Have you ever wondered that the older we get the more we think about what to eat, when to eat and how much to eat.

After several years as a Holistic Nutritionist and Herbalist I came two following conclusions why we lost our natural touch to food:

Lack of creativity in our lives

Most of us are born with a big imagination and creativity. Unfortunately once we embark throughout our current school system, most of us stop dreaming and creating and we become complete left-brain thinkers.

My husband is an artist and he told me that at times of his creativity he could spend a whole day in his studio without ever feeling hungry or thirsty. He told me that he was so emerged into his creativity that his whole body just glowed in excitement without ever showing the need for a bathroom or snack break.

What if we enrich our lives again with creativity?  We could teach ourselves how to paint, draw, knit, stitch, write, sew, play an instrument, sing etc. The options are endless but high in value for our bodies.  There is no need to become an expert in it as long as you enjoy the creative outlet. We humans are meant to be creative. If we get stuck in a job or life that does not let us explore our own creativity we succumb to a depression where food is the only creative outlet in our lives.

Too much nutritional information

For the past few years even if you had no interest in finding out what food is good for you or not,  you won’t be able to escape the flood of information about nutrition.

Every single day you can find articles about the next best thing to eat to stay healthy, slim and energized.

But too much knowledge in the field of nutrition does not always mean better.  In my practice most of my clients know already what they should and should not eat. But unfortunately my clients get so overwhelmed with all that access information online that they jump around from one diet to the next without realizing that there is only one reason we eat: “Our bodies can’t supply essential nutrients by itself; we need to provide those through our daily food”!  Eat to live, not live to eat.

Take a break from your nutritional research, instead ask yourself if you ate something nutritional today,  if not go into the kitchen and have an apple. J

Obsession about the way we look

We all know that most of us women are concerned about the way we look! Most of us live in a constant internal battle of wondering how to get those last few pounds off so we can rock the bathing suit just like HEIDI KLUM.

But wait, Heidi Klum has a person trainer, personal chef and a personal nutritionist.  So in case you don’t have as much help, don’t obsess about it. Remember she made her fortune by wearing a diamond bra on a runway J

I have met so many different women in all kind of shapes and forms and one thing struck me the most, the prettier the women the less the saw their own beauty.

Wake up to your own beauty! Learn to love yourself from the inside out. Once you have a positive vibration and a personal love affair with your body, you will lose the last few pounds.

Throughout the whole article I just meant to say one thing stay kid-like, which means learn to be more carefree and worry free. Once you think lighter you will feel lighter.

Have a great summer your Herbalist

Birgit

WHERE IS OUR BALANCE?

Last Christmas my husband surprised me with a weekend SPA retreat at the Poconos.

The moment I received the gift I was excited and worried. I was worried that I would miss my family or that I would get totally bored. Evidently my husband reminded me that throughout the year I kept asking to be somewhere where nobody is yelling MOM every few seconds.

The few days at my retreat were like I was sleep walking.  Everything was taking care off.  The food was amazing, the scenery breathtaking and the peace – positively overwhelming. 

Between my Qui Gong, Reiki or stone massages I was relaxing in front of a fireplace with one of my favorite books without needing to be anywhere. 

After I came back I was immediately surrounded by their familiar noises barking dogs, kids screaming and phone ringing.  A few days later I completely forgot about my vacation until one of my friends asked me about it. 

The weekend up in the mountains definitely taught me that we all need more “Balance”.  Balance between fun, work and daily routines.

Practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine believe that every disease manifests out of an imbalance in Ying and Yang. Diseases like cancer, migraines, GERD, depression, anxiety, heart attack, etc. are all modern health problems due to our lack of balancing our inner energies.

Ying is associated with female characteristics like love, rest, peace and calmness. Yang is more associated with the male characteristics like power, strength, competition and restlessness.

It’s been said that the Western World is more yang and the Eastern World is more Ying. But there is always a small Yang within Ying, and a small Ying within Yang.  

Try to find more balance within your life. If you feel like you are spinning out of control due to stress, stop and enjoy more peaceful moments or weekends away from your routine.  If you feel like you have lost your spark for living and nothing gets you excited anymore, you need to get back into the driver seat of your life to discover your hidden interests and passions.

Our lives are filled with opposites. Opposites are a natural occurrence.  What would summer be without winter? What about living in a country like Norway where there is no darkness during summer?

Our bodies feel energized and balanced by following the natural waves of being. Have you ever noticed that after days of working long hours you long for a quiet calming weekend? That’s your inner voice talking to you, that voice is your natural compass. That compass guides you throughout life to secure a healthy and fulfilled life. Unfortunately when we stop listening to that voice we start getting lost which can manifest into disease.

In my practice I have seen it too many times that my clients with migraines, chronic fatigue, thyroid dysfunction and cancer are people who have lost their compass towards balance. They show physical discomfort within their voice/throat (acid reflux, sluggish thyroid, frequent sore throats) which is the metaphor for their voice within Reiki (blue chakra)

Here are a few suggestions how to balance Ying and Yang physically, nutritionally and emotionally.

NUTRITION:  

-too Yang (high protein diet) change to a vegetable based diet

-too Ying (high raw food) change towards heavier foods like grains, meat, fish into the diet

-too Yang (high cooked food) add more raw food

-too Yang (high intake on herbal supplements), get your nutrients from food

-too Ying (low intake of calories), eat more foods with higher calorie count

-too Yang (spicy food) eat more simple tasting food

EXERCISE:

-too much cardio, add more toning

-too much kick boxing, add more meditation

-too much SUMBA, add more Vbarre.

-too much weightlifting, add more running

EMOTIONS:

-too much alone at home, go meet your friends and socialize more

-too much of a partier, try to stay home every once in a while

-too many arguments in a relationship, try to agree every once in a while

A balanced YING and YANG brings harmony, peace and equanimity which are the foundations for the happiness of our soul.

 

Birgit your Wellness Coach