I've been bad

If I had a freaking dollar everytime someone describes their diet.... I'd be retired by now. Pony up people.
I actually hate that description and actually believe that it holds you back in achieving your weightloss goals. One's innate goodness is not tied to the food you have chosen to eat.

When coaching clients on weightloss I am tough on them when they use this phrase. More often than not, saying "I've been bad" leads to less than fantastic feelings.
And when they "feel" bad, they often eat to satiate those negative emotions.

So look at proper eating as a program: either you are following the program or not. It has absolutely nothing to do with you as a person.

Now if you really want to own it and be holyistic then you might say the following when you have eaten unhealthy foods: "Yeah I chose to put unhealthy garbage food in my body at lunch." or

"I'm choosing this cupcake to satiate my emotional distress of gaining five pounds."

Talk about changing your paradigm. Owning your choices of the food you eat will actually help you to choose better.

So, as you are choosing your proteins, greens, complex (healthy) carbs, and healthy fats remember that you are fueling your body for maximum effectiveness for the day.

Remember to always have a protein and carb together. Pork out on greens, and try to load your carbs early on in the day.

Remember that to live holyisitc is to be aware of the words you use to describe your habits and to be intentional about what you do and eat.

Until then, there is no bad diet, just bad food choices!

Live Holyisitc

Health Care??? Really?

So I'm parousing online through my Health Insurance Company website. You know, just wanting to see what is covered and what isn't sort of thing. The fascinating part is that they are very "pro-active" in "healthcare" (loosely labeled). So as I click through what is covered: 80% after blah blah blah, or co-pay of $20 bucks etc...
I click on "Alternative Therapies." Incredible, my insurance company is now a discount broker. All the "AT's" are listed as giving a 10 - 20% discount on services. What! No coverage?

Then it gets really interesting. The TWO most Doctor recommended advice are not covered: Exercise and Nutrition education. In fact cut and pasted from said website:

Nutrition


The following services are not covered:

● Megavitamin and nutrition based therapy.

● Nutritional counseling for either individuals or groups.

● Enteral feedings and other nutritional and electrolyte supplements, including infant formula and donor breast milk.


What why is it that 99% of the doctors worth their weight will say "Exercise and Eat right." But the Insurance companies won't pay for that prescription.

Alas, a political rant. Better yet, a call to change in each individual's life where we the people need to self educate as to what is nutritious and them make informed choices. Believe you me, I am all for a great tasting cupcake. Just don't tell me that the egg in them makes them nutritious.

Live Holyistic

Avoid Cliches like the plague!

Actually, Sacred Scripture is not so cliche. Depending on what translation of the Bible you use, Proverbs 23:7 writes: As a man thinks within, so he is.
I particularly like this translation because it helps get to the root of holyistic living: you mental state.

Are your thoughts holding you back? Are your thoughts manifesting themselves as a negative attitude? Are your thoughts automatically telling you that you can't do something?

Are you unknowingly holding yourself back? Are your thoughts telling you that you can never get fit. You can never get that job, you could never do "x" (whatever x is to you).

If so, then as Zig Ziglar says: It's time to "get a check up from the neck up."


Check your thinking! Change your thinking!

What is your self Image? Do you see yourself as out of shape? Can you visualize an inshape you? Can you visualize yourself eating the foods that will contribute to an inshape you? Can you visualize yourself doing the things you want to do because you now feel good about yourself and your health?

If not.... "Check up from the neck up" time!

So how does one start their neck up check up?

Step 1: PRAY!

Step 2: Pray More!

Step 3: Take Action from your prayer life.

Getting in touch with God, helps you discern what you need to do. It also gives you the strength to continue or start what you need to do to be who you are meant to be.

Read more positive literature. Hang around positive people, listen to positive music. All these things will help you practically to help you get control of your thinking and move from negativeville to Positive land!

Oh BTW, it does take work: lots of it. But it's worth it.

Say Your Prayers!!!!

Did you know that science is "discovering" the benefits of prayer. But God forbid we actually call it that. So, to be more PC we say: Meditation. Regardless, say your prayers.

But wait! There's more!

Prayer has been shown to normalize blood pressure, decrease anxiety, and improve the functioning of the immune system. Those who have a steady connection with God tend to be happier. They also tend to be better able to cope with negative situations in life better than non prayers.

But wait! There's more!

Did you kow that non-directed prayer is more powerful than directed prayer? That means that in New Age terms: we just open ourselves up to the universe. However, in the Catholic Christian tradition we have something called "The Lord's Prayer." (Our Father)

But Wait! There's More!

If you take the words of the "Our Father" and examine it... the first things we say is non directed prayer ("your kingdom come, your will be done". Amazing that 2000 years ago, Jesus without scientific proof taught us to first use Non Directed prayer, and then move into directed prayer. Wow!

But Wait! There's more!

Did you know that the Catholic Church has a ton of meditative prayers (Rosary being the most popular.

So, when you say your prayers, and do them in a meditative fasion, then you are experiencing the Holyistic Lifestyle.

But wait!!! There's more ...

I'm Perfect ..... Not!

Reading the Bible, specifically, the Gospel of Matthew,I stumbled, or restumbled upon the passage about "being perfect as my Heavenly Father is perfect." Holy Crap! That is a true undertaking. So after successfully failing at that... I happened to be reading a commentary on the Gospels and found out that ...
The Greek work "teleioi" doesn't mean perfect, but actually means: HOLYISTIC! (my explanation) and NOT Chuch teaching,Just to Clarify.
The real translation of "teleioi" means "complete, all together, mature." Exactly what Holyistic is.
As you live out the Holyistic life you are actually working towards the fulfillment of Matthew 5:48.

The Holyistic life is one of intgration of Body, Mind, and Spirit; in which all three must be attended to with diligence. What happens when one area is neglected?

One cannot neglect the body to the exclusion of the mind and soul. Often times we see this in conceited individuals, the vain people who are preoccupied with their physicality or lack thereof. Many people who are obessed with their physical being resort to cosmetic surgery or illegal "body enhancing" drugs.

The neglect of the Body and the Spirit leads to the intellectually superior individual who tend to lord their knowledge over the less intellectual. These people are book smart and like to let others know.

Finally, the Spiritually obsessed individual often display a Holier than Thou attitude. You know, the "leave me alone, I'm trying to be holy" type people.

As Buddhism teaches the middle way, so too the Middle way of intentionally developing all three ares of one's life will bring you closer to fulfillment of Mt 5:48.

So until then,

Live Holyistic

Maximum Efficiency, Minimum Effort

Marital Arts great Bruce Lee would say: Maximum efficiency, minimum effort.
Of course this precept can be translated into many areas of life.
Many struggling dieters have said, "oh I'll eat this and then work out harder tomorrow" or "Well I worked out today so I can splurge" (meaning: I can show a lack of discipline). What they don't realize is that they are living by the MAXIMUM EFFORT, Minimum Efficiency law. They got it all reversed.
However, if the struggling dieter would apply the maximum efficiency mentality, they would find it easier to stick with their eating plan.
Imagine saying: "Well I worked out today, so I am going to fuel my body with great food to help it build the muscle i want and eliminate the fat I don't want." Imagine, that the minimum effort it takes to ingest healthy foods will produce maximum efficieny in helping your body to achieve it's fitness goals.

Too much $ to buy organic

You don't have to spend a fortune to eat healthy. Some people give up the Holyistic Life because they think that buying healthy organic food will break the bank.

Let me say: Get your priorities straight.

All kidding aside, the reality is we have budgets and some of us are living a little be more paycheck to paycheck than others. And at this point, organic foods would be a luxury.

Fear not, here is a financial yoga that will get your dollars stretching.

When buying fruit a good rule of thumb is that the stuff with thicker skins don't have to be organic. why, because the it takes longer for the pesticides to move through the thickness and into the fruit. So things like: bananas, cantalope, watermelons etc... buy "regular" if you have to.

The thin skinned fruits are a "must" buy organic. The pesticides are permeating that skin real quick.

And of course if you cannot buy organic, then be sure to really wash and rinse your food before eating it.

And if all else fails...plant a small garden for yourself. This will get you back in touch with nature, and you will have ultimate control over what pesticides you put on your plants.