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Secrets to a Stress-Proof Body
I just spent 3 magical days and nights filled with yoga, music and nature . . . and not a whole lot of sleep. Although I had fun beyond my expectations, the high energy of riding on adrenaline is stressful to the body – even when it is good stress.
When tougher times hit, or you become so busy your head spins, the stress can be compounded by difficult emotions or extra mental and physical demands.
Stress is stress and, if you are alive and breathing, it is also inevitable. You can’t avoid it, so you might as well learn the secrets to surviving and thriving, right?
Over the many years (and many stresses), I have discovered some fantastic and super simple ways to create resilience. And a resilient body is a stress-proof body.
Does this mean you can be immune to stress completely? No, but it means you can bounce back with energy, and really get the most out of your life without constantly being in recovery mode and feeling like you are a victim of life, or like you have been hit by a truck.
When stress-proofing your body, I believe in the holistic model, which means addressing all aspects of you – body, mind, emotions, spirit.
In this article, I want to begin with your foundation – your physical body.
Below are 3 simple steps to creating a rock solid physical foundation.
1. Eat Well
This is a huge piece of the resilience pie. If you are eating processed, chemicalized, dry (no water content), nutrientless, packaged or fast food, you are way overdrawn in your resilience bank.
This is like putting Kool-Aid in your gas tank and expecting your car to run well, if at all. With this image in mind, it becomes a little easier to see how what you put into your body can have a bigger effect than you thought.
So, what are stress-proofing foods? Well, generally these are brightly colored plant foods, organic whenever possible, full of water, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Whenever I include more of these in my diet particularly in easy ways like green smoothies, vegetable juices and salads, my body bounces back from set-backs in ways that astound me.
Yes, you need protein, fats, and good carbohydrates, but fresh (raw) plant foods actually have these in them. Leafy greens are especially potent stress-busting foods. So, by putting emphasis on abundant veggies and some high octane fruit like berries, you have your bases covered way more than if you rely on a bag of pretzels.
2. Move Freely
Another piece to the physical part of resilience is moving. We are not just brains, we are bodies that have a brain. In modern day living it can be easy to live above the neck and wonder why our bodies are breaking down.
You need to give your body love. And one of the ways you give it love is to move it!
Moving your body also has a way of connecting you to a sense of peace, purpose and inspiration. I often find that my moments of greatest inspiration are during or after movement – especially if I am in nature.
Your body loves to move, I promise. So dance, walk, run, climb, wiggle, stretch, garden, bike, swim – enjoy your amazing body. When you start to enjoy and use your body, immunity increases, blood flows, toxins are released, good hormones are triggered. Find what you love and do it!
3. Relax Often
Moving is soooo important, and so is relax time. One of the reasons I love yoga so much is because it is really quite an efficient practice. It exercises the body, but it also includes relaxation, spiritual connection, calming the mind, oxygenation, detoxification and immune system support. This is a big part of why I was able to get away with less sleep while on my 3 day trip – because I was doing so much yoga!
If you are pushing, pushing, pushing, you need to find time to relax. This is the time when our body repairs and restores. If you can get some bites of relaxation in everyday, you will find your body getting more and more stress-proof.
Body resilience is really a beautiful thing. It means less sick days, depression, fatigue and even weight gain, and more vitality, joy, health and lightness.
If you want to learn more about how stress-proofing your body can naturally lead you to a healthy weight and joy in your life, be sure to sign up for my upcoming F.REE teleclass:
Secrets to Natural Weight Loss & Body Love
Click here to register and learn more.
love and health,
Ana
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Step One to Food Freedom
Unlike alcohol or cigarettes, food is not something we can just quit if we suspect we have an unhealthy relationship with it.
The reality is you need to eat. It is something you will do day in and day out, multiple times per day for the rest of your life.
So, if you truly want to shape your body and life into the beautiful, exquisite flowers they are meant to be, I feel it is well worth taking this first step towards finding freedom from food and in your body.
This first step is about getting real with yourself and being willing to cultivate AWARENESS.
What I see over and over again in my one-on-one practice, my groups AND myself is that we don’t always eat (or not eat) because of purely physical needs. Food and eating become emotional crutches, often filling a void or making us feel falsely in control.
There is so much in life that is seemingly out of our control (although is it really? But that’s another topic), why not commit to empowering yourself with what you DO have full control over?
This concept is quite simple, but I know it is not easy. These habits and beliefs are deeply entrenched in our being, so it takes stepping outside of the daily routine to shine the light of awareness on them and begin to transform. That is why I am committed to holding your hand, so that you can achieve the results you desire.
Many clients are often surprised that I don’t hand over an eating plan on day one. Wouldn’t it just be easier to be told exactly what to do?
The answer is “yes” AND “no”.
Yes, maybe for the first day or week or even month, but then what? How can reading off a diet plan actually be sustainable in a vibrant, juicy, fulfilling life?
Instead of following some diet plan, the first step to food freedom is to begin practicing awareness of where you are losing your power. This is usually in some limiting belief or insecurity that developed long before we could understand what those words meant.
So, how do you cultivate awareness?
Step number one is: EAT ONLY WHEN HUNGRY (and getting in touch with real hunger).
This is critical if you wish to be your slimmest, most radiant and energetic self. The simple equation is when you eat more than your body really needs, you will most likely gain weight. The exception to this is someone with a hyperactive metabolism or a malabsorption issue.
Even if you don’t gain weight, energetically you are overburdening your body with food. So instead of giving you energy, it is now taking energy away. Eating only what your body needs is very different than calorie counting. This is about listening deeply to the cues of your body. If you have been reading my newsletter for any length of time, you know that counting calories will get you on the boring number-crunching road to nowhere – fast.
Okay, so here is a question to ask yourself as you begin your journey towards awareness:
Do I eat only when I am hungry?
If the answer is no, then ask:
Why not?
My suggestion is to really “stay” with these questions. Ask them, then stop to listen quietly, and ask again.
Better still, sit down with a pen and paper and brainstorm a little bit. You might be really surprised by what you discover.
Some examples include:
– I eat because there is nothing better to do
– I eat because others are eating
– I eat because it is time to eat
– I eat because I am uncomfortable
– I eat when I am at work
– Eating to avoid something you don’t want to do
– I eat because I “just needed to get rid of _____”
– I eat off my kid’s plates because I don’t want to throw it away
– I eat because I need to stay up a little later
– I eat when I have an argument with someone
– I eat because I just love eating
– And on, and on . . .
What are your specific examples of when you eat when you are not really hungry?
Take a moment to begin to cultivate your own list.
I know I used to eat (or not eat) for many reasons – when I was alone, when I felt out of control, when I was unhappy with myself, when my feelings felt too painful to face. The good news is that this IS reversible.
Once you identify the conditions under which you eat when not hungry, the next step is to dig deeper and ask:
“Why do I eat when I’m ________ (at work, alone, etc.)?” Is it because of anxiety, habit, loneliness, stress, etc?
This is the real nugget to shining the light on what is really going on, which almost always starts the “disengage process”.
In other words, once you see this limiting behavior or belief, it no longer has the same control over you.
For example, if you discover that you eat at work because of stress, you will need to begin to uncover the layers of what exactly is causing the stress and take action towards lessening or removing these stressors.
This very simple process that only takes a few minutes, can go a long way in restoring a healthier relationship to food, your body and to your life. You see these components are intricately and intimately connected.
Begin exploring this for yourself and see whether you can start enjoying greater empowerment, peace and joy.
Let me know how it goes!
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Vitamin O
Are you deficient in this critical nutrient?
Most people are!
It’s called vitamin O, have you heard of it?
No?!
Well, you absolutely need it to survive!
Plus, it is necessary to burn fat, boost metabolism, reduce stress, digest properly, build bones and prevent osteoporosis, help brain function, prevent cravings and slow down the aging process.
So, as you can see, if you are not getting enough of this vital nutrient, you could be in big trouble, as well as not living a vibrant, delicious and energized life!
What is vitamin O? Where do you get it? How much do you need? How much does it cost?
Great questions!
Get the full scoop in my video here:
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The Metabolic Power of Presence
In yoga there is a law that states: “where attention goes energy flows“.
So, whatever you are present to is what is fed, what flowers, what grows.
This can be applied to just about any area of your life.
But what I want to focus on here is how presence relates to your metabolism, energy, digestion and your health.
First, let’s just look at what presence is and how it works.
It has been scientifically proven that we can affect anything simply by observing it and paying attention to it. You can affect another’s behavior by observing them.
We might call this self-consciousness, but this phenomenon has also been shown in animals, planets and more.
You may have even noticed for yourself that when you are in nature, observing the beauty around you, that you experience an almost immediate sense of relaxation and well being.
Well, this emotional responsiveness to what we put our attention on also relates to our body and to our metabolism.
When you eat with awareness and really fully choose presence with your meals, research has shown that you actually assimilate more nutrients, digest better and boost your metabolism.
Digestion, in fact, begins in the head! Wow!
Now, you may be saying “big deal, I don’t have time for this”, or “I don’t really care”.
Well, I encourage you to listen up because if you wish to maximize the nutrition from the food you eat, increase your energy, burn more calories without getting on the treadmill, get more enjoyment from your food and prevent overeating, this is THE tip you can start right away for profound results.
Without presence in the act of eating, you will experience less enzymatic action in the gut and be more likely to experience digestive problems (even if you don’t “feel” them), bowel disorders, lowered immunity, and fatigue. Not to mention you will most likely hold onto weight, have more difficulty losing excess weight AND overeat.
YIKES!
In order to take full advantage of the metabolic power of presence, you must give your full attention to eating. This means no TV, no reading, no computer, no eating while you work or while you drive. Be fully present.
Now, the slight exception to this would be eating in the presence of others. This is fine and even beneficial. Sharing a relaxed meal with family or friends is still supporting the attention being on your food and the act of eating.
Your Action Step:
For the next week be totally 100% present to your meals (and snacks). Remove all distractions and commit to this with your whole self.
Create a relaxing atmosphere alone or with others. If you are at work, step away from your desk.
Notice your food, smell it, look at it, really taste it, chew it, breath it.
Really make this a meditation.
Extra credit: Now if at some point during the week you choose to indulge in or binge on a “forbidden” food, be totally present.
DO NOT leave the building. Pay attention to what happens when you actually scoop the ice cream out of the container into a beautiful bowl, create a calm and comfortable environment and sit down, while enjoying it slowly.
If you are eating low quality ice cream, you will most likely put it down pretty quickly. : )
Even if you are eating the good stuff, you will most likely be satisfied with less.
This is not easy, I know, so be gentle with yourself.
I encourage you to try this, and please leave a comment below to let me know how it goes!
with love,
Ana
p.s. Are you ready to get serious about boosting your body’s natural healing powers, boosting your metabolism, increasing energy, raising your vibration and living a fulfilling, joy-filled life all from the comfort of your own home?
In my Total Body Transformation Program homestudy course, I walk you through step by step in how to reach your goals and become energized & radiant, naturally.
Questions, Comments? Please email me at Ana@YogaBodyNutrition.com
