"Imagination—our ability to create images not available to the sensory system—is arguably our greatest faculty for evolving human consciousness. In order to transform ourselves and our world, we need to be able to leap out of the familiar and into the unknown. The first step in doing this is to imagine a future different from the past, a self-sense different from the one we have now. Of course, we are shaped by our memories, our karma, and the patterns woven into our neurons and cells. Undeniably, we're also influenced by culture and physical circumstances. Some of these factors are hard to change. But the imagination can help us begin to replace our internal patterns, especially the ones that keep us limited and stuck. If we can reimagine our sense of who we are, we can change our experience of life. Yoga is all about what happens when we recognize this truth. If you can imagine yourself, say, free of suffering, you've taken the first step toward that freedom"
check out the whole article:
It's All in Your Mind
Friday, April 29, 2011
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Eating Well!
I stopped dieting and I lost 2 lbs... I wasn't really dieting, but following weight watchers and tracking my food and adding up points every day was feeling like a diet. I decided to take week 7 off. Over 6 weeks I lost 9 lbs. and I thought that was really good! So I said, I don't care if I don't lose anything this week, I'm going to take a vacation from tracking food points, and instead focus on eating well and exercising, and see what happens. I lost 2 more lbs... I did make an effort to add 10 points to my usual, average exercise weekly points, and since I was already in the food habit of watching point-values via types of food and portion sizes, it all seems to have come together. This is a feel-good moment, for sure.
I am however, also kindly reminded by weight watchers, that losing more than a lb/week can be unhealthy and have other consequences. They tell me to make sure not to lose too quickly. This seems crazy because for a year I have been battling to maintain my weight instead of continuing to gain more. But this also means that I am, after 7 weeks, into something new and my body has decided to go along willingly. I realize that it does take time to discipline yourself as well as work consistently to alter eating and exercise habits, and for your body to adjust. I mean I have generally, for years now, always eaten healthy. And I usually get regular exercise. But what I've learned is that these were never as consistent as I thought; I was in the end eating too much and often over-snacking, or eating the wrong things too often (more often than I realized). Also it is true that aging requires fewer calories, and adjusting to that in itself is a major challenge. And exercise should be consistent, consistently; it's not just for weight loss, but for whole and long life wellness.
I've also discovered even more great recipes, and a lot of easy ones filled with veggies and good stuff! Once or twice a week I try to cook a real dinner, and also have healthy leftovers and other easy-prep stuff (soup and salad are standards) so I don't have to really cook every night. This is a luxury I realize since I don't have kids or other people to cook for every night. But I do also like to make large batches of things that I can freeze or have fresh leftovers available... In any case, here are two awesome recipes I found, both of which can be eaten alone or in combination with other stuff like sweet potatoes, chicken (or chicken sausage, which I had with the stuffed mushrooms and it was so excellent), salad, cucumbers in yogurt, asparagus... you get the idea.
creole-style stuffed mushrooms
I am however, also kindly reminded by weight watchers, that losing more than a lb/week can be unhealthy and have other consequences. They tell me to make sure not to lose too quickly. This seems crazy because for a year I have been battling to maintain my weight instead of continuing to gain more. But this also means that I am, after 7 weeks, into something new and my body has decided to go along willingly. I realize that it does take time to discipline yourself as well as work consistently to alter eating and exercise habits, and for your body to adjust. I mean I have generally, for years now, always eaten healthy. And I usually get regular exercise. But what I've learned is that these were never as consistent as I thought; I was in the end eating too much and often over-snacking, or eating the wrong things too often (more often than I realized). Also it is true that aging requires fewer calories, and adjusting to that in itself is a major challenge. And exercise should be consistent, consistently; it's not just for weight loss, but for whole and long life wellness.
I've also discovered even more great recipes, and a lot of easy ones filled with veggies and good stuff! Once or twice a week I try to cook a real dinner, and also have healthy leftovers and other easy-prep stuff (soup and salad are standards) so I don't have to really cook every night. This is a luxury I realize since I don't have kids or other people to cook for every night. But I do also like to make large batches of things that I can freeze or have fresh leftovers available... In any case, here are two awesome recipes I found, both of which can be eaten alone or in combination with other stuff like sweet potatoes, chicken (or chicken sausage, which I had with the stuffed mushrooms and it was so excellent), salad, cucumbers in yogurt, asparagus... you get the idea.
Tempeh Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients
| 5 item(s) bell pepper(s), (preferably red and/or yellow) (medium) | |
| 3/4 cup(s) quick cooking brown rice, uncooked | |
| 2 tsp olive oil | |
| 8 oz tempeh, diced | |
| 1 cup(s) onion(s), diced | |
| 1 cup(s) zucchini, diced | |
| 15 oz canned tomato sauce | |
| 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese | |
| 2 tsp minced garlic | |
| 1 tsp italian seasoning | |
| 1/2 tsp black pepper | |
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut off tops from 4 peppers. Remove seeds and set hollow peppers and tops aside. Dice remaining bell pepper; set aside.
- Bring 3/4 cup of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add rice; cover and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 5 minutes until tender.
- While rice cooks, heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add tempeh and sauté over medium-high heat until golden, about 4 minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside.
- Add remaining teaspoon oil to skillet. Add diced bell pepper and onion; sauté until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Add zucchini and sauté until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and stir in cooked rice, tempeh, tomato sauce, cheese, garlic, Italian seasoning and pepper. (Note: Look for tempeh in the refrigerated section of your grocery store near other soy products.)
- Fill peppers with tempeh mixture and cover with pepper tops. Place in a shallow baking dish and bake until peppers are tender, about 30 minutes. Yields 1 stuffed pepper per serving. (Note: Store stuffed peppers for up to 3 days in the fridge.)
creole-style stuffed mushrooms
Ingredients
*I used mini portobello mushrooms, regular portobellos would be yummy too, and easier than filling a bunch of small mushrooms...
| 1 spray(s) olive oil cooking spray | |
| 1 pound(s) button mushrooms, about 24 large mushrooms | |
| 1 tsp olive oil | |
| 1/4 cup(s) onion(s), chopped | |
| 1/4 cup(s) sweet red pepper(s), chopped | |
| 10 oz chopped frozen spinach, thawed and drained | |
| 2 1/2 slice(s) whole-wheat bread, chopped into bread crumbs | |
| 1 tsp Creole seasoning, or Cajun seasoning | |
| 1/4 tsp ground turmeric | |
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a jelly roll pan with cooking spray.
- Remove mushroom stems from caps and finely chop stems; reserve caps and set aside.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Sauté mushroom stems, onion, pepper and spinach until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and stir in remaining ingredients until well-combined.
- Stuff each mushroom cap with 2 tablespoons of filling mixture. Place mushrooms, stuffed sides up, on jellyroll pan. Bake, uncovered, 15 minutes; serve warm. Yields 2 mushrooms per serving. (Note: The mushrooms can be stuffed in advance, covered, refrigerated and then baked later in the day to save on last minute preparation time.)
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
portion size
Here's a simple article about how portion size has been distorted over the years in the American diet: How Portion Size Adds Up
...if you feel like you don't know how much is too much, or it seems like you don't overeat even if you do, this may help. Our internal scales have been affected by the cultural supersizing effect so that when we make or are served a normal portion of something, it seems like it's not enough. Or when we're served multiple portions-worth of food, we eat more because it's right there in front of us...
It can be especially challenging to fight against a century of cultural diet manipulation... so if you feel sometimes like you're crazy, fighting an un-winnable battle, don't give up. You're not crazy, the battle is not really a fight but a commitment to a better personal future. And if you think you're going to starve if you have to live by "normal" portion sizes, just know that you're not... it takes some working into, takes some patience to let your body adjust down into more healthy parameters, but in the end, as the cliche goes, it will be worth it, and you are worth it.
...if you feel like you don't know how much is too much, or it seems like you don't overeat even if you do, this may help. Our internal scales have been affected by the cultural supersizing effect so that when we make or are served a normal portion of something, it seems like it's not enough. Or when we're served multiple portions-worth of food, we eat more because it's right there in front of us...
It can be especially challenging to fight against a century of cultural diet manipulation... so if you feel sometimes like you're crazy, fighting an un-winnable battle, don't give up. You're not crazy, the battle is not really a fight but a commitment to a better personal future. And if you think you're going to starve if you have to live by "normal" portion sizes, just know that you're not... it takes some working into, takes some patience to let your body adjust down into more healthy parameters, but in the end, as the cliche goes, it will be worth it, and you are worth it.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Chocolate Walnut Cake
 I haven't yet tried this cake, but it looks intriguing! No flour and lots of eggs... I'm gonna make it this weekend and see what happens!
Ingredients
Instructions
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Sunday, April 17, 2011
gaining health (and some weight loss)
The recent yoga journal article on health and weight was really helpful to me for continuing to think about long-term health as a process and life-long endeavor to eat well, to get good exercise, to plan activity dates with friends and be healthy together. Into the 6th week of weight watchers, I've struggled with the anxiety over losing and not losing enough lbs every week. The past few weeks I have cut back on food intake, and just generally changed my eating habits. I've also tried to include just a little more exercise every week, working it in more subtly and consistently to my regular-life schedule. But when I get to the scale on Thursdays, there isn't as huge a payoff as I want there to be. And then I have to give myself "the talk" about life, and health, and practice.
In yoga the teachers often say, "this is yoga practice, not yoga perfect." I love that. And in fact, I feel like the more I do yoga, the harder it becomes. It's not hard in a way that makes me feel like I can't do it, but just the opposite: the more challenging it is, the more I'm encouraged to push myself and keep practicing. I definitely feel that I've improved as a yoga practitioner; I have more strength, and some days better balance, and I can do a lot more core strengthening things (crunches and etc!) before it hurts bad. But I also feel like continuing to practice is exactly that: staying in the space of the present, enjoying the process and letting go of the anxiety of goals or analyzing or judging myself for what I'm not doing and what I don't look like.
This has been the most helpful in order to keep tracking points and really spending time with my eating and exercising practices. Eating less and feeling satisfied, making better choices that benefit this body, exercising more in ways that feel good and energizing...these are what yoga-inspired weight watchers is helping me to learn.
Lately, one of my yoga instructors has been saying, "what you focus on, you create." I have learned this the hard way in my personal relationships, and this has affected my physical and emotional life. But now that I have more insight, and better practices from moment to moment, I only feel positive about continuing to learn and "improve" myself, from the inside out.
In yoga the teachers often say, "this is yoga practice, not yoga perfect." I love that. And in fact, I feel like the more I do yoga, the harder it becomes. It's not hard in a way that makes me feel like I can't do it, but just the opposite: the more challenging it is, the more I'm encouraged to push myself and keep practicing. I definitely feel that I've improved as a yoga practitioner; I have more strength, and some days better balance, and I can do a lot more core strengthening things (crunches and etc!) before it hurts bad. But I also feel like continuing to practice is exactly that: staying in the space of the present, enjoying the process and letting go of the anxiety of goals or analyzing or judging myself for what I'm not doing and what I don't look like.
This has been the most helpful in order to keep tracking points and really spending time with my eating and exercising practices. Eating less and feeling satisfied, making better choices that benefit this body, exercising more in ways that feel good and energizing...these are what yoga-inspired weight watchers is helping me to learn.
Lately, one of my yoga instructors has been saying, "what you focus on, you create." I have learned this the hard way in my personal relationships, and this has affected my physical and emotional life. But now that I have more insight, and better practices from moment to moment, I only feel positive about continuing to learn and "improve" myself, from the inside out.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
yoga and weight (loss) and health
A really excellent article about the health benefits of yoga, including (and besides) weight loss:
Why Yoga Works
Why Yoga Works
Monday, April 11, 2011
great article borrowed from weight watchers site
Spring into Action Challenge
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With just a few weeks until Memorial Day the season of reawakening is upon us. As we spring back to life we realize that the season of short sleeves and bathing suits fast approaches. This year we challenge you to take a step outside of your comfort zone, clean out the cobwebs and set some serious goals. Four weeks may sound like a short period of time, but with focus, in that time you can make a dramatic difference in both how you look and feel.
If you are just joining us this week, the Spring into Action Challenge aims to focus your efforts on weight loss and rejuvenation. It will urge you to take on more than you think you are capable of in an effort to find out just what you can actually achieve in this precious window of time. We ask you to battle the inner voice saying that you can’t make a change in just four weeks and defy the excuses that cripple progress. Summer, social events, outdoor living and an active life are just around the corner. This year we will make sure you are ready to face them head on.
For each of the four weeks of the challenge we urge you to set four goals, representing the four pillars of the program that lead to successful weight loss: eating right, moving more, changing behavior and finding support. We will provide guidance, but ask you to push the envelope. Don’t just try, succeed. Set goals that seem just beyond where you think you might be able to reach in order to set the bar higher going forward. Set aside time each week to be thoughtful about the goals you are setting and dedicate some time to planning just how you might attain them.
Week Three: Go green
Eating smarter: This week is all about the green – green vegetables that is! Nearly all vegetables are Weight Watchers Power Foods, so they will help you fight off hunger with fewer calories. Green vegetables, especially the dark green leafy kind, are especially healthy. Most of us are familiar with broccoli and spinach, but this week we challenge you to get outside the box and prepare or use as many green vegetables as you can. Try avocados, broccolini, Brussels sprouts, kale, okra or tomatillos. They offer a range of nutritional benefits including cholesterol control, cancer fighting properties and a good source of vitamins.
Moving more: The prescription for fitness within the PointsPlus™ program is to complete at least 30 minutes of activity on most days. Research proves that 90% of people who have kept weight off over time have a regular schedule of activity in their lives.* If you want lasting weight loss, you are going to have to find a way to make fitness a part of your everyday life, no excuses.
If you have been with us for the last two weeks you have started walking and added resistance training to your day. This week in keeping with the theme, we challenge you to go green! Get out of the gym into the beauty of nature. Turn off the treadmills and walk or run outside. Notice how green the world has become in the past few weeks! Don't forget, this challenge is not about comfort and ease. This challenge asks you to push your limits. This week focus on using nature and your surroundings to get the exercise you need. Use hills for greater resistance, climb stairs and do push-ups to continue gaining strength and endurance. Focus on yoga and stretching on the beach or in a park. Allow the great outdoors to be your gymnasium! Be sure to write down what you do each day to continue to monitor yourself as your strength grows. Compare just how many more sit-ups you are doing this week than last week.
Build helpful habits: This week is all about going green. Many of the modern conveniences that have popped up in the past quarter of a century truly lead us to a sedentary lifestyle, while spending energy. This week swear off at least one thing that removes movement from your life. Get off the escalator and use the stairs. Don’t use email to ask a question of your officemate, get up and go to her office. Build habits that allow you to get up and move more in your day. Are you driving to the store when you really could walk? Examine places in your life to replace activity that has been sapped by technology.
Finding support: This week we urge you to give your support to someone who needs it. Find somewhere where you can volunteer your help this week to help someone in need. Giving of ourselves can lead to feelings of happiness and self worth. Get outside of yourself this week to give in a way that will lead you to feel great about your actions. When we feel good about ourselves we don’t need to turn to food for comfort.
The four challenges set forth for you this week support the plan in fundamental ways. It is up to you to take the time to work these new goals into your life. Believe us that your time will be well spent. We recommended that you decide on one fabulous beauty treat that you have been wishing for as a reward for completing the challenge. Start planning out how you will make it happen. Do you need to book your appointment for your facial? Do you need to set aside time to get to your favorite make-up counter? Make a plan and focus on all the positive ways in which you have changed in just a few short weeks. Keep pushing ahead and we will see you next week, one step closer.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
figuring portion size
eating the right portions is the hardest! this site might help some...
When you can't measure, estimate
When you can't measure, estimate
Monday, April 4, 2011
Wrap UP March Health Month
Stressfully Speaking is a great blog for information and counter strategies for all things stressful.... in March they devoted a daily dose of health advice to give stress less chance to take hold... here it is: http://stressfullyspeaking.blogspot.com/ There is a very nice combination of images, researched information, quotes of the day for inspiration and comments.... it is consistent over many postings and very upbeat and positive... a non-stressful approach. Enjoy!
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