Scaring Away Temping Treats

I'm not embarrased to admit that I've been excited about Halloween for weeks...maybe months. I always am - I love the costumes, the creepy decorations, trick-or-treaters....EVERYTHING! Yes, that includes the candy. But would you believe that I haven't had a single bite of Halloween treats leading up to Halloween? Not a small Snickers, candy corn, or a tiny rocket. I'm shocked with myself - how have I been able to resist??? Well, it helps that I haven't purchased any Halloween treats in advance, I'm a big believer in keeping goodies out of the house to help scare away cravings.

But what's Halloween without a few treats, right? I'm gonna choose a few of my all time favorites to have this weekend and I'm so looking forward to it! Until then, I'm gonna continue exercising and eating clean!

Did I Just Get Beat Up??

Cause it sure feels like someone did a number on my body....I am TENDER today, following my chiropractor appointment yesterday! It half feels like I got my butt kicked and also that I had an intense workout - so I'm not in pain, just super tender. I'm thinking it's a good sign...or so I hope!!

I've had acupuncture, athletic therapy, massage therapy, physiotherapy...and have tried to keep the Chiropractor off that list. I dunno why, I guess I've just heard so many horror stories that I've wanted to avoid having someone cracking up my spine.

However, my sciatica has been an issue for a solid 2 weeks now. My piriformis is so wound up - I have to ice it every night and deal with the aching all day long. I've stretched it to death but it hasn't helped...so I finally got a referral from a client to a chiropractor she really likes. She assured me the Dr is organic and not sketchy at all - as in, she doesn't want you to visit her 4 times a week so that she can get paid.

I saw her today and it was a trip! I'm always amazed to learn about other professions - and no doubt about it these chiropractors know stuff that I definitely don't. After some tests that involved pulling, pushing, and rotating certain limbs, she confirmed that my sciatica isn't stemming from a lower-back issue. My massage therapist also mentioned this before so it was good to get a second, expert opinion. It is, infact, my pesky pirifomis muscle which has gotten so tight that it has pulled things out of alignment and really affected my sciatic nerve. It is so wound up that all stretching in the world will not help it until everything is aligned again.

So she first used ultrasound which was the most comfortable part. Then, she pushed and pulled some parts until we heard a crack which definitely made me less relaxed then she wanted me to be. She kept saying "relaaax, let it go..." until I finally eased up and she could do her thing. I think the most nerve-wrecking manipulation she did was to my neck. I have this irrational, silly fear of breaking my neck (don't judge me!) so hearing my neck pop was a bit scary. But I did trust her and I did feel so much looser after the appointment. I will go back in a week to see how it progresses. Thank goodness for my husband's healthcare plan!

I really hope this works. All I can really do is be positive. I will jog again one day!!

Nourishing the Heart

 "The key to healthy eating is learning how to change your state of mind." - Ronna Kabatznick



I borrowed "The Zen of Eating" from the library about two months ago and have FINALLY finished reading it! It's not a difficult or tedious read at all....I just couldn't find a consistent time to really hanker down and get reading. This morning, I was not only able to sleep in, but I finished the rest of the book and felt the immense satisfaction I experience after reading something good.

"The Zen of Eating" is a non-fiction piece examining our relationship to food, our relationship to ourselves, and how to satiate our emotional appetities from within. I've learned only recently that emotional eating is more common than we may think. Fixation, or even disgust, in eating is voiced every day. The writer, Ronna Kabatznick, takes a Zen approach in identifying our cravings and desires and discusses how to find freedom from the eating issues that results from them, whether it be over-eating or restriction. It teaches you how to be more mindful of these desires and to understand everything really is always changing. That happiness and comfort is not actually found in food. On the flipside, we learn how restriction also feeds desire so much power. Finally, we understand that there is a middle way, and the book explains how.
 
Kabatznick does this by sharing a ton of stories about all sorts of people - their struggles with food, their identities with food, their belief systems, health status, etc, as well as a few 'tales' that are meant to illustrate a strong message. I think that the diversity of these stories would make it easy for any reader to relate to, whether you believe you struggle with emotional eating or not.

I found this book to be thought-provoking and mind-opening. I already am aware of certain Zen principles discussed in the book which made it easy for me to relate to. However, this book is NOT specifically for Zen Buddhists, or any religion for that matter...in fact, Kabatznick at one point covers beliefs regarding food in various religions. It's just interesting and has made me more aware of my own eating habits, and those of my clients.

Here's an example of a small learning from the book:

1. When my mind strongly desires a particular food, the power is in that food rather than in me.

2. By being mindful, I am realizing this strong desire and accepting that it is there.

3. By accepting the desire, it is easier for me to let it go.

This by no means is an easy feat, nor is it something I hardly think should be strictly applied to every situation in life. I do think that it's effective when we can't think of anything else but that food. For example, ever get so hungry that ALL you can think about is cheesy garlic bread?

Let me know your thoughts on emotional eating....and if you've had the chance to read the book, I'd love to know what you thoughts!