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20120213_juju_0276I for one am tired of the hard-line, all or nothing approach to losing weight.  It can be so restrictive and painful.  It’s easy to give up when all you’re hearing about is another fruit you should never eat, or a new superfood you must eat, or calorie restriction, or insulin resistance, etc.  The maxims of this regime suck!

Try these easy, simple and unique things that may just give you a gentle nudge in your weight loss journey:

 Peppermint Essential Oil

Peppermint Oil has been shown to suppress cravings and reduce appetite.  Before a meal, drink a tall glass of water with a few drops of peppermint oil.  My pick is peppermint oil infused seltzer water with a meal to help me feel full and avoid the temptation to overeat.

 Meditate

Meditation can positively affect your body’s basal metabolic rate (BMR), can help with hormonal re-balancing and can create a healthy awareness of your food intake,  food choices and food habits.  Sattva is a great app that helps you get and stay on track with a daily meditation practice.

 Morning Sunlight 

A study reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine reports that three-quarters of Americans are vitamin-D deficient. D deficiency can cause weight gain. It’s nearly impossible to get enough of this vitamin from food alone.  Sunshine and Supplements are in order!  Enjoy the sun with a quick paced 10 minute early morning walk.  UV rays are lowest when the sun is rising, so this may be the safest time of the day for your ‘sun bath.’  But remember that aside from these few minutes a day, sunscreen should be worn whenever you’re going to be in the sun.   I use Thorne FX’s Vitamin D Supplement for additional protection.

 

 

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move2(b&w)[2]We all want to look and feel out best, right?  We exercise, primp and polish, but often fall short of the mark.  Are ‘bad habits’ getting our way?  Do we avoid ‘good habits’ because they seem boring or just a pain in the ass to do?  I love this sentiment by Seth Godin:

“Habits are great when they help us get what we want. Bad habits, on the other hand, are bad because the shortcut that satisfies us in the moment gets in the way of our long term goals.”

I’ve given this a lot of thought over the years as I get older.  There are a dozen things I should be doing daily to help me feel and look my best, but bad habits are hard to break and good habits are easily forgotten or set aside. Like Seth says, it’s easy to be bad and seemingly hard to be good.

It’s much easier to tackle a few items at a time, so I thought it a good idea to put forth 4 Good Habits  that  I believe are easy to remember, easy to start doing right away and easy to stick to.

1. Moisturize your skin always, no matter what.  After your morning shower and before bed are the easiest time to perform this ritual.  Legs, arms, face and all over.  There are so many benefits to massaging in a moisturizer suitable for your skin type, body area and season.  For summer I’m using Starflower Essential’s rich and nourishing Rose Chamomile Intensive Moisturizer on my face for day and night coverage.

2. Find an exercise routine you like and stick to it.  Religiously, purposefully, moderately, frequently.  I go to an exercise class, the Lithe Method,  4-5 times a week, yoga once a week and walk my dog 2-3 times a day.  I can’t imagine how lousy I would feel if I didn’t.  For me, I usually look forward to sweating it out, jumping around, and getting outside.  I know I’ll feel better when it’s over.  But, when I’m dreading the thought of getting on that mat, I remember that it’s only an hour or two long, it WILL end, and by then, I’ll feel terrific! Classes with great music, great instructors and friendly people motivate me, not to mention the money spent on monthly memberships.  What motivates you?  Find out and act on your findings.

3. Meditate and Journal. I’m lumping these together because I’ve found that their practice and benefits are so similar. And no, as I promised earlier that I would put forth ‘easy’ habits to start, these 2 may seem to be hard habits to form.  Every person I know who tells me they meditate and/or journal regularly, is adamant that the changes brought by these practices are overwhelmingly positive.  First, get some props together: a beautiful journaling notebook, a comfy meditation cushion, a guided meditation CD, a space you create with flowers and pictures of inspiring persons or places, then get on it.  Carve out a regular time in your day to perform this ritual and get to know yourself.  Try Louise Hays’ Meditations for Loving Yourself to Good Health.

4. Eat, buy and use organic.  Surround yourself with nurturing and non-toxic foods, cleaning products, bath and body goods and you’ll notice a change.  It’s good medicine, it’s preventative, it’s good for the Earth, it’s interesting, it’s tastier, it’s expanding, and it brings forth a more beautiful and sensitive you!

 

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