The best diet is a whole foods diet, with foods eaten as close to their natural state as possible. Rather than eating out or buying packaged foods, cook your meals from fresh ingredients. Do not obsess over calories, but rather be aware of calories (they are not as important as we have been led to believe).… Read More »
Let’s use the practice of mindfulness to explore the difference between genuine hunger, craving, and desire. Hunger is your body’s signal that it is time to eat. This is natural and good. However, many people experience the physical sensation of hunger and view it as a state of emergency, and respond in an out-of-proportion way.… Read More »
Here are five ways to bring mindfulness into everyday eating: 1. When you eat, eat. An old Zen adage can be loosely paraphrased as follows: When you walk, walk. When you chop wood, chop wood. When you boil rice, boil rice. As much as possible try to avoid eating while doing other tasks. It is… Read More »
Moving more and sitting less will most certainly improve your health, energy, vitality, and aid in your weight loss effort. It is important to define exercise and movement. They each play an important part in a mindful life, and they are not synonymous. Exercise is any activity that requires physical effort that is done to… Read More »
Here are five tips to consider when looking for an enjoyable form of exercise: 1. Choose a “just right” activity. Be selective about which program you choose. When you observe or try a class, how do you feel? Intimidated? Insecure? Made to push beyond what you feel is safe? Bored? Excited? Invigorated? Trust your inner voice.… Read More »
Systems theory is a way of looking at the world that sees things in terms of the whole picture rather than isolated parts, or just the sum of its parts. Systems theory sees things from multiple perspectives, not just one. The Mindful Life Weight Loss Plan is based on systems theory. Your lifestyle can be… Read More »
Addressing a part of the issue with a simplistic solution is indeed like playing the game Whack-a-Mole. You hit one of the little mole heads only to have another pop up somewhere else. You either frantically try to keep whacking moles, or give up. There is a better way: to use mindful awareness to figure… Read More »
Food is often a symbol of other things, such as love, celebration, gratitude, conformity, cultural identity, gender conformity, etc. Our weight is also not simply about pounds. It can have symbolic meaning. Let’s look a little further into this by contemplating some questions: What else is food a symbol of for you? What does your… Read More »
Try taking the Green for 15 challenge. Green for 15 is a challenge I developed in 2011 to help address the community-wide problem of obesity and stress. Spending time outdoors reduces our sedentary time, and helps with health and weight loss. It is simple: commit to spending 15 minutes a day outside. It doesn’t even… Read More »
Increasing our exposure to nature can help us to lose weight in the following ways: 1. Decrease our sedentary time. Screen-based activities increase our sedentary time. Any activity that is done in front of a screen is often done from a seated position. Before you know it, you realize that you have been sitting looking… Read More »