Climate Control : Summertime

Hot Weather means different body needs.

In summer heat your body works harder to keep you comfortable and so it has less energy to digest food. Sure, you can go into air conditioning and eat a heavy meal. But when you leave, you will feel sluggish. That puts a damper on enjoyment and lowers productivity.

I live in NYC and the heat for the past 3 days has been over 100 degrees setting all kinds of records. Heat affects us in so many ways- besides the obvious sweating and discomfort- really hot weather impacts our appetite. We instinctively eat less or lighter foods in hot weather.

This sounds good for losing weight, but the problem is that a lot of us live with air conditioning. When you’re cooled off, a big hot steak, and a piece of heavy cake looks appetizing. Ouch.

Don't be fulled into eating by climate control!

Sharpen your 6th sense in the summer heat by using your intuitive self-defense, called Foresight. Try it and you will recognize your intuition, and it will get stronger the more you use it!

Foresight is looking ahead of the consequences of what you're about to do.

Ask yourself:

How will I feel if I eat this now?

Do I want it?

What can I eat that will help my body be comfortable in this heat?

It's intuitive to stay in sync with your body. It's stressful to fight with your body and it's painful to ignore it. Tune in to your summer body. 

Be good to your body in the heat.

Eat celery. It's full of minerals and natural salts you lose through perspiring.

Drink coconut water because it replaces electrolytes.

When you're eating in air conditioning use a smaller plate to hold your food and smaller utensils. This is a way to achieve portion control without thinking about it.

Extreme heat also effects us emotionally. Temperatures can shorten, and moods can dip. Emotions that make you eat destructively or want to give up are not intuitive. Intuitively you want the best for your self. That's your intuitive self-defense.

A good summer habit is to sip water while working or relaxing.

Be careful of fruit drinks because they often are as sugary as soda. 

What your body wants when you are hot, is water. 

If you don’t like the taste of water, then try some of these tricks:
         -Put about an inch of fruit juice in your glass and fill the rest with water. If it’s available, add ice to help you cool down. Plus, the chilled drink may taste better to you.

         -Keep some herbal/fruity iced tea in the fridge. Many herbal teas have raspberry or other fruits in them. Since it’s hot to make tea, if you have the time, any tea can be made in advance by just placing tea bags in a pitcher of water, and letting it sit in a sunny window for a few hours or overnight. The flavor will automatically seep out of the bag and into the water. Sweeten your tea with fruit juice.

        -A slice of lemon or lime can make a glass of water a drink. Lemon or lime with a few tablespoons of juice mixed with water is very refreshing.
       -Put a half teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water. The vinegar is not as acidic as lemon and it will make your mouth feel clean and refreshed. Plus, may people consider apple cider vinegar to be a health tonic.  Some small studies have hinted that apple cider vinegar could help with several conditions, such as diabetes and obesity.

Use the hot summer months to eat differently and see how your body responds. Trust your instinct to eat light and you will feel lighter. Winter eating habits are for the winter- your needs change with the seasons.

Use intuition to protect yourself.

Diet or Eat Intuitively?

Are you ready to let go of the stress of having to think about every thing you eat in terms of calories, portion control or programs?

Are you ready to eat for energy and good health?

If you answered 'yes' to the above questions, you're ready to eat intuitively.

Classic dieting doesn't work. It's a fact that 95% of dieters re-gain their weight.  Diets create stress that rolls into all aspects of your life. Diets:

-cause emotional dependency on program structure.

-create dependency on calorie counting.

-make you doubt yourself which sabotages self-esteem.

-claim to know more about your body than you do.

-sabotage your relationships by creating stress at mealtime.

Intuitive eaters maintain their healthy weight. Eating intuitively is liberating. Intuitive eating:

-is a focus on your how your body feels, what you value, and your personal goals.

-means you're the expert.

-brings an open relationship with food and eating that is flexible.

-has no emotional component so you enjoy eating.

-can bring new life to your relationships.  

When you make the choice to be an intuitive eater, you begin. Yep, it's that easy. Doing what you really believe takes courage. Making the choice is like turning a corner. The fact is: eating intuitively is a choice.

Intuition puts you in control of your eating because it keeps you clear about your priorities and your boundaries. That protects you.
Using your intuition means, your emotions don't rule, you do! When clarity is the foundation of your efforts to be your healthy weight, it happens. 

Everything you do takes effort, and every effort you make creates results. Be clear about your eating goals, and you will achieve them.  Make the choice.

  

“Life is the sum of all your choices.” Albert Camus

How to be an intuitive eater is made clear when you read Am I Really Hungry? The website for the book is being built right now and that will bring you forums and answers that you're looking for. Coming soon.

What are you craving?

July 4th is Independence Day. 

It's intuitive to crave freedom.

For intuitive eaters, freedom's not just another word. Freedom is self-control.  It's eating what you want, when you're hungry. No rules, no pressure to eat what you don't like. It's positively relaxing.

It's human to have cravings.

We crave love, sex, chocolate, money, happiness, understanding, affection, good health, companionship or a new pair of shoes. The list is personal. When you have a craving and your eyes look at food, ask your self, Am I really hungry? Most cravings are not for food, they're social.

Eating intuitively puts you in control of your choices. It's trusting and listening to your body. Instead of planning what to eat in advance, intuitive eater's look at food options and ask, Am I really hungry?

If you believe you're craving food, eat protein. People who diet are usually hungry for protein. Fruit and salad won't satisfy you if you need protein. Eat a handful of almonds or walnuts if you're on the run, and your body will relax and the craving will be satisfied. Nuts are a dense protein that take time for your body to metabolize.  When you eat what you need, suddenly there's time and freedom for other cravings to be satisfied- even if it's as simple as craving a good nights sleep.

 The 15 Minute Solution is about candy and craving.  It's a method you can trust to know if you're craving is social. Do you want affection or another piece of pie? Take control of your craving and feel some relief from the pressure. Connect with a freedom from cravings.

When you're alone and craving a container of chocolate ice cream, use The 3 Minute Rule, and you'll realize that you know what you want.

When you feel trapped by cravings, it's an uncomfortable gnawing inside. As you practice eating intuitively you'll know yourself better, and free yourself from cravings. When you recognize what's pushing your buttons and use your intuitive tools to keep an open mind, you make choices that bring long-term satisfaction.

When you are in sync with yourself, you always find choices. Ask yourself, Am I really hungry for food? and if you're not sure, give yourself the freedom to say, no. 

Take the plunge. Keep an open mind. Tune into yourself and eat intuitively. Nobody craves a ball and chain and restrictive dieting is a ball and chain. Nobody wants to feel trapped and when you don't feel in control of yourself, you feel trapped. Give yourself a chance.

Happy Independence Day from New York City!

Let the golden lights of the fireworks shine a path of eating freedom for you.

Speed-Eating helps you gain weight.

I was sitting next to an overweight man in his 20's who believed it was macho to eat really fast. It isn't. It's self-defeating.  Speed eaters don't taste their food, appreciate their meals or get good nourishment from their food. Speed eaters eat more. This man was convinced it's 'military style' to inhale your food. It's not.

People in the armed forces trust their intuition to stay safe. There's nothing safe or smart about speed-eating.

Intuitive eating means keeping clear about priorities like safety and strength.  When you eat at a moderate rate, you get more nourishment from food and can go longer between meals.

Eating slower lets you connect with your own sensuality which impacts other areas of your life.

It gives your body time to really digest food so that you get energy instead of stuffed. 

Eating slower is an intuitive way of controlling your weight because when you eat slower you eat less.

I just got back from a family vacation and meal-time was a big deal. Every meal is a big deal to your body. Your body only relates to food as a means to produce energy and ensure good health. That's why it's right to stop eating before you feel 'filled up'. 

Just like you don't fill a coffee cup or bowl of soup to the very top because it will spill or overflow, don't "top off" your stomach when you eat. When you're on vacation and eating with gusto, think of your stomach and slow down. Chew more. Notice how your body feels.

There is a very thin line between healthy eating and over eating. People who eat really fast cross that line every meal. You know you cross the line when you feel bloated, tired, stuffed or general indigestion. Your stomach is designed to be active digesting food you eat. When you stuff it, there's no room for it to work efficiently. You feel bogged down instead of invigorated by your food.

It takes courage to do the right thing. To respect your body instead of stuffing it, is being tuned into your priorities in a safe, smart way. Chew more and you'll eat less.

Your Body is Talking!

Your body is talking to you. Are you listening?

Your body tells you when you're hungry and lets you know when you're not. Body language is a kind of a nudge or an ache. When you're needing to eat it's a push and when you've overeaten it feels like a kick in the gut. When you're not really hungry and you're around food, your body will communicate by feeling shut down. Learning to recognize body language guides you to eat when you're hungry and stop when you're not. Listening to your body will have it and you feeling satisfied and energized!  Here are ways to stay connected with your body when you eat:

First: Be Tolerant of your whole self, body and mind, by acknowledging that you are trying hard to eat smart for your body. Part of being tolerant is forgiving the past and staying in the present.

Hey- the present is the only thing that exists right now!

When you're down on yourself you stress your body which releases hormones that make it hold onto fat!  

Listening to your body and being kind to your body  lets it relax and let go of fat!

This is a guarantee- try it! Let me know how it goes- and I'll post your results. 

 Posts will get a FREE consult with me about how to intuitively connect with your body to lose weight.

Second: Use your senses: see, smell, taste, touch, hear around food. Over eating happens when you don’t notice you're putting food into your body. Body language is loud when you tune-in. 

Let your intuition work for you.

Intuition keeps your priorities clear. It frees your mind from trying to control your body so you enjoy eating! 

Don’t wait until your body screams at you with gas or bloat pain.  Don’t wait until your body is embarrassing when you put on your bathing suit  or when you’re ready to make love. 

Listen to your body.

Be proud of your body by respecting yourself - body, mind and heart. This is how to be kind to yourself.  Eat smart by respecting your self.  Your body will be purring, and you will be happy.

Say a prayer.

Feed your soul  and say good-bye to unwanted weight.


I received an e-mail from a woman I'm coaching to be an intuitive eater. She's started to silently say a prayer of appreciation before every meal and believes it's why her body's feeling healthier and she's losing pounds. 

If you're ready to lose weight and stop yo-yo dieting, feed your soul. 
Appreciate your food, whether it's humble or fancy. This feeds your soul.

Because you can eat when you feel hungry while others can't,
say Thank You before you eat.  

The more you feed your soul, the less your body weighs. It's a fact.

Intuitive eating is feeding your whole self. This shows self-respect for your mind, body, soul and heart. You're an amazing, beautiful and complex person. Appreciating who you are, and what you have, puts you in touch with your intuition. Try it.

If you wonder what you have, start with your 5 senses and be thankful your eyes can read this. You can hear the voice of someone you love, touch the hand of a child, feel the sunlight on your face or groom a pet. Saying a prayer of appreciation is simple and powerful.

The real way to be your healthy weight is to feed yourself differently.

When your treat your body with kindness,  you are feeding your heart love

Appeciate your whole self in the morning when you wake up. 

When you eat, ask yourself: What am I hungry for? 

and then, Am I really hungry?

My new book, Am I Really Hungry? is being launched in September. The book teaches how to eat when you're hungry and stop when you're not. You re-discover how your intuition works and gain access to health and fitness, and end 'dieting' for good. This book is the foundation of my IntuEating for success programs which I will soon be talking about.

For my loyal blog readers I am making copies available at a discount for a limited time. Contact me  and mention this blog. I will send you a copy of Am I Really Hungry? for 50% off retail price. 

with appreciation...

Bad Habits and Intuitive Tools

Bad habits are self-defeating because they make us feel bad about ourselves. Using the intuitive tools to stay clear about what drives eating choices, blows bad habits away. The purpose of intuition  is to keep us clear about priorities and boundaries for the best quality of life. Using intuition to stay your healthy weight makes sense.

Intuitive tools are guides to natural health for you to trust and lean on, the way you use a handrail to help you up the stairs. When you hold onto the handrail, even if you slip -- you won't fall. Using  intuitive tools is the beginning of shedding bad habits. You won't fall back into the habit of yo-yo dieting.

If you want to lose weight by eating intuitively, but you're not committed to the experience, this means you don't trust yourself. This bad habit is awful. You experience it as a hopeless attitude about yourself and may feel isolated - which is not real. When we fall into the trap of bad habits, we're living in the past.

Dieting creates the bad habit of being tense at mealtime. Intuitive thinking connects you with natural inner strength. Inner strength feels like a calm awareness. Imagine being relaxed when you sit down to eat. That's intuitive eating.  

It's intuitive to eat for energy. That's being in sync with your body. Think of energy and strength like a river. When you are in sync with your body, the flow is natural and the current (your intuition) keeps you moving toward your destination. When you fight with or restrict your body, there are blockages or overflowed banks (weight gain).

Take the plunge, connect with your inner voice and trust yourself! Stop fighting with your body; learn to respond to it. Use intuitive tools to lose weight. You won't regret it -- guaranteed.

Start trusting yourself by using your senses to stay in touch with what's real, and you won't be eating because you're lonely. Kick bad habits out of your life by staying on track with intuitive thinking.