There are many reasons we hold on to fat. Louise Hay, Jon Gabriel and many others believe that one of the reasons is that our body uses fat as a shield to protect us from perceived threats.
 
Our subconscious helps us function on automatic. It helps us to breath and our organs to function without us thinking about it, and it also helps us form habits so we can do everyday tasks easily, like driving a car, speaking, using eating utensils, etc, without going through that awkward learning process every time we do something.  Its also responsible for how we respond to stress. That’s why starting a new habit is so hard, the subconscious is trying to protect us from pain and discomfort.
 
Now think about our ancestors, the hunter-gathers. If you needed to get away from a saber-tooth tiger for instance, you would literally need to run for your life. Let’s be honest here, you most likely couldn’t outrun a saber-tooth tiger, but you might be able to run fast enough to get to a place of safety before being overtaken. Being thin and agile would be an asset to help you hunt for your dinner and hopefully keep you from becoming dinner. On the other hand if you lived in a cold climate, an extra layer of fat may keep you from freezing to death.
 
The problem is that the subconscious can’t differentiate our modern day stressors from being chased by a saber-tooth tiger or freezing to death. It just screams, “Danger Will Robinson, Danger!” And then it determines if you need to be thin or fat to protect you, based on your feelings.
 
Feelings are extremely powerful and have enormous influence over us. Say you work or live with someone that scares you or is very difficult to get along with. You would love to put a lot of distance between yourself and that person, but for what ever reason you can’t. Your body might interpret that as needing an extra layer of fat to protect you from your surroundings, literally putting distance between you and the other person. On the other hand, if at a subconscious level, you thought you wanted to be invisible, you might become overly thin or anorexic.
 
This of course is an over simplification, but you get the idea. The good news is that you can actually change the way you think! Our beliefs can be changed by consciously paying attention to what you think and how you feel, journaling about it, affirmations and visualization.
 
Join our upcoming health workshop and learn more about visualizations, how to curb food cravings and stop dieting forever!

What do you think of when you hear the words “brain food?” You think of fish of course, but fish isn’t the only brain food. There are other foods that are good for your brain including certain weeds that you can find in your own backyard!
 
 Do you know why these foods are good for your brain? The brain is actually made up of fat, and foods rich in antioxidants and essential omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, are an excellent choice to keep your brain healthy.
 
At least twice a week eat fatty fish, which is rich in omega 3 fatty acids DHA and EPA, such as wild Alaskan sockeye salmon, which is low in toxins, and wild Tilapia from the Mediterranean, which is low in mercury. Avoid farmed fish, they’re fed hormones, antibodies and may be exposed to pesticides and other toxins.
 
Other fish you should avoid due to high levels of mercury, antibiotics, chemicals or overfishing: most species of Tuna contain high levels of mercury but according to some Bluefin Tuna is the worst, Shark, King Mackerel, imported Catfish, farmed Eel, Orange Roughy, Chilean Sea Bass (overfished), imported Shrimp, Swordfish and Tilefish are the top ten to avoid.
 
Other foods that are high in antioxidants and omega 3 fatty acids: low fat organic dairy, hormone free, although there is some controversy over whether or not cow milk is actually good for humans; grass fed organic beef, eggs from chickens fed a vegetarian diet which is hormone and antibiotic free, legumes; lentils, chickpeas and kidney beans; avocado, walnuts, cashews, Brazil nuts, Chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, flax seed oil, flax seed, olive oil and dark green vegetables like; Brussel sprouts, kale, spinach, cabbage, collard greens, mustard greens, watercress, sea vegetables and purslane, which is a weed that I’m sure you can find in your flower beds and yard, (see picture).
 
Purslane actually has a lot of nutritious value. It tops the list of plants high in vitamin E and an essential omega-3 fatty acid called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) that helps the body to produce DHA. Purslane also provides six times more vitamin E than spinach and seven times more beta-carotene than carrots. It's also rich in vitamin C, magnesium, riboflavin, potassium and phosphorus. So the next time you weed, save the purslane and serve it in a salad or side dish, lightly sautéed.  It has a mild nutty flavor and crunchy texture.
 
Other nutritious weeds include: dandelion, lamb’s quarter, stinging nettles and plantain, and that’s not the banana like plant (see pictures). All these weeds are high in vitamins, minerals and contain omega 3s.
 
Most Americans get plenty of omega 6s, although most of it comes from cooking oils, which is not the best source since high temperatures can make the oils rancid. But Omega 6s can also be found in avocados, walnuts, seeds and borage oil, you can buy capsules at the health food store.
 
Another good source of antioxidants are berries and we should eat two to three 1/2-cup servings a week. Berries help protect small blood vessels from free radical damage and may increase blood flow to the brain.
 
Here’s the good news and the bad news. First the good news, red wine and dark chocolate are rich in antioxidants and studies have shown that alcohol may help improve blood flow to the brain, but the bad news is that both should be consumed in moderation. Wine is only good for you if you can limit yourself to one 4 oz. serving per day. Too much alcohol can increase your risk for brain degeneration, tax your liver and use up the body’s supply of glutathione, which is essential to detoxify free radicals.
 
According to an article in Prevention Magazine just one ounce of Dove Dark Chocolate, by Mars, has twice as much antioxidants as red wine and other dark chocolates. Studies even suggest that Dove dark chocolate can help protect your heart and lower cholesterol levels! Of course we all know the side effects of too much chocolate, so try to limit it to just one ounce serving.
 
So my recommendation for tonight’s dinner is baked wild sockeye salmon, with a purslane salad, a glass of red wine, and berries and Dove chocolate for dessert. Here’s to your health!
 
 
 
 

I’m reading a book on organizing by Marie Kondo, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, I know, what can I say I have no life. Anyway, it reminded me that often when our mind is in turmoil our surroundings reflect what’s going on internally.

Our mess reflects the part of us that’s feels out of control. It may or may not be the entire house or office. It may be an extra bedroom, your desk, a junk drawer, your dresser drawers, closet or even your car.
 
The problem is that when our mind is in turmoil it can be difficult to tackle the external mess. I’m not an organizing expert and if you need help I can certainly recommend someone, but reading Marie’s book reminded that the best thing to do when your feeling overwhelmed is to tackle just one small project at a time. The trick is to just start!
 
Don’t think about all the things you have to do, just concentrate on one thing, but finish it to completion. For instance if your office is a mess don’t decide to work on the entire room in one day, you’ll get overwhelmed and won't start, just tackle your desk and don’t stop until its’ cleared off. If you leave part of the project for another day you won’t have the sense of pride and accomplishment you’ll get from seeing your desk the way you want it, and finishing that one project will make you excited to do more.
 
Try not to think of organizing as work, think about it as taking back control of your life. Be excited about regaining your power and you’ll also find that when your surroundings are calm, you’ll feel calmer and be able to handle things better.
 
I have to share this wonderful tip from Marie’s book. You may already know how to fold clothes, but I have tried all kinds of methods, from rolling them to folding them flat and nothing has really worked well for me.
 
Marie suggests that you store your clothing standing up. “The goal is to fold each piece of clothing into a simple, smooth rectangle. First, fold each lengthwise side of the garment toward the center (such as the left-hand, then the right-hand sides of a shirt) and tuck the sleeves in to make a long rectangular shape. It doesn’t matter how you fold the sleeves. Next, pick up one short end of the rectangle and fold toward the other short end. Then fold again, in the same manner, in halves or in thirds. The number of folds should be adjusted so that the folded clothing when standing on edge fits the height of the drawer.”
 
I love this method! I found that folding my clothing in this manner makes it easy to find what I want immediately, because I can see all my clothes at one time, and they actually take up less space and aren’t wrinkled!  
 
Enjoy yourself, be empowered and live with intention!