A whole lot of crazy

Taken from http://thedaffodilproject.blogspot.com/

The last few weeks have been full, packed to the gills, overcommitted. I have been busy running:

• Meetings
• Technical Training Consulting
• Working with my fabulous clients
• Teaching Classes
• Traveling to FL (not for a vacation)
• Attending Networking Events 
• Writing newsletter
• Preparing for Upcoming programs and classes (HINT HINT)
• This gets all sorts of extra stars ****
• Learning how to belly dance (who knew it would be so hard?)
• Weight training
• Yoga
• A few chiropractic appointments 
• A Shiatsu massage (anyone else hold tension in the gluts - tender!)
• A brow wax (things were outta control!)

It is all just a little much. I'm sure you feel the same way. There is always something more pressing than your health. I don't want to miss out on life, yet at the same time I've got a To Do list that makes my head spin. Not to mention that there is another holiday around the corner that is ready to derail us from our health goals. Check out one of these posts for some sweet ideas Post A, Post B it is V-Day after all.

However, I for one am very excited about my upcoming Defrost Detox Program. It is a time where I too get to reaffirm my own goals and participate fully. One of the key ingredients I will be focusing on during my 4-week program is to cool it and chill the @)(&@#! out! It is a time where I am reestablishing a relationship with myself and making myself and my own needs a priority. Make yourself number one and you will see that by taking that time for yourself you will be more like the person you truly are within.

Detoxing does not only involve what you are or are not putting into your body (excess sodas, caffeine, alcohol, pre-packaged foods, sweets). And, believe me food is a vital UPGRADE when transforming your health. But, your lifestyle plays a key role. Think about what the missing piece is for you. Is it your diet or your lifestyle? Is it a combination? Take some time to reflect on what you really need right now to feel your best and take steps toward attaining that goal. Make your goals bite sized and manageable. Reward those efforts you make - not with food, but with some other tantalizing treat.

Check out the details here of my upcoming Defrost Detox and jump in. 

What's your body image?

Are you one of the many women who has a hard time looking in the mirror? Do you have a warped sense of self? I know that this is an area that I have struggled deeply with myself. If you are you in need of a body image tune-up then, you might appreciate this show by Carson Kressley "How to Look Good Naked" - because most of us do have that desire to look smoking hot wearing zip/nada/nothing. Maybe you will be inspired. I think that this episode seemed tasteful enough though at first I was certainly fearful when they started the show in nothing but skivvies in front of huge mirrors, not to mention cameras...Check it out.

My Individual List of "poison" foods

Over the last 6 - 7 years as I have been working toward healing my various ailments (depression, bad skin, digestive discomfort, weight gain, insomnia, etc) I started doing a lot of research. My goal was to try and determine what I could do holistically to turn these problem areas around naturally and without prescriptions.

The two main tools I found have been through diet and lifestyle.

Each person is an individual and although there are many foods that are not beneficial, junk foods, excess sweets & alcohol, bad fat. Sometimes there are seemingly good foods that although are not "bad" can actually be seen as a poison to your own individual body. I know that using the word "poison" must seem like overkill, but as I have watched myself and my clients' health transform I think the word poison is actually very fitting.

Here are my individual foods that do not agree with my body:

• Bananas
• Soy (including Tofu, Tempeh, Edamame) 
• Catfish
• Cow's Milk
• Coffee
• Cornmeal
• Fructose
• Gluten containing foods (this is a major issue for many people and it is very hard to avoid if you use convenience pre-packaged foods)
• Halibut (sent me to the emergency room twice, though the doctors said it couldn't be the fish)
• Lamb
• Liver
• Mushrooms (again with the mold issue)
• Oat (typically cross contaminated with gluten)
• Peanuts (they can contain a lot of mold and I am very sensitive to mold)
• Pork
• White Potatoes (though I believe my clients on the whole do better leaving these out of their diet as it is such a high glycemic food)
• I still enjoy potatoes though rarely and I select Yukon Gold/Fingerling, Purple, Blue or Sweet Potatoes
• Shellfish (clams, crabs, oysters, scallops, shrimp, lobster)
• Strawberries
• Sucrose
• Black & Green Tea

It took me a while to tune into this knowledge. Even when I intuitively knew that dairy had something to do with being bloated. Or that gluten might have something to do with my lack of concentration, or that bananas (the perfect food for SO many reasons) would cause constipation - I still didn't want to believe it. I mean it seemed like an awful lot of work to remove these foods from my diet. Right!?!

Most of my clients know there are foods that do not work for them, but they continue to eat these foods because they are so common and they don't know any different. They also don't trust themselves and rather buy into whatever diet plan seems the most alluring at the time. And, I don't blame them - its what I did since I was 8 years old. My recommendation to you is to try tuning into that knowledge and seeing how much better you feel when you do.

How do you do that? Grab a notebook and start charting how you feel after you eat. You will start pin pointing what sets you off whether its migraines, gas and bloating, zits cropping up, your energy might be zapped, maybe your allergies are worse. Once you chart how you feel take the time to trust that knowledge. Pay attention to what you have been consuming - food and beverages (and don't forget about your body care!). Not only will you be much closer to your optimal health goals you'll realize that it is a lot less work to eat the right foods than the wrong. 

If you are interested in learning how to do an elimination diet and getting support then sign up for my newsletter on my website www.MaryLangfield.com and look out for one of my upcoming group programs (you'll get recipes & other health tips too).

Everyone needs a laugh...

This is probably my new favorite show! This seems to be the 1st episode so keep on the lookout for more after January 21st 2011. I haven't been to Portland, but I have always wanted to go. Maybe someday. Check out this silly episode and see if it makes you laugh. Sometimes I feel like a freak when I ask so many questions about the food I am about to order at a restaurant, but usually I end up sticking to veggies to keep it simple.

Cabbage Saute

I was asked to post this recipe that I made for Christmas. I hope you enjoy it as a main meal or as a side dish with lunch/dinner or for breakfast with a side of chicken sausage. Yum!

Ingredients:

• 1 Small Cabbage or 1/2 large
• 1 leek, sliced into rings (or yellow onions)
• 1 bunch of kale (de-stemmed)
• 4 cloves of garlic minced
• Pinch Himalayan sea salt
• 2 tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Ume Plum Vinegar - to taste

Directions:

1. Chop up the cabbage, chop up/rip the kale leaves, mince the garlic
2. Heat your pan on low, add the extra-virgin olive oil
3. Add the leek and let it sweat a bit
4. Add the sliced cabbage, stir and coat the veggies with olive oil, cover for 7 minutes (or so)
5. Add the kale with a bit of himalayan sea salt, cover for a few minutes until wilted
6. Add the ume plum vinegar to taste (it gives the greens a lovely sour taste)
7. Serve and enjoy. Makes enough for 6.

As with any recipe you may need to "play" with the ingredients to get the flavor you desire. Please do not feel constricted to follow these directions exactly. If you don't have cabbage, use what you have like zucchini or green beans.