Once upon a time, there was a woman named Eve, who, unable to resist the luring temptation of a fragrant orchard, took a bite of forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge. Perhaps Eve was bored. Perhaps she was ovulating and had a desperate craving for something sweet. Perhaps life in the little garden was becoming stressful or claustrophobic. Perhaps she felt out of control or lacked passion in her life and in order to numb her emotions or soothe herself from Adam's lack of attention or his ambivalence in starting a family, she chose to indulge. Perhaps Eve was an emotional eater. But as Eve soon discovered, neither the bite, nor the whole fruit fulfilled her as she had hoped. Not only did she realize she was naked but that she had contempt for the way she looked. Perhaps Eve suffered with body dismorphia. Eve tried to stop eating the forbidden fruit and eventually avoided eating altogether but that didn't work and she ended up eating until she could no longer breathe. The point of this is that Eve lost her intuitive ability to nourish herself. She no longer had balance in her life and was willing to do any and everything to get that back. 
Break Free From Your ROUTINE
Routine can be as addictive as a tub of Ben & Jerry’s right after a…well let’s just be real…after one spoonful.
And while enjoying this (as a major treat every now and again in the correct portion…OMG I sound like my mother, sorry) is relative to savouring the moment, it can also sabotage all of your efforts to live a healthy, fit, lifestyle.
Same goes for routine. I know it may not seem that way but it’s true.
Taking a break every now and again from your routine is necessary to achieve balance and lasting health. Really, it is.
Routine offers little room for spontaneity so it is invaluable for us to break free of our regularly scheduled training, eating and timings. How many of you honestly, feel compelled to eat the same foods day in day out or train your bodies the same way everyday?
Although this may be helping you achieve results physically, what do you think it is doing for your mind and spirit?
One word: SUFFOCATION and deep down inside, especially overtime, you start to get the feeling of, is this all there is?
HELL NO. Life is happening.
Here are some of my favourite ways to jump on the freedom train:
1. Get out of town - You will be forced to try new cuisine, experiences and train in a different setting.
2. Take a new class or train at a different gym - Never tried yoga or barre? Why not grab a friend and have some fun trying it out? Perhaps sign up for a guest pass at another gym or taking your workout outdoors.
3. Try a new recipe every week or a new food each day for a month - Need some inspiration, click here. Check out what foods are in season and as you are walking in the market, see what draws your attention. eat intuitively.
4. Book a spa day - Pamper yourself at your favourite spa. Enjoy a massage or a treatment package either on your own or make it a date with a friend.
5. Try shopping at a DIFFERENT market - One where you don’t know your way around and enjoy the experience of trying new things. Farmers Markets are amazing if you have access to one.
6. ***Write down areas in your life where you are dedicated to your routine and notice how you feel in those areas of your life. Do you feel in control? When you break free do you feel out of control? Notice and become aware of your control patterns. The need to control is based in fear and does not serve your higher self.***
I love this chart on PLANT BASED PROTEIN SOURCES!!!
Food Prep!
Ever heard of that saying ‘plan to prepare or prepare to fail!’ When it comes to transforming your lifestyle, I would have to say that planning has to be your numero uno priority.
This is an example of a food prep done by my friend and fellow Eat Clean Diet Ambassador Padme Armadala who is a passionate clean, recipe chef in her own right and always posts picture of my recipes looking fabulous.
I wanted to share this beautiful photo of her food prep so that you can see how much effort actually goes into eating clean, especially if you have a busy life! Knowing what you are going to be eating and snacking on throughout the day can make all of the difference in helping you achieve your goals.
It may look daunting but once you get your groove on, you’ll leave your Louis Vuitton behind in place of some BPA-free tupperware & a insulated cooler bag…ok maybe not that far…one on each arm?
I love this chart on a woman’s healing herbs, it’s such a fantastic reference!
Such a great reminder to print out and stick up in your kitchen!
(source: sunwarrior.com)
I love this chart on plant-based protein options. Whether you are a vegan or not, having a visual guide to portion sizes is so handy.
I have this one downloaded to my phone so I can use it as a quick reference when I’m out or on trips.
What are your favourite plant-based proteins on the list?
(image: thriveforward.com)
“Every accomplishment begins with a decision to try.”
What is it that you want for yourself? Say it out loud.
I CAN’T HEAR YOU!!
Good.
How did that feel?
There is always a certain power and energy behind the first day of a new week and month.
As a coach and someone who has been through the ups and downs of starting over and starting fresh more times than I want to count, I understand the importance of making a commitment to yourself and how difficult and intimidating starting over can be.
Let me tell you something that I learned, something that changed everything for me…
You have the freedom to create a healthy lifestyle that you actually enjoy.
Enlightening right? I know.
I used to think that I had to really push and punish and be strict with myself to feel and look the way that I wanted. What I noticed was how the restrictive, punishing way..the way I thought was the right path to my goal backfired on me over and over again.
Sound familiar? Why not try something different this time?
When it comes to creating a healthy lifestyle you love starting today, here are somethings to consider:
- Eat healthy foods that you LOVE! Take time to shop and prepare delicious meals that you look forward to. Use yummy foods like fruits, healthy fats and high quality proteins and whole carbs to craft things that really nourish your body…and YES this can include sweet things too!
- Take the time to rest and sleep early. This makes all the difference. Tuck into bed with a good book and then set a decent time for lights out. You will start to crave your rest and before you know it, your mind and body will begin to feel energized and relaxed.
- Choose a training program that makes you feel good!! Stay away from the tortuous, brutal training sessions that you hate because chances are you body will resist them too and you will fall right off the wagon quickly. Mix it up! Try classes, running, weight training and cross training.
- Spend time with your spirit whether it be through yoga, meditation, walks with your besties, music, good books and time with nature.
My invitation is for you to start fresh, start today! Harness the power of this new fresh month and week to fuel you. Use every single day this month as an opportunity to create the healthy life you have always wanted and you will come to learn that you will never have to ‘start over’ again.
Seriously.
Do you ever just want to look FEAR in the face and just ROAR?
After spending years of my life shackled to my fears, I have finally learned what it takes to break-free and leave fear in the dust. No longer does it control my life or have any bearing on my decisions and let me tell you, there’s a totally different view from this mountain :D
Check out my article on ‘Living Fearlessly!’ in Oxygen Magazine’s ABS Special Issue, on shelves as of yesterday.
Here, I share my tips and tricks on how I live fearlessly and how I use fear as an indicator on how to navigate what I am truly feeling. From this place of truth, I am able to view the situation clearly so that I may choose LOVE over fear and thus make decisions that positively impact my life and my health.
I hope you get a chance to check it out and thank you always for your support of my work. To check out more of my articles and published stuff, click here. Lots of love xo
PLANNING TO GO APE SHIT OVER THIS SHIT, THIS WEEKEND?
PUT IT DOWN AND STEP AWAY FROM THE EGG
YEAH…I’m talking to you.
Let’s start with some cold hard facts:
- 1 Cup of Mini Eggs is 1082 Calories and has 42 Grams of Fat (not the healthy kind) and 140 Grams of Sugar
- 1 Cream Egg is 150 Calories and has 8 Grams of unhealthy Fat and 20 Grams of Sugar
- They are full of artificial colour, corn syrup, flavour and ‘modified ingredients’ what the F is a modified ingredient anyway?
- Once you start eating these, you will not stop. They are highly addictive and they are meant to be
- The sugar and fat in this delicious crap (yes, I realize they are amazing I’m not trying to pull the wool over your eyes here) will mess up your hormones and will affect your mood, not to mention after a mini gorge on them, you probably won’t feel so hot.
The last thing you need is to sabotage yourself by binging out on Easter chocolate, trust me, I have been there and its not worth it. I don’t even buy them anymore…I know…Bah Humbug! Who cares? If you are tempted, its better not to put yourself in the line of fire.
Here’s a little helpful trick: If you start on the eggs, think about how you’re going to feel when you wake up on Tuesday morning, it always works!
Why not respect your body this Easter?
If you are dying for some chocolate or are in the mood to celebrate with something sweet, try snacking on a bit of dark chocolate OR one of my sweet treat recipes that will actually make you feel great, fill your body with healthy fats and superfoods and will having you indulging guilt-free.
Whattdoyousay you kick that egg to the curb and whip up a bowl of THIS instead!
