Is it really all over???
Hard to believe the term is over. So here's my last 'Tip-Bit'.
In an effort to lose weight and eat better many people decided to eat more salads. This is a great idea- in theory! The base of any salad is lettuce- Yes? And while any lettuce will do, when you eat, you want it to be as nutrient dense as possible, especially if you're dieting. So skip the Iceberg lettuce and try a Spring Mix, red or green leaf, or romaine. So then many people add the rest of their stuff (carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, mushrooms, etc). These are all great choices. But don't stop there. You're poor lonely salad needs a protein. . . otherwise you'll be hungry again in an hour or two. So add some beans, cheese, chicken, or tofu to it to make it a complete meal. Be aware however, you don't have to have ALL of them. On average, 1/2 cup of beans (about the size of your fist)or 3-6 oz of meat/tofu (think a deck of cards)is a serving. If you want to add a sprinkle of cheese- go ahead, but that's about as much as you can PINCH, not a ladle onto your creation. Lastly is your dressing. In an ideal world we'd all love oil/vinegar with a touch of lemon juice, but let's face it. . . ranch and blue cheese taste good! If you go the cream dressing route, put it a separate bowl and dip your fork in the dressing before a bite. And remember that just because a dressing isn't creamy or milk based that it's a good choice. Keep in mind- dressing should compliment your salad-not drown it. Now go eat!
As for me. . . well I reviewed by Unit 3 assessments and decided that while my physical hasn't changed, I can safely call my spirituality improved from a 5 to a 7 and my psychological up from a 6 to a 7. I believe my numbers improved because of the goals I set. I determined to examine my nutritional status, take up Tai Chi, and work on mindful meditations. I have done all these things. I left my physical score as is because I can't say the Tai Chi has changed my physically but it's been amazing for my mind. I find it easier to focus and stay that way now, especially during meditation. Which brings me to my last goal. I committed to 5 minutes. At first it was so hard. The longest five minutes, ever! But it got easier and then I found that sometimes I was looking forward to it. That's when I knew I'd successfully integrated meditation into my life. Implementing Tai Chi was easier. I signed up for a class and just keep going. It's has been fun but challenging as remembering the moves and order still eludes me sometimes, but I'm getting better. The class also reminds me to laugh- typically at myself. My instructor moves like he's on a cloud. When I watch him I think of water. He's like fluidity personified! I aspire to achieve an ounce of his grace. . . in the intermin I laugh at my attempts which resemble ballet with concrete shoes, but like I said- - I'm getting there!
As for my personal experience in this class.. . I'm so glad I took this course. It opened my mind to many things I only knew on a cursory level. I knew what meditation was but had no interest in practicing it. Now I enjoy it. It's also nice to have something larger than myself to aspire to. I'm going into the nutritional field and so much of what we've discussed will serve me well when counseling people on their eating and life-style habits. I'm hoping to share some of what I've garnered with others. I think the concepts I've learned will help me be a better person (everyone say LOVING-KINDNESS!) and a better educator.
Best of luck to everyone
EAT WELL and BE WEll
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Blog posting problems of Final Projects
Hello All,
I took my own advice and saved my project as a doc vs. a docx- this included changing the "Save Type" to Word 97-2003 doc. And all went well until I go the the part required to put it in my blog. Once again, under the 'share' button the option to 'publish/embed' did not come up. My IT hubby hacked it in for me as I couldn't figure out why it wasn't working. Good Luck to everyone.
I took my own advice and saved my project as a doc vs. a docx- this included changing the "Save Type" to Word 97-2003 doc. And all went well until I go the the part required to put it in my blog. Once again, under the 'share' button the option to 'publish/embed' did not come up. My IT hubby hacked it in for me as I couldn't figure out why it wasn't working. Good Luck to everyone.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Summing up the Exercises
Tip of the Week!
Spring is here. . . for some people that means Spring Cleaning! If you're not the type that wants to clean the closet corners with a toothbrush, but are still looking to pare things down consider these ideas.
*When it comes to clothes . .. if you haven't worn it in six months and it isn't a seasonal piece- Goodwill will welcome your donations
*Towels and sheets with holes in them can become rags, but consider donating them to local animal shelters. They go through a lot of them.
*Kitchen gadgets are only useful if you use them. Otherwise they're just taking up space.
* Look in the pantry. Foods can get shoved to the back. Do you have extras of something. Many food pantries are low on stock now.
* Have kids? Get their old stuff together with friends and have a baby swap. Many children outgrow their clothes so quickly that they're often barely worn.
* Check your fridge! Believe it not, those capers and pimentos do go bad! Get rid of the stuff that you won't use, eat, or has expired- This also applies to much of what is in the bathroom cupboards- medications, cough syrups, makeup, lotions. . .
Recycle what you can, Reuse as possible, and don't sweat the small stuff.
As for the exercise of the week. The two I found most beneficial were the loving-kindness meditation and meeting Aesclepius. I did not like the loving-kindness exercise, but it seems to be the one that has stuck with me the most. I've implemented in my life entirely by accident. I find myself remembering its message often and reminding myself and others to project more positive thoughts and emotions. I find that it has made for gentler thoughts on my part and more patience with myself and others. When I get frustrated, I take pause and get myself together- particularly before I open my mouth. I'm much more conscious about what I say too. I'm not given to outbursts, but I'm pay more attention to what I say and consider the effects of my words.
The Aesclepius exercise I did enjoy. I simply found it healing and energizing. It has also acted as a source of inspiration. Mother Teresa has been my healing image each time and I like the attitude she put forth. I aspire to give of myself in such a complete and selfless manner. To implement the ideas of being our own healer I've simply taken my own advice and I'm being nice to me. . . I try not to be so critical and cut myself some slack as the situations dictate. I can admit that I'm not superwoman and I'm not perfect and that is okay! I remind myself that I'm human, but I'm also responsible for me. And by taking care of myself I'm not only happier overall, but I'm better capable of taking care the people who depend on me. I believe it makes me a better mother, wife, friend, and person.
Spring is here. . . for some people that means Spring Cleaning! If you're not the type that wants to clean the closet corners with a toothbrush, but are still looking to pare things down consider these ideas.
*When it comes to clothes . .. if you haven't worn it in six months and it isn't a seasonal piece- Goodwill will welcome your donations
*Towels and sheets with holes in them can become rags, but consider donating them to local animal shelters. They go through a lot of them.
*Kitchen gadgets are only useful if you use them. Otherwise they're just taking up space.
* Look in the pantry. Foods can get shoved to the back. Do you have extras of something. Many food pantries are low on stock now.
* Have kids? Get their old stuff together with friends and have a baby swap. Many children outgrow their clothes so quickly that they're often barely worn.
* Check your fridge! Believe it not, those capers and pimentos do go bad! Get rid of the stuff that you won't use, eat, or has expired- This also applies to much of what is in the bathroom cupboards- medications, cough syrups, makeup, lotions. . .
Recycle what you can, Reuse as possible, and don't sweat the small stuff.
As for the exercise of the week. The two I found most beneficial were the loving-kindness meditation and meeting Aesclepius. I did not like the loving-kindness exercise, but it seems to be the one that has stuck with me the most. I've implemented in my life entirely by accident. I find myself remembering its message often and reminding myself and others to project more positive thoughts and emotions. I find that it has made for gentler thoughts on my part and more patience with myself and others. When I get frustrated, I take pause and get myself together- particularly before I open my mouth. I'm much more conscious about what I say too. I'm not given to outbursts, but I'm pay more attention to what I say and consider the effects of my words.
The Aesclepius exercise I did enjoy. I simply found it healing and energizing. It has also acted as a source of inspiration. Mother Teresa has been my healing image each time and I like the attitude she put forth. I aspire to give of myself in such a complete and selfless manner. To implement the ideas of being our own healer I've simply taken my own advice and I'm being nice to me. . . I try not to be so critical and cut myself some slack as the situations dictate. I can admit that I'm not superwoman and I'm not perfect and that is okay! I remind myself that I'm human, but I'm also responsible for me. And by taking care of myself I'm not only happier overall, but I'm better capable of taking care the people who depend on me. I believe it makes me a better mother, wife, friend, and person.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Meeting Aesclpius & Professional Responsibility
Welcome to week 7,
Tip of the Week!
Eat Breakfast!
If you do one good thing for yourself everyday- eat breakfast. It doesn't take long. You can take it on the run (though this is not ideal). If you are rushed in the morning, consider low-fat yogurt, a piece of toast, and some fruit. Not heavy, but it will hold you till lunch time. A little extra time- whip up an omelet with some chopped veggies (if you chop them the night before, it's very easy to toss them into the eggs in the morning). Add a small glass of juice and you're good to go! Of course breakfast doesn't have to be breakfast foods either. Last night's chicken, a little cheese and salsa all rolled up in tortilla is simple and filling- or try omitting the salsa and adding apple slices!
Why you ask should I eat breakfast.? Because you haven't eaten in 6-8 or more hours. Because if you expect to function well, your body and brain need the fuel from foods. Skipping breakfast sets your body up to conserve energy. So, if you're dieting and you skip meals you're only undermining your efforts. Your metabolism will gradually slow as the body attempts to conserve what energy it has... and without breakfast by around 11, you're likely to be starving. This makes it more likely that you'll overeat or make a poor decision come lunchtime. Don't sabotage your efforts this way!
Now . . . . onto Aesclepius
Anyone else feeling little overwhelmed? Sounds like an excellent time to go try some meditative work and see if that lends some clarity. So this week we tried the Meeting Aesclepius meditation. The healer I saw was Mother Teresa. I have done this meditation before and she is always the person who comes up. As I visualized her through the meditation, I tried to see her loving, giving, and compassionate nature in myself. My efforts in this meditation have reminded me that when I give- whatever it may be- I need to give it freely, without restrictions, without strings, and because I want to- not because I feel compelled. So I ask myself- Why am I doing this? How are my actions and words affecting me and others? I believe in the adage that 'if you don't have anything nice to say-don't say anything at all". However, I'm taking it one step further. I'm trying not to have the thought of the 'not nice' thing to say. Instead I'm trying to voice the positive instead of the negative. This isn't always easy, but like the toxic thoughts we have of ourselves, just as destructive are those we have of others.
As for the quote, " One cannot lead another where one has not gone himself" to me, means that in order to guide someone, you need some path to follow. In the health and wellness profession, I believe this means that you must connect with people and allow this connection to be your guide to helping them. By listening and reflecting upon not only what you hear from them, but what you see, smell, and feel, offers the professional more tools for personalizing healing options. To often the human compassion is removed from medicine and this creates distance. If we can close this gap, we can offer a hand to hold to patients and clients to guide and walk alongside them in their journey to health and happiness. Without the human integration, we are merely pushing them down a path.
I do think professionals have an obligation to themselves and those they treat or practice with to offer human courtesy and respect. No one wants to be a number. No one wants to feel as if their health isn't important- especially if they have sought you out for assistance. I don't think this means that as a professional you have to have experienced everything first hand in order to be effective. But you do have to have the ability to empathize and acknowledge the feelings of the other person as important and relevant to their care.
To implement these ideas into my life, I'm simply trying to stay in the moment. I'm a multi-tasker and typically my thoughts are hours into the future. I'm making a concerted effort to savor the 'now'. Doing this reminds me to appreciate and be thankful for the little things. Things like the hugs and kisses offered freely by my daughter. Moments when my son wants me to listen as he sings a song. Even outside of my life . . . I watched a very fat squirrel the other day go about his day. When I left my car he ran around to the backside of a tree and clung to it about a foot above the ground-completely frozen. I laughed as I imagined his thougths were something like a Jedi mind-trick "You don't see me (with a little flick of his tail)! Just those few moments were enough to recapture the sense of "now". Simply appreciating the moments, makes me cherish them all the more.
Tip of the Week!
Eat Breakfast!
If you do one good thing for yourself everyday- eat breakfast. It doesn't take long. You can take it on the run (though this is not ideal). If you are rushed in the morning, consider low-fat yogurt, a piece of toast, and some fruit. Not heavy, but it will hold you till lunch time. A little extra time- whip up an omelet with some chopped veggies (if you chop them the night before, it's very easy to toss them into the eggs in the morning). Add a small glass of juice and you're good to go! Of course breakfast doesn't have to be breakfast foods either. Last night's chicken, a little cheese and salsa all rolled up in tortilla is simple and filling- or try omitting the salsa and adding apple slices!
Why you ask should I eat breakfast.? Because you haven't eaten in 6-8 or more hours. Because if you expect to function well, your body and brain need the fuel from foods. Skipping breakfast sets your body up to conserve energy. So, if you're dieting and you skip meals you're only undermining your efforts. Your metabolism will gradually slow as the body attempts to conserve what energy it has... and without breakfast by around 11, you're likely to be starving. This makes it more likely that you'll overeat or make a poor decision come lunchtime. Don't sabotage your efforts this way!
Now . . . . onto Aesclepius
Anyone else feeling little overwhelmed? Sounds like an excellent time to go try some meditative work and see if that lends some clarity. So this week we tried the Meeting Aesclepius meditation. The healer I saw was Mother Teresa. I have done this meditation before and she is always the person who comes up. As I visualized her through the meditation, I tried to see her loving, giving, and compassionate nature in myself. My efforts in this meditation have reminded me that when I give- whatever it may be- I need to give it freely, without restrictions, without strings, and because I want to- not because I feel compelled. So I ask myself- Why am I doing this? How are my actions and words affecting me and others? I believe in the adage that 'if you don't have anything nice to say-don't say anything at all". However, I'm taking it one step further. I'm trying not to have the thought of the 'not nice' thing to say. Instead I'm trying to voice the positive instead of the negative. This isn't always easy, but like the toxic thoughts we have of ourselves, just as destructive are those we have of others.
As for the quote, " One cannot lead another where one has not gone himself" to me, means that in order to guide someone, you need some path to follow. In the health and wellness profession, I believe this means that you must connect with people and allow this connection to be your guide to helping them. By listening and reflecting upon not only what you hear from them, but what you see, smell, and feel, offers the professional more tools for personalizing healing options. To often the human compassion is removed from medicine and this creates distance. If we can close this gap, we can offer a hand to hold to patients and clients to guide and walk alongside them in their journey to health and happiness. Without the human integration, we are merely pushing them down a path.
I do think professionals have an obligation to themselves and those they treat or practice with to offer human courtesy and respect. No one wants to be a number. No one wants to feel as if their health isn't important- especially if they have sought you out for assistance. I don't think this means that as a professional you have to have experienced everything first hand in order to be effective. But you do have to have the ability to empathize and acknowledge the feelings of the other person as important and relevant to their care.
To implement these ideas into my life, I'm simply trying to stay in the moment. I'm a multi-tasker and typically my thoughts are hours into the future. I'm making a concerted effort to savor the 'now'. Doing this reminds me to appreciate and be thankful for the little things. Things like the hugs and kisses offered freely by my daughter. Moments when my son wants me to listen as he sings a song. Even outside of my life . . . I watched a very fat squirrel the other day go about his day. When I left my car he ran around to the backside of a tree and clung to it about a foot above the ground-completely frozen. I laughed as I imagined his thougths were something like a Jedi mind-trick "You don't see me (with a little flick of his tail)! Just those few moments were enough to recapture the sense of "now". Simply appreciating the moments, makes me cherish them all the more.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Loving Kindness and Integral Assessment
Tip of the Week!
Be nice to yourself. While this may sound trivial, if you pay attention to all the self-talk you do during the day, you may surprised at what you hear. Are you overly critical of your body? How you look in your clothes? Your abilty to do your job, be a parent, a daughter, son, student, etc.? Do you play the "I should've/could've/ or oughtt" manta like a broken tape? These thoughts can be so toxic to every aspect of your life. So next time you catch yourself sinking into a negative tough pattern, simply tell it NO! Give yourself a positve affirmation and move on!
As for the medition and exercise. . .
The meditation went well. I've found with practice that all the meditative practices have become easier. I can clear my mind faster and stay focused longer now. I also discoved that I have to do these in the mornings. If I wait until late in the day or evening, I'm simply to tired to appreciate them and often to tired to stay awake! I have tried to put the loving-kindness practices into daily use. I've been instructing my family to try more positive thoughts within themselves and those they direct at others. Maybe I'll get lucky and it will ease the squabbling between my kids (I'm sure that is wisful thinking).
The integral assessement reinforced that I need to work on the spiritual aspect of my life. To do this I've been taking quiet time. I force myself to stop a few times during the day and simply breathe. A dozen or so deep belly breaths and some calming visuals and I find my focus increases and I don't feel so out of control. This has made a huge difference in my attitude at the end of the day. I'm not so frazzled by the time I get home and I find I have more patience. In the future I hope to add meditation to my day. I'd like to work on finding a sense of mental stillness and being able to quiet my mind without having to do an all out meditation. Hopefully soon....
I've been practicing Tai Chi as well. This has been great for me physically as if creates a better balance of activities for me. I enjoy running and it's very high impact. Tai Chi is not only 'no' impact but requires an entirely different mindset from running. These activities have helped give me a better balance overall.
Be nice to yourself. While this may sound trivial, if you pay attention to all the self-talk you do during the day, you may surprised at what you hear. Are you overly critical of your body? How you look in your clothes? Your abilty to do your job, be a parent, a daughter, son, student, etc.? Do you play the "I should've/could've/ or oughtt" manta like a broken tape? These thoughts can be so toxic to every aspect of your life. So next time you catch yourself sinking into a negative tough pattern, simply tell it NO! Give yourself a positve affirmation and move on!
As for the medition and exercise. . .
The meditation went well. I've found with practice that all the meditative practices have become easier. I can clear my mind faster and stay focused longer now. I also discoved that I have to do these in the mornings. If I wait until late in the day or evening, I'm simply to tired to appreciate them and often to tired to stay awake! I have tried to put the loving-kindness practices into daily use. I've been instructing my family to try more positive thoughts within themselves and those they direct at others. Maybe I'll get lucky and it will ease the squabbling between my kids (I'm sure that is wisful thinking).
The integral assessement reinforced that I need to work on the spiritual aspect of my life. To do this I've been taking quiet time. I force myself to stop a few times during the day and simply breathe. A dozen or so deep belly breaths and some calming visuals and I find my focus increases and I don't feel so out of control. This has made a huge difference in my attitude at the end of the day. I'm not so frazzled by the time I get home and I find I have more patience. In the future I hope to add meditation to my day. I'd like to work on finding a sense of mental stillness and being able to quiet my mind without having to do an all out meditation. Hopefully soon....
I've been practicing Tai Chi as well. This has been great for me physically as if creates a better balance of activities for me. I enjoy running and it's very high impact. Tai Chi is not only 'no' impact but requires an entirely different mindset from running. These activities have helped give me a better balance overall.
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