Does this specially formulated diet, designed to help you cope with the stress that builds during the day, sound familiar?

Breakfast: 1 grapefruit, 1 slice whole wheat toast, 1 cup skim milk

Lunch: 1 small portion boneless-skinless-lean-steamed chicken, 1 cup spinach, 1 cup herbal tea, 1 Hershey's kiss

Afternoon snack: The rest of the Hershey Kisses in the bag, 1 tub of Hagen-Daaz ice cream with chocolate chips

Dinner: 4 glasses of wine (red or white), 2 loaves garlic bread, 1 family size supreme pizza, 3 Snickers Bars

Late Night Snack: 1 whole Sarah Lee cheesecake (eaten directly from the freezer)

For many, the day begins with the best intention: a commitment to eat healthy, well-balanced (even tasteless) foods for the betterment of personal health and satisfaction on the scale.  Yet, as the day progresses and the stresses of daily life have you seeking enjoyment in SOMETHING, you turn to food.  If you can relate to this cycle and wonder how you might savor your foods AND lose weight, keep reading.

First, it's important to understand that healthy oils and fats are essential to us!  If you try to keep yourself on a no-fat/low fat diet, you are depriving your body, your health, and your pleasure of eating.

Fat Facts:
Polyunsaturated fats include a healthy balance of omega 3's (fish, flax, egg yolks, and animal foods that have grazed on green grass; important to get more of these) and omega 6 (we get plenty of these in our food supply).

Monounsaturated fats include: olive oil, almonds, avocados...

Saturated fats, found in yogurt, cheese, and animal foods, are often discouraged, but especially in winter, these foods are a vital addition to our diet.
 
1. High quality fats help the body stay insulated against daily stress and cold weather.
 
2. Fat soluble vitamins A & D are important for absorption of minerals, growth, brain tissue health, and sexual development.  If the animal you are getting milk/meat from was raised eating plenty of green grass and having exposure to the sun, you will get a good amount of vitamin A & D.  
 
3. Fat is necessary for hormone production.
 
4. Cells are composed of 50% saturated fat, so eating it helps cells function and stabilize insulin response.

You don't need to sacrifice taste to balance your diet.  Simply be mindful, a vegetable-centric meal plan best supports your intake of fiber and diverse vitamins and minerals, plus vegetables aid in digestion.  Finding the balance of your unique body needs, allows you to achieve and maintain a healthy weight.  By incorporating high quality foods, you make a significant difference in both nutrients and taste; I suggest organic and local products.   And remember, some fat is good for you, and a little goes a long way.
 
For consultations on health, nutrition, and weight please contact Nathalie here.

Back in first and second grade, I became friends with Jim; at recess everyday, we would go on the swings or play "Six Million Dollar Man," running around the basepaths in slow motion with bionic legs while the rest of the kids looked on quizzically.  We spent a lot of time together, and I just liked being around him.  He was one of those people I could just be myself with.  He laughed at my jokes, we could be silent, or talk with each other; it didn't matter.  As sometimes happens with kids, we grew apart for several years and then reunited late in middle through high school as if we'd never missed a beat. 


In high school, he would pick me up every morning and drive me to school.  At one point, we had a hurtful argument, and yet, each morning he would still pick me up, and we eventually worked it through; even in the pain, we were still friends.  When his father died, I got dispensation from the military to fly home and be with him; when I moved to Alaska, he spent ten days in the car with me driving my life up there.  Just great, great friends. 

That friendship didn't happen suddenly; we built a mutual foundation of trust. It took time to get to know each other when we were young, and dedicated, concentrated work to stay honest with each other as we grew older.  It takes time, effort, and energy still to stay in touch.
  
The fortunate among us have our "Jim's"; the question I have for each of us is, are we that same friend to ourselves? 

I lead a monthly meditation group of wonderful souls, and in November, we experienced a Heat meditation in which we learned to trust and know and grow the heat energy within our bodies.  Over the past several months, we have been going deeper as a group, following the season as we've traveled from the Autumnal Equinox to the Winter Solstice.  Most of us bundle up to keep the cold out; with this practice, on this night, we appreciated the cold, as we allowed it to support us in knowing the beauty and the warmth within ourselves.
 
What I appreciate most about this group is the willingness for each person to go a little bit further than perhaps they feel comfortable, to stretch in this safe environment we've created together.  It truly has been an "all levels" group, melding newbies with practiced meditators, sitting side by side and going deeper inward. 

In the playgrounds of my youth and the playgrounds of these meditations, I have found lifelong friends, both with others and within.  Here's to all the "Jim's" in our lives, and the wonderful "us" just waiting to be known. 

Jamie leads meditations once a month, and all are invited to attend (see upcoming dates).  Just drop him a line and let him know you'd like to be there.  The next meditation will be on Wednesday, Dec 16th from 7:30-8:30 PM.  He's also co-facilitating the What's Next Workshop Series, which begins again in January; again, all are invited to participate!