Adopting Healthy Eating Habits

Eating healthy is critical whether your goal is weight loss, fitness or a healthier lifestyle in general. However, you don’t have to meticulously count calories or starve yourself to be healthy; rather, you need to provide your body with ample nourishment. While junk food and sugary treats might present challenges and temptations, adopting correct eating ideas and strategies will help make healthy eating a natural habit.

Below is an overview of basic tips and suggestions to help you stay fit and eat healthy.

Learn to Love Your Veggies Include as many vegetables in your diet as you possibly can. In addition to vegetables being packed with more nutrients and fewer fats and calories than meat-based dishes, vegetarian foods also offer a lot of variety and can be a real treat for the taste buds.

Get Creative with Fruits Fruits have natural sugar and can quell a sweet tooth. But if the sucrose from the fruit alone is not enough, add a little honey to sweeten it further. The sweetness from these choices is healthier than refined sugars, and the natural sugars in fruit and honey have far fewer calories.

Eat the Rainbow If you’re concerned about whether or not you’re eating enough from each of the food groups, try seeing each meal as a rainbow. What colors are missing? What colors are present? Are you eating many colors, or do you tend to focus on just one? If your plate usually looks like a multi-colored painting, then you’re likely consuming the minerals, vitamins and nutrients your body needs.

Drink Water or Fresh Juice with Crushed Ice Instead of Fizzy Beverages Although this may sound too easy to be worthwhile, it does have legitimate merit. Crushed ice gives water a slightly fizzy texture that can meet your need for carbonation. If you drink a lot of sodas because of their sweetness, add fresh juices to your water and crushed ice.

Employ Positive Affirmations If you have a problem with willpower and find it difficult to stick with your plan to eat healthy, consider reciting positive affirmations every day to help make eating healthy a natural instinct. Although this may sound too simple to be realistically effective, the truth is that the simplicity of the act is where the power lies. Perhaps the example that follows will illuminate this concept for you.

If someone tells you day in and day out that you are unattractive, over time you will begin to believe that assessment. Similarly, if you tell yourself that you’re ugly over and over again, you will begin to feel ugly regardless of how physically appealing you may actually be. Positive affirmations function the same way, in that telling yourself over and over that you enjoy being a healthy eater will cause you to embrace and believe this statement over time.

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Sussing Out Your Sixth Sense

What we commonly refer to as our "sixth sense" goes by many different names: gut feeling, inner voice, instinct, intuition, subconscious. Regardless of which term you prefer to use, this sixth sense is not some magical or mystical power that only a few people are blessed enough to possess; rather, it is as common and natural as the other five senses we automatically accept as being valid and real because of our experience.

Theories about Intuition

One of the most common ways in which people "explain" intuition is to relate it to the scientific understanding of energy. For instance, we know from the Law of Conservation of Energy that energy can be neither created nor destroyed; as such, everything that exists in the universe is energy in some form. Moving to a more metaphysical understanding of this concept, we can see that all human interaction – whether physical or mental – is essentially interaction between and among different energies. In this way we can sense the energy that surrounds us with our bodies as well as the energy of every situation we visualize with our minds – and THAT is how our sixth sense manifests. An awareness of the reactions of either/and our bodies or minds – no matter how subtle – to those we meet and the situations in which we find ourselves can lead to an accurate understanding and interpretation of the meaning of these reactions.

Others describe this sixth sense as our ability to tap into "universal knowledge." Similarly to those who subscribe to the aforementioned energy concept, those who embrace the concept of universal knowledge in relation to the sixth sense believe it allows us to access the past, present and future knowledge of the all-knowing Universe that is not bound by constraints like linear time. In this sense we are all able to make more appropriate or advantageous life decisions because we're all blessed with some degree of this sixth sense; as such, our primary goal should be to master the interpretation of the simultaneously subtle-yet-obvious cues of intuition.

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The Law of Attraction and Building New Relationships

While it's undeniable that being in a loving relationship can be incredibly fulfilling and full of positives, it's also undeniable that finding relationships like that can be difficult. We've all experienced the defeated and heartbreaking feeling of rejection or an otherwise failed relationship, and most would agree the risks of these unpleasant experiences are worth it if it means finding real love and joyous fulfillment. That said, it's this end point that it can take an entire lifetime for some of us to reach.

While some might claim that finding love boils down to fate and being in the right place at the right time, others would argue that we exercise some control over what – and whom – we attract into our lives. If you're in the second camp like I am, you understand that your thoughts and actions determine your fate. Whether you call it the Law of Attraction or fate or something else, these are the factors at work in finding fulfilling relationships.

Attracting Fulfilling Relationships

It's likely you were drawn to this article either because you're dissatisfied with the state of your current relationship or because you experienced a significant heartbreak in the past. Regardless of from which perspective you’re coming, the first thing you'll have to do is wipe your slate clean in order to attract into your life the love you deserve. It doesn't take a relationship expert to realize that dwelling on past betrayal and hurt isn't helpful but instead makes it more difficult for you to move on to something positive. Comparing potential romantic interests with a past lover simply brings the past into the present and prevents you from exploring the potential of new relationships.

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Finding Guidance

Regardless of their personal belief systems (spiritual focus, formalized religion, or a combination thereof), people tend to like the comfort of feeling connected to those beings that support us from the other side, whether we believe "the other side" to be an alternate universe, a heavenly realm, etc. One reason people find this so comforting is that they like knowing that something greater than themselves is available for them from which they can seek or receive guidance and clarity. I maintain that our angels (or guides, if you prefer) constantly surround us, always at the ready to gently guide us toward happier and better lives if we are willing to ask for their help. We can communicate with these guides in any of several ways, including those listed below.

Oracle Cards

Most divination and many bookstores carry angel and divine guidance cards with the rest of their merchandise. Oracle cards typically have about 50 cards in a deck that are full of words of compassion and wisdom. To properly read and benefit from oracle cards, first calm yourself with an effective mind training exercise, then silently offer a prayer of gratitude to your angels before requesting their help. Shuffle the deck a few times because spreading the cards on a clean table and selecting one card.

Although on the surface drawing oracle cards can seem like an entirely random way to seek guidance from your angels, the reality of the situation is that the "magic" of this process lies in its randomness. Selecting a particular card over all the others in the deck enables your angels to direct you to choose the right one rather than leaving it up to a matter of coincidence or chance.

Seek Help and Wait

For people who find it difficult to keep faith, simply choosing to seek help and wait can be the best way to getting guidance. When you find you could use a little nudge of guidance...

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How Your Past Can Lead to Obesity

Obesity is blamed on many things related to our physical health: food cravings, metabolism rate, thyroid issues, lack of exercise, binge eating, etc. Yet examining obesity from a psychological perspective reveals that there’s far more to obesity than just the physical causes and effects.

A healthy diet and exercise would be sufficient means for an obese person to get down to a healthy weight if obesity were a physical problem only, yet this those two tactics alone rarely are enough for obese people to lose down to and maintain a healthy weight. In addition to diet and exercise, obese people must also remove from their psyche the reasons behind their unmanageable food cravings.

While we may not be able to recall the specific experiences or details of our childhood that played significant roles in influencing the adults we have become, there’s no denying that childhood is an incredibly impressionable time in our lives. Although people who experience psychological or physical trauma in their childhood’s often try to block them out of their consciousness as they mature, the truth is that the subconscious never forgets. In fact, traumatic childhood experiences often stay buried within our subconscious and influence our behavior long into adulthood. Further, our childhood fears and traumas can manifest as the desire to binge or make unhealthy dietary choices once we’re adults.

Because children interpret what happens to them differently due to their lack of comprehension, maturity, and life experience, their perspective of what happens to them figures significantly into how their perceptions manifest. For instance, those who suffered sexual abuse at a young age often develop deep-rooted fears and insecurities in their subconscious, which in turn manifest as a desire to become and/or stay obese in a subconscious attempt to be less attractive or desirable and thereby fend off any future abuse. In this sense, obesity can make a person feel safer and more secure since they shield them from unwanted attention.

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Embracing Change

My husband and I took our son for his first official haircut when he was 15 months old. The trauma of the event was not significant, but the energy exchange during the event was decidedly intense. My son went from sitting on my lap and enjoying the process while my husband entertained him to the opposite end of the spectrum, screaming and struggling to be let down. As you can imagine, it was an emotional roller coaster for all three of us.

For several months I’d been hearing from various "experts" on the issue things like, "He needs a big boy haircut!" or "I love his hair; the curls are adorable," or "She’s precious! Oh, sorry! He’s so beautiful I just assumed he was a girl." Geez! So despite the fact that I loved my son’s hair longer with curls peeking out from under the cap, I knew it really was time for a haircut. Still, something inside me desperately desired to keep my son as a baby for as long as I possibly could. The haircut was representative of the first apron string to be cut.

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Negative Body Image Issues

Both emotional specialists and psychologists generally agree that eating disorders are generally rooted in negative body image. When this happens, sufferers usually see distorted body images when they gaze in a mirror – and as such, feel "fat" or otherwise imperfect regardless of whether these terms accurately describe the structure of their physical bodies.

Negative body images can manifest from one or more of the following factors:

Negative Conditioning Our parents' and family members' attitudes toward food and concepts of beauty can significantly factor in our body image. For example, parents who emphasize the importance of outer appearance or who obsessively count calories may have children who retain or develop similar attitudes that can potentially result in negative body image.

Negative Thinking If you have low self-esteem and therefore constantly hound yourself about your appearance or give undue importance to other’s opinions, you can develop a negative body image over time.

Unrealistic Ideals Movies, articles, advertisements and other media propaganda often promote perfection as being attainable – which, of course, it is not. Aggressive marketing techniques seek to create unrealistic aspirations regarding beauty ideals for profit. Children and teens are particularly susceptible to these techniques and can therefore develop negative body image issues due to their desire to conform to media "norms."

Overcoming Negative Body Image

You will have to affect a dramatic change in your self-perception to successfully build a healthier body image. I'll readily admit that negative attitudes firmly entrench themselves in the subconscious over time...

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Your Aura's Energy

Energy is a word from which most people draw the definition of electricity, gas or some other form of power to produce movement or change. In the context in which we use it here, these definitions really aren't that far off from how practitioners like me would describe or explain energy. But what is an aura, you ask? Simply put, your aura is the space surrounding your physical being; it extends outward and upward and is approximately the length of your arms. You might refer to your aura as your own personal airspace, and you are the flight commander with regard to what gets in and what doesn’t.

We all understand as humans that we are walking energy sources. The heat we produce keeps us warm when the air is cool, and the sweat we produce when the air is too warm functions similarly. Our metabolism is a form of energy that uses the food we consume as its fuel, and we carry a certain amount of electricity in our bodies. The electricity can affect our heart rates, breathing rates and CranioSacral rhythms. Add electricity from an outside source – you know, when you shuffle your socked feet on the carpet and "zap" your friend or sibling — and a few things can occur: your heart can actually stop or go out of normal rhythm. More likely, however, nothing at all will happen except your friend becomes focused on getting you back.

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Revisiting the Seven Habits

It’s been almost a decade since I read the infamous self-help book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven Covey, but it’s such a helpful tool that it came as no real surprise when I recently felt compelled to re-read it. As I did so, I found myself wondering if I had addressed or implemented the particular habit introduced in each new chapter. By the time I finished those chapters, I was delighted to find that I had, in fact, embraced them since my initial reading of the book. Of course, I had also adapted the suggestions or guidelines in the book concerning the habits to tailor them to my own unique needs and experiences. This discovery reminded me that we each determine our own level of success.

Covey encourages readers of his best seller, which has sold 15 million-plus copies in almost 40 languages since its first printing in 1991, to embrace the seven habits he outlines so they can implement them in their own lives to increase their success or effectiveness as well as become more satisfied with their accomplishments at the end of an established time frame. I think that almost all people can benefit tremendously from Covey’s book, whether it be in their personal life, professional life, or both. Indeed, reading and expanding your awareness of new trends, thoughts, and perspectives is an important part of embracing a life-long approach to learning.

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