals and other irritants in your environment can also have an enormous impact on your weight!

What’s toxic to your body?

If your normal diet is gluten-free, (maybe dairy-free as well) and you veered off that path, that alone can get you off track.

But maybe you didn’t stray. Maybe you did everything ‘right’ –  yet you still baked, and ate your share of seemingly safe holiday treats. In that case, you might simply have eaten more refined gluten-free flours and starches than you would normally eat, and are now feeling bloated and out of sorts. (Not to mention the additives and preservatives typically found in processed foods – whether gluten-free or not).

Add to this a simmering cocktail of chemicals like BPA found in plastic storage containers, water bottles, and store receipts! (you’ve likely read about this offender in the news)

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The Myth of Weight Gain & What To Do About It

Calories LetterpressAre you swept up in the first-of-the-year weight-loss battle?

As we’ve established, it’s not uncommon post holidays to be 5-10 pounds heavier than you were two weeks ago and frustrated (yet again) that yet another year has passed where you ate all this junky food and are feeling like crap from all the over-indulgence. Chances are you’re likely thinking about what to do to start losing that weight. (It’s why Gym memberships EXPLODE during January.) You’re going to start seeing all these Detox and Cleanse programs – with the emphasis on exercising more and reducing calories.

While that’s all well & good, there’s also an elephant in the room!

What if I told you that your struggles to lose weight aren’t so much about how much you’re eating, but rather WHAT you’re eating? And that the chemicals and other irritants in your environment can also have an enormous impact on your weight!

What’s toxic to your body?

For starters, it’s all those additives and preservatives in the “fake” food you’ve been eating.

Add to this a simmering cocktail of chemicals like the BPA found in plastic storage containers, water bottles, and store receipts! (you’ve likely read about this offender in the news)

[Read more…]

How To Find Your Path & Stick With It

Tree blocking the roadHave you stepped on the scale this week?

Post holidays, it’s not uncommon to be 5-10 pounds heavier than you were two weeks ago.

And frustrated (yet again) that another year has passed where you ate all this junky food and are feeling like crap from all the over-indulgence – too much pies and cakes and pastries at holiday parties (or too many cookies, in my case).

And now you’re regretting it!

Chances are your digestive system is also out of whack because you’ve been eating things you normally don’t eat. And you’re paying for it now with daily heartburn & indigestion – along with those extra 10 pounds.

It’s also the time of year when (after the wave of regret passes) you’re likely thinking about what to do to start losing that weight. (It’s why Gym memberships EXPLODE during January.)

You’re going to start seeing all these Detox and Cleanse programs – with the emphasis on exercising more and reducing calories.

And yet, you already know doesn’t work!

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Ready For a Little Spring Cleaning?

Branch of spring plum blossom with pink flowers and budsNow that Spring has sprung, I thought a little Spring cleaning might be order.

No worries – what I have in mind doesn’t require any special cleaning equipment. (Definitely no vacuums, dusting cloths or spray bottles).

(Unless, of course, you choose to).

It’s no accident, by the way, that Spring is considered a time of renewal.

In fact, in ancient Chinese art, the plum blossom is a treasured symbol of Springtime – since it blooms early in the season, thus signifying new life ahead.

And in traditional Chinese medicine, Spring is also the season for cleansing – making this the perfect time of year to cleanse your home, body, and even your mind.

But here’s the most important thing you need to know:

In traditional cleanses, there is often one critical piece that’s missing!

Want to know what it is?

Keep reading and I’ll share with you exactly what I mean.

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It’s Time For Spring Cleaning!

CleanersiStock_000009262565XSmallSpring has finally arrived!

How did you mark the occasion?

Do you have an annual tradition for celebrating the first day of Spring?

(Me – I went skiing, which – last time I checked – is generally not considered a Springtime activity).

It’s no accident, by the way, that Spring is considered a time of renewal.

In fact, in ancient Chinese art, the plum blossom is a symbol of Springtime – because it blooms early in the season, signifying new life ahead.

In traditional Chinese medicine, Spring is the also the season for cleansing.

It’s perhaps no surprise, then, that more people participate in detoxes of every kind during this time of year.

With this in mind, here are three simple ways you can welcome Springtime into your own home, and your life.

 

Cleanse Your Cupboards

You may have already cleared your cupboards, fridge and freezer of gluten-containing foods, along with your other allergens.

But why not go a step further?

This is the perfect time to thoroughly clean out your kitchen, and release any foods that don’t truly support your health.

So – out with the tired spices, white flours and processed junk food!

In with whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat and gluten-free oats.

Bring on the whole grain crackers, and minimally processed staples like pasta and whole grain flours for baking.

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HAVE YOU CLEANSED YOUR HOME?

We hear a lot about Cleansing and Detoxing the body.

But have you ever considered a Cleanse for the home?

It’s the same idea, really.

You’re getting rid of the old to make way for the new.

A friend recently suggested that I read a book called “Soul Space” and I’m sharing with you here, because I was absolutely captivated by it, as it so closely resembles my own design philosophy in an uncanny kind of way.

You see, a few weeks ago, if anyone had asked, I would have said there are very few things in my home I don’t love.

The idea of celebrating the beauty around you and surrounding yourself with things you love is something I’ve written about many times.

After all, it’s a key step in writing you Bio.

(You know, the one that’s written without words).

Until I read this book, I never thought twice about the living room chair that I ‘inherited’ from a former retail space – along with the business – when a former business partner and I parted ways.

So here’s the thing.

I don’t love that chair.

Do I use it?

No.

It’s too big and deep for me, and I avoid sitting in it whenever possible.

When you look at it that way, it’s kind of silly to keep it, isn’t it?

Do you have anything similar to that in your own home?

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