Mind & Soul

Why You Should Stop Blaming Your Will Power

January 30, 2015

Author: Amber French

Why You Should Stop Blaming Your Will Power
And Start Believing in your SELF

If you eat processed foods more regularly than whole foods and you are trying to lose weight, two words…. “Good Luck”!

Stop blaming yourself for being overweight and not being strong enough to lose weight. The foods in our culture have been changed and modified. They are processed down to non foods and filled with preservatives and chemicals that leave us wanting more.

That’s right, the food we consume every time we open a box, bag or container leave us starving and simultaneously wanting more. Processed foods cannot sustain us unless they are eaten in very large quantities (with a very large quantity of calories attached to it). The food companies design food to do two things; taste really good and leave us wanting more. And they are succeeding WILDLY!!! The foods are changed by manipulating the Fat, Sugar and Salt content to reach that magic sweet spot that causes our brains to react similarly to drugs like cocaine. While we are creating our addiction we are also starving ourselves of the vitamins and nutrients we so desperately need to LIVE.

Once we have consumed that prepackaged food and received our high we are immediately hungry again because we haven’t given our bodies what they are asking for. So what does this mean to you when you are trying to lose weight??? Quite a lot;

Don’t believe in will power, believe instead, if you give your body what it needs and break the habits that cause us to eat when we aren’t hungry you won’t need to white knuckle through another diet EVER.

The amount of “Whole Foods” (foods that are as close to their original state as possible) it would take to reach the point of excess calories (which causes weight gain) is practically impossible to reach on a regular basis. Meaning most days you would only consume the amount of calories needed to sustain you and either see you weight decrease (if you had excess weight to lose) or easily maintained without gaining weight each year you grow older and your metabolism slows!

A whole host of other ailments that plague you, resulting from being nutrient deficient will start to lessen or disappear because you are feeding your body the correct vitamins and nutrients it needs. This increases your motivation as you start to remember what feeling GOOD feels like.

Try this for two weeks and let me know how it works for you….
Make you breakfast, lunch and snacks whole plant based foods. Followed by eating a well balanced dinner of a combo of your “go-to” processed and unprocessed foods.

That’s right, No packages for two weeks for breakfast lunch and all snacks. No containers, boxes or bags. What does that leave you ask? Anything you can buy in bulk and that you can eat in it’s natural state, or as close as you can get.

Fruits, veggies, whole grains (quinoa, brown rice, bulgur, oats etc) 100% juices, teas, nuts, seeds etc.

Breakfast: Steel Cut Oats with berries and almond milk

Lunch: Lettuce Wraps stuffed with you favorite veggies and peanut dipping sauce or Vegetable Soup.

Dinner: Brown Rice Pasta and Marinara Sauce (and your lean protein of choice)

Snacks: fruit, almonds, chickpeas, smoothies etc.

The increase in energy, lack of blood sugar swings and clearer skin are all happy by-products you will experience!!!

Email me with your results or with any questions at info@theveganhouse.ca

Yours in Kindness,
Amber

About the Author: Amber has been in the fitness and recreation game for over 15 years (not including school!!). She made fitness her life because as the age old saying goes, study and teach what it is you need to learn. In other words, she’s battles with some weight issues for many years and wants to share what she has learned along the way.

You can follow her @TheVeganHouse

What if Human’s Disappeared?

January 29, 2015

Post: Lindsay Hogg

A new video from AsapScience

Wow! That’s crazy. I love science!

Within just the first few hours of extinction, power plants would run out of fuel and shut down and the world would lose power. But as things decayed, our footprint would far be forgotten. Rubber and plastic will last forever if humans disappeared from earth.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) Treatments

January 23, 2015

What is Seasonal Affective Disorder?

SAD is a type of depression that is brought upon by season changes. It normally appears the same time each year. It is more common during winter months when there is a lack of sunshine (vitamin D). It can leave you feeling tired, moody and sad. The best treatment for SAD is light therapy (a sun lamp). It is also encouraged to add regular exercise to your routine, which is one of the most effective ways to help with depression.

Choosing the right type of SAD Light

There are different ways in which you can help fight the effects of Seasonal Affective Disorder and it will depend on medical advice which is the best option for any individual. If it has been recommended to use SAD Light Therapy treatment you have choices in which may be the best type for your lifestyle as some people have more time than others in getting a treatment on a daily basis. Sad.co.uk have outlined some of the key therapy’s which might be suitable;

Types of SAD Light

Traditional & LED White SAD Lights

White SAD Lights provide a full spectrum range of light that is the closest you can get to sunlight safely and while initially they used bulbs over 10,000 luxe in recent years LED versions have become available as they last longer before needing replacement if at all. Treatments with a White light can last from 30 minutes to an hour and a half depending on the model so if you have enough time during the early day these are ideal. Most traditional and LED white light units are also larger units than say the Blue Lights.

Blue Light SAD Lights

The blue light range has been singled out because it is one of the most effective in the treatment of SAD due to it giving a much more intense light that shortens treatment times down to 15-20 minutes. If you lead a busy lifestyle and have little free time then the blue lights can be much easier to fit into your routine. They also tend to be available in smaller, more compact SAD Light units so are ideal for travel as well.

Dawn Simulator Lights

While not technically classified as SAD Lights as they aren’t powerful enough to give a treatment, Dawn Simulators can help to relax you and give you a better sleeping pattern. Dawn Simulator Lights work by commonly being programmable to create a slow-building synthetic sunrise in durations of 15-90 minutes to ease you into a new day. Alternatively many can be set to simulate a sunset as well to help your brain wind down and overall they are ideally suited if you are a shift worker as they can work to adjust your circadian rhythm.
You should always check with your medical advisor initially on a course of treatment if you have SAD or suspect you may suffer from it before choosing the right type of SAD light that may work best for you personally. For more information about seasonal affective disorder then please check out SAD.org.uk.

The Real Secret to Losing Weight is Self Love

January 14, 2015

Author: Ann O’Brien

From the time I was 10 years old I have struggled with my weight. My story is typical, tried the diets, the exercises, all the usual stuff you hear from people who talk about their journey in weight loss. And like the common story, it didn’t last. I couldn’t stick with it, there was always something that would come up, a party, a holiday, a major life event and I would fall apart, lose my good intention and go back into my old habits. The pounds would come back and the self loathing would begin.

It usually started in the mirror, me looking at my body. I would stare at myself and think “god what is wrong with you?” “why can’t you get this together.” “i’m so fat. No one will ever want me like this.” “I’m disgusting.” “Ugh, so gross, look at this belly.” And so on. This would send me into an energetic tail spin and the only way for me to shut those voices up was to start stuffing my face with whatever I could find. Food was something I could control and it made me feel good to eat. The act of eating was a way for me to fill myself up, the focus would fall away from the mean things I would say to myself and shift to feeling docile and relaxed, or being too full to focus on anything at all.

I couldn’t grasp what I was missing. Why was I sabotaging myself? Where is this coming from? What do I need to do? Physically I was doing all the right things, so why couldn’t I stick with them?

When I started working with Reiki things began to get clear. When I connected to myself through reiki energy I started to see how I was showing up for myself mentally. Particularly when it came to my physical body. I realized that I was so disconnected from my body that I actually viewed it as completely separate from myself. I was in a perceived fight with my body and treating it like it was something that needed to be punished because it wouldn’t do what I wanted it to.

When I began meditation, transformational yoga and reiki practice, I got really clear on where my extra weight had come from and why I was still holding on to it. My relationships through out my life were unhealthy and mentally abusive and my reaction to that was to create a barrier around myself rather then fully deal with these situations, clearing them, forgiving myself and those involved and letting them go. My being overweight was related to a story I had created about myself that I needed to protect myself with this physical barrier to keep people from getting to know me fully because

I’ve carried around a fear of being hurt.So how could I possibly stick with a diet, with exercise when I inherently believed I didn’t deserve to treat myself well and that this weight I carried was my way of protecting myself. The root of this journey for me was that in order for me truly be healthy, I needed to accept my body and to forgive and let go of my past. To say, my body is beautiful. That my body is great because it supports me in all the things I want to do. To forgive myself every time I had the thoughts that were hurtful towards me and my body. To know that my body and my spirit are fully connected to each other and it makes up the whole person that is me.

The point of it all was that I needed to change my energy around my weight and why I was holding on to it. It didn’t matter how much I dieted, how long I exercised for, if I ate or didn’t. I needed to heal how I felt about myself. Through transformational work, reiki treatments focused on the energy directly related to my digestion and personal power. Using healing affirmations like “I love my body and all the things it does for me right now.” “I honour and accept myself just as I am” “I am beautiful.” and so on. I wrote post it notes saying nice things like “you deserve to be healthy” “You nourish yourself with good food” “You are safe and protected. You can release your weight, it’s no longer needed to protect you.” and leave them up in places I would see them as reminders of what I needed to know. I would use the gift of reiki and treat myself and even reiki my water and fill it with positive loving energy. I meditate, focused on my heart and I say to myself, “I love myself right now, exactly as I am.”

As of right now, I feel the healthiest I’ve ever been. The weight is falling off which is funny because this is the first time in my life I haven’t been focused on losing weight. I’m focused on being healthy, nourishing myself and treating my whole self really well. That includes having the occasional piece of pizza and indulging in a delicious piece of chocolate cake. And it includes green juice, amazing smoothies, properly portioned meals that are full of life giving nutrients and that support my energy. And lots and lots of yoga! So please, stop fighting your body! Start loving it. Listening to it. Connecting with it. Figuring out your relationship with your body and where you can love it more will be your first step in journey to great health.

Ann O’Brien is a certified Power Vinyasa Yoga Teacher and works with Power Yoga Canada Oshawa, a certified Reiki Master and the CEO of Divine Amore Reiki and Readings, connect with her on instagram @divineamorereiki, like her on Facebook at Divine Amore Reiki and Readings or check her out at www.divineamore.com.

Yoga: My Favourite Pill

December 17, 2014

Author: Eryl McCaffrey

It’s been a long and winding road to get to where I am today: a happy and healthy yoga teacher and wellness writer. I was told as a young teen that there was something wrong with my brain and the only way to fix it was with medication. This seemed far too easy and short-term for me, even at that age. I knew there would always be the truth hiding behind layers of medication. The truth was and still is that I have all that I need within myself to be happy, peaceful and powerful. I did not have a severe chemical imbalance thankfully, and knew I could heal myself from the inside out. How? I didn’t know that part (yet) but I made a commitment to staying open to new ideas and practices.

I had practiced yoga as a young teen with my dad’s old yoga handbook from the 70’s but didn’t make it a regular part of my life until a few years ago. I came back from a volunteer trip to Costa Rica feeling inspired, yet lost and found my feet at a yoga studio in Oakville called Power Yoga Canada. It was challenging, but I felt alive for the first time in years! All of my pent-up frustration and pain seemingly poured out of my body in sweat and onto my mat for good. It wasn’t long before I became addicted to yoga. Soon enough, I was healing from the inside out and I could finally pat myself on the back for trusting that I could find a natural way to brighten my mind.

Yoga has been there for me through thick and thin, miles beyond the capabilities of a doctor recommended pill. My mat was by my side ready to catch me through break-ups, deaths, weight gains and losses, career changes, moves, depression and anxiety. When I thought I had nothing to live for, I lived for the promise of that hot room and my moving body. The rewarding path in life is not the easy one. It’s the one you know you must follow in your heart, but fear to do so. On the true path you’ll want to quit, take the easy way out, give in, give up and hide. You won’t though, because beyond the frustration and suffering is transformation of your mind, body and soul!

You’ll find inner strength, happiness and a deeply deserved sense of peace.

I’m now teaching yoga and writing about health and wellness and I couldn’t be happier! It took some trials and tribulations to get here, but boy am I glad I listened to my intuition. I understand some people have chemical imbalances and require medical treatment, I don’t mean to disprove the fact that some people do require medication. I simply want to share my experience that fighting anxiety and depression through fitness proved to be better than a flimsy Band-Aid of a prescription over my wounds.

Many studies show that exercise has better long term effects on mental health than anti-depressant medication. This Harvard published article, covers a follow up study that showed those who exercised over taking anti-depressants were less likely to relapse into sever depression.

Look deeper, listen to your heart and trust that you already have all that you need inside yourself to feel the way you want to feel and be the way you want to be!

Namaste.
<3 Eryl

**Neither Eryl nor anyone at HealthSouls.com is a doctor or medical specialist. If you want to learn more about exercise vs. medication, click here. Before making any decisions, please contact your doctor or health specialist**

About the Author: Eryl McCaffrey is a Yoga Teacher and Freelance Writer from Toronto, Ontario. She says yoga wakes her up physically and mentally and allows her to step into authenticity and power! Eryl’s especially passionate about using yoga to heal mental health and body image issues.

Check out Eryl’s blog twofeetheartbeat.wordpress.com, website: erylmccaffrey.com and social media – Instagram: @yoga.writer, Facebook: Eryl Hannah and lastly Twitter: @ErylMcCaffrey

Mind & Soul

Why You Should Stop Blaming Your Will Power And Start Believing in your SELF

Types of SAD Light

You’ll find inner strength, happiness and a deeply deserved sense of peace.

Why You Should Stop Blaming Your Will Power
And Start Believing in your SELF