Choose your beliefs wisely: Are your beliefs holding you back?

What have you chosen to believe about yourself, your life, and other people? Did you know that you can change your beliefs?  You definitely can! So, if a certain belief. or way of seeing the world is not serving you, and makes you feel badly-choose a different belief or change the way you are looking at the situation!

For example, this was one of my old belief patterns that eventually became toxic for me. Not only did it make me feel badly to live with this belief, it didn't do anything for helping me reach my ideal body and health goals either! It sucked the enjoyment out of life, and complicated what should be a very simple thing. Eat well, only when you are hungry- stop when you are full. Move your body every chance you can during the day, find exercise you enjoy, and do that. Repeat.

Old belief/ thought pattern that no longer serves me: I must exercise like crazy, and burn more calories than I take in. I must work at an intensity level that allows me to burn the most calories-even if I hate the exercise that I am doing. I have to count my calories every day to make sure I am not going over my daily limit. If I slip up and do not follow these rules, I am a failure.

New belief/thought pattern:  I trust my body's inner wisdom, and listen to it's signals. I eat only when I am hungry,  and stop when I am full. I choose to eat foods that make me feel good. I make sure to exercise in some way that I enjoy most days of the week. I adopt a balanced, healthy lifestyle, and know I will be naturally thin because I am developing daily, life-long, attainable habits that I can carry with me for the rest of my life.

Now it's your turn! Grab a pen and paper and give some thought to beliefs that you have that you feel are weighing you down, and sucking the enjoyment of life out of  you. Just begin writing them down as they come to you, do not censor or second guess what comes up...just write until you have nothing left to write. Next,  think about how you can change these beliefs into new beliefs that will support your growth. Keep in mind, that often, many of the beliefs that we carry with us through life, were never ours to begin with. They may come from your childhood, we often take on our parents beliefs, and they became your beliefs, or your best friend, partner, or favorite author's beliefs and views of the world slowly became yours as well. Perhaps it is society in general, and the belief we must conform to what everyone else believes and thinks, instead of questioning it, and deciding if it really makes sense for us to buy into a certain way of seeing things.

  It is a beautiful thing when we realize that we always hold the power to change our thoughts and beliefs into ones that better serve or souls evolution. We don't need to carry the heaviness of negative belief patterns.
We always have a choice to behave, think and believe differently!

~Leanne Oaten

Holistic Counsellor, Healthy Living Coach
www.soulworkcounselling.com
250.319.3630

Green Smoothies vs green juice 101~ How to begin when you fear what it will taste like!

Green Smoothies vs. Green juice- 

What's the difference, and why in the world would you want to drink your greens?

If you are seeing advice to drink green smoothies and green juice everywhere you go, and wonder what all the hype is about and ask "why on earth would I want to drink my greens?" this article should shed some light on that for you. I used to be someone who revolted at the idea of adding kale or spinach to my smoothies, and the thought of drinking green juice was not at all appealing.... that is, until I started actually doing it, and seeing the difference in how I felt! 

After a time of getting into the habit of a daily green juice and a green smoothie, my body actually craves them now! Seriously. I love the taste and how drinking them makes me feel. I have more energy, and generally more get-up-and go!

Green leafy veggies are a powerhouse of nutrients which are essential to our health and vitality. I won't go into the break down of what those are too much, other than to say they are loaded with vitamin C, iron, and chlorophyll among many other vitamins/minerals. But simply, they are just plain great for your whole body, mind and soul. 

The main difference between juicing and blending 

is the fiber content. 

Freshly juiced veggies are mainly just the nutrients of what you are juicing, in it's purest form. The nutrients absorb almost instantly after being consumed, because there is no fiber in the juice. This is the reason why juicing too many fruits is not  a great idea, as it causes a spike in your blood sugar- because the fiber is missing. Stick to using low glycemic veggies and loads of greens!

Green smoothies are the foods in their whole form, with all the fiber in tact,  which fills you up longer. It takes longer to digest than juice, and with protein added, is more like a meal replacement- if you add the right ingredients!

So here is my favorite green smoothie go-to recipe:

1) Greens~ Add the greens to the bottom of the blender first. My recommendation is a Vitamix blender, but I am sure any decent blender will do the trick!

If you are just beginning try slowly increasing the greens gradually over a few days or a week. Keep in mind, that green smoothies are high in fiber and the greens are detoxifying so if you are new to adding more greens into your diet- go easy until your system adjusts! If you are not used to the added fiber it can cause some discomfort of the digestion system at first. Work your way up to filling the blender 1/2 full of greens, or more! (spinach, kale, Swiss chard)

2) Fruit~ Add 1 cup of  frozen fruit of your choice (berries, mango, peaches etc..). I usually throw in 1/2 a frozen banana as it adds a nicer texture to the end result. A little trick for a creamier smoothie is to freeze halved bananas in a container or freezer bag, then they are ready to pop in whenever you need one! Makes all the difference in the texture, and masks the greens flavor.

3) Plant based milk~ 1 cup of any plant based milk (almond, coconut, soy, rice etc) or another delicious option- which adds a bit of sweetness- is Coconut water. The added bonus with using coconut water, is it adds electrolytes- which is perfect for re-hydrating after a workout!

4) Healthy fats~ This is optional, but I like to add a teaspoon of Extra virgin coconut oil. It makes it taste great, and keeps me fuller longer. You could use any plant based oil such as flax, hemp or Udo's brand oil blend.

5) Protein~ There are so many different brands and types available based on your personal preference and dietary choices, I encourage you to find one that is right for you. I do not tolerate whey, but if you do fine with it, this is a great option. I have tried all sorts of vegan varieties  and while some are totally intolerable- and resemble dirt- my favorite Vegan, plant based ones are Vega Sport, Vega One and Warrior Blend. What I like about the Sunwarrior brand is that it is minimally processed and raw.

Another tip: Add the protein powder last, after you have blended all the other ingredients, and blend the powder in on low until it is well incorporated- no need to blend the powders too much!

So there you have it! Now go get your greens on!

~Leanne

~ Healing from the inside out: Overcoming disordered eating and negative body image

Healing from the Inside Out:

Overcome your negative body image and start living!

I have worked with many women who struggle in some form or another, with negative body image/disordered eating and exercise fixation issues. I can understand the pain and suffering one faces when living with this dis-ease, because I too, have experienced everything I am about to share with you. I am happy, and relieved to not be in that place anymore, I have come a very long way, and have worked really hard to heal the cause within me that created this condition. It has been a long road since my diagnosis at the age of 15, I have been struggling with, and working to heal this for over 20 years. While I have not 'arrived' and know this is an ongoing journey, I am able to shift back on track very quickly.

To get to the root of this obsession with food and body image has required tenacity, constant self-awareness and the determination to overcome the obstacles, and above all- learning to love myself through the whole healing process. I have discovered that the root cause of any addictive behavior or self abuse manifests from FEAR and a lack of self love!  

We must learn to love ourselves unconditionally 

before true healing can occur.

  There are so many conflicting and negative messages out there about what it means to be beautiful, sexy, and attractive. Now with the booming health and wellness movement, restrictive eating can very easily be hidden and masked as 'healthy eating' or 'veganism' or 'no carb diets' etc., etc. I am not saying every person that chooses a certain nutritional lifestyle has an eating disorder,  I am only suggesting that it does happen, and it happened to me.

My eating disorder shifted to constantly trying restrictive diets, that the latest health guru suggested. I would eventually feel deprived (and was starving!) and would binge eat whatever I could get my hands on, because I was so hungry! Then the guilt would set in, and I would go back to restriction, and focusing on exercising to burn the calories I just ate, and on and on it went. It was crazy making, and a really miserable place to be. I was not having any fun, and was missing the meaning of life.

FOOD OBSESSION AND RESTRICTIVE EATING comes from a need to control anxiety (anxiety comes from fear) of gaining weight or becoming overweight.

In people with a negative body image, the desire to look like a zero body fat supermodel, or a skinny best friend, is so strong and overpowering, it can feed the anxiety, and  the feelings of being 'not good enough' with the body we have- which leads to the compulsion and fixation on 'getting skinny' and 'losing weight', which leads to unhealthy coping behaviors such as, restricting calories, binge eating, excessive exercising and an overall fear and anxiety of food! It is a vicious cycle, and very difficult to break.

 Negative self-perceptions or distorted body image issues (pretty much thinking you look a lot worse than you actually do!) also goes hand in hand with disordered eating, and obsessive and excessive exercise- all with the end goal of getting skinny, or losing the belly fat you can't stand after having babies. 

Sadly, this cycle can continue in a woman (or man but less commonly so, I am referring to women in this post) that is near skin and bones, and close to death- in the case of Anorexia, 'dying to be thin' takes on a whole new meaning. This is so unbelievably sad, and unnecessary! If only we valued, and accepted ourselves enough to treat our body with love and respect, and heal the hurt inside, this condition would cease to exist. 

What separates an eating disorder from a balanced, healthy approach to choosing healthy foods, eating smaller portions, and adopting a balanced exercise program as part of an overall healthy aspect of your lifestyle - extremes. It is an obsessive fixation, that takes over your whole life.

Whenever there are extremes, in any area of your life, when something takes up a great deal of your time, physical and mental energy and affects your life and relationships negatively, it is time to seek professional help and support. Where there are extremes there is no balance.

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms or behaviors, please seek professional help:

~ Obsession or fixation around food: over-restricting, and obsessing over amounts, counting calories consumed, and kinds of foods you will eat.
~  Excessive, rigid or obsessive exercise regime, or forcing yourself to exercise when ill or injured. The feeling you are 'getting fat' right after you eat, and the compulsive urge to go and exercise to burn it off is so strong you are uncomfortable or restless if you don't.
~ Compulsive need to weigh yourself daily, or several times daily-  perhaps leading to, and perpetuating the behaviors above. You place your value as a person and mood, based on the number on the scale. 
~ Fixation with perceived body flaws: hating your reflection in the mirror, thoughts of disgust and intense aversion for certain body parts.

These are just a few of the ways this disorder manifests itself. It is not always just one of the signs that indicates there is a problem, but often a combination of them, leading to lack of enjoyment, happiness and zest for life. You don't have to suffer in silence, there is help from people who have been there. I am just one of them. 

If you are looking for help and support in healing negative body image and disordered eating issues, I am here to help. I can be reached at 250-319-3630 or www.soulworkcounselling.com

Yours in health,
~Leanne

Watch this video!

Healing through Self~LOVE

Healing through Self~LOVE 

The true path to personal transformation

 Self love is extending to our~SELF,  

the same kind of love 

and caring we would to a loved one, child or friend 

who is hurting or upset.

Many clients ask me what it means to love yourself. It's a bit of an evasive term, but really it is quite simple to understand- not to easy to practice!

 I refer to this often as an essential component to all healing during my work with others, and make sure to practice it myself on a daily basis.

Self love is the foundation, and main ingredient to all other personal growth work and healing.

It is essential to have a strong sense of love for yourself, before you can ever extend it to others, and heal what is broken within.

Most of us will easily and effortlessly offer love, support, comfort, and validation to others who are hurting or afraid- it just comes naturally-  but when we ourselves are feeling an emotion that doesn't feel good, or that we wish to not be feeling, or we are having feelings of not being good enough, looking good enough, feeling energetic enough, popular enough, and so on, we abuse ourselves with the thoughts we think- and the way we speak to ourselves.

 Do any of these sound familiar?

"What is wrong with me, why am I so anxious all the time?", "oh yuck, look at my {insert body part} I look disgusting", "I am so stupid!", "I can't do anything right", "nobody likes me", "I look terrible today",  and on and on it goes, in a steady stream of self- abuse, repeatedly throughout the day.

These kinds of thoughts are the opposite of self~loving, they are self~loathing. So think about it from the perspective I mentioned before about how you respond to a friend who was upset about something, or just feeling sad and in a funk. Would you respond with a hurtful, criticism or insult? Of course you wouldn't- or you likely would not have many friends!  Likely you would make her a cup of tea, tell her to sit down and listen to the hurt and pain she is expressing. You would offer her comfort and acceptance, and honor however she is feeling in the moment. You would let her cry, and tell her it's going to be ok.

Love yourself as you would love your best friend.

So why is it that we treat ourselves so poorly? Most of the time, it comes from messages we were given as children by our caregivers, parents, relatives and siblings, that we bought in to, and have continued to believe are true. Now those 'voices' are continually playing in the mind like an old tape, replaying the same messages of why we aren't good enough.( If you want to dig a little deeper here, you can even ask when you catch yourself running these negative messages go through your mind, "who's voice do I hear?" and most of the time, the answer will appear. It will most often be a parent or or other significant caregiver who comes into awareness.)

The first step in developing self~love is awareness. Start by becoming aware of how many unloving thoughts you think about yourself, and the hateful ways you speak to yourself. You will be shocked I am sure. If you are feeling really daring, decide to record all your negative thoughts for one whole day in a notebook- then reflect on how badly you treat yourself when you re-read what you wrote. This exercise is a huge eye-opener so get ready to get real! Then after you see how mean you have been- apologize to the little child within that may still need healing and love- that you have continued to abuse her with your thoughts and behavior. This is deep work, and may cause some intense emotions. Let them surface  feel them, release them and let them go. 

Decide today you will no longer treat yourself badly!

The next time you catch yourself thinking an unloving thought, STOP and affirm a more self ~LOVING one. The next time you are feeling sad or upset, make yourself a cup of tea, sit on the couch and have a good cry. Tell your self every single day "I love me!" and eventually you will start acting in ways that make it a reality!


~Leanne
www.soulworkcounselling.com