This week’s Inspiration Broadcast only has one image. But boy is it a good one. This infographic clearly demonstrates how much we eat like our friends. The joyful news is that you have the power to influence your friends through the healthy choices you make. Click on the image for a larger version.
Archive | September, 2012
6 ways to eat healthy when you’re with friends
The last few months have been going well. You’ve connected with foods that bring you joy. Foods that nourish you, bring you lasting energy and are pleasurable to eat. You’ve even started exercising. Moving your body in a way that feels fantastic, leaving you energised + buzzing.
But now it’s time to go out with friends.
This Friday night they want to go out for pizza. They’re throwing a boozy party. It’s movie night with the girls (complete with ice-cream and chocolate). The boys are hanging out with beer + chips.
Sound familiar?
How do you cope with friends who don’t eat like you do? Or even with friends who make fun of you for eating healthy?
It’s so easy to get caught up with your mates and go along with the crowd. We all do it, but sometimes we wish we didn’t. So to avoid any pangs of regret here are 6 tips to help you eat healthy with friends.
1. This is your choice
When I remember that I prefer to eat healthy, it takes away any feelings of unfairness. I’m more likely to choose an option that I know I’ll like and that will make me feel good after I eat it. There’s no heavy sense of duty or obligation (which usually leads to rebellion anyway). Choice is a much more expansive option.
2. Future trip
Before you go out. Before you make a choice from the menu. Before you arrive at the party. Remind yourself of the foods that bring you joy. Imagine how you want to feel at the end of your meal. What can you eat that will still feel good after you’ve finished? Choose that.
3. Eat mindfully
Choose from these 21 tips…
4. Maintain healthy boundaries
Knowing who you are and trusting your judgment keeps you grounded in your power. This helps immensely when other people are making different choices. If someone offers you food that you know you don’t want, keep a firm boundary. A simple and gentle “no thanks” is usually all you need.
5. Take the pressure down with humour
Sometimes people feel really insecure if someone is acting differently. Sometimes people feel judged (even when you don’t) if you choose a healthy option over junk. You don’t need to own their shit, only yours. If one of your friends ignored your “no thanks” and is ramping up the pressure to conform, use a joke about yourself to break the tension. Something along the lines of “It’s cool, I prefer rabbit food”. Self deprecating humour works because you’re not judging, criticising or ridiculing anyone - so you won’t start a fight - plus it shows you’re comfortable enough with your choices to let it slide.
6. Let your hair down and enjoy yourself
If you’re an obsessive type (*my hand shot straight up*) sometimes you get a liiiiiiitle uptight about counting calories and weight loss. Sometimes just going with the flow, enjoying the moment, and cutting loose with friends can be extremely liberating. If you choose this option, choose it because you want to and then enjoy the crap out of it. No regrets.
Have you ever felt junk food peer pressure? How did you cope? Do you ever feel like eating healthy is an unfair bore, or is it just me?
Inspiration Broadcast
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Frothing over the Lifestyle Transformation Guide, an interview with Jess Ainscough + a giveaway
Ahoy comrades! I couldn’t be more excited to share with you my interview with Jess Ainscough aka The Wellness Warrior.
Not only because Jess’ story is so awe-inspiring (she went from terminal cancer patient to glowing Wellness Warrior in 4 years), but also because today is the launch of her unbelievable Lifestyle Transformation Guide. I’m seriously frothing over it!
Over the last few months, Jess has been releasing sneak peek videos from interviews she’s done with the “who’s who” of cutting edge health + wellness gurus from all over the world. Her A-list includes
- Tara Sophia Mohr - Author of 10 Rules for Brilliant Women (an article that blew up the Huffington Post!) and all round wise woman
- Dr Frank Lipman - Internationally recognized expert in the fields of Integrative and Functional Medicine
- Dr Ian Gawler - Pioneer in Mind-Body Medicine and therapeutic meditation (and a long term cancer survivor)
- Terri Cole - Instigator of the “Live Fearless & Free movement”, coach + psychotherapist
plus heaps more. But The Lifestyle Transformation Guide is not just interviews.
As Jess herself says
It’s massive. It’s gorgeous. It’s a whole WORLD of information & support, for anyone who wants to look & feel better, heal their bodies from stress & disease, and treat themselves with absolute kindness & respect.
It’s that last part about “absolute kindness” that really got me hooked on sharing the shizzle out of this program. I know from personal experience that kindness is the key to falling in love with yourself and releasing that negative body image. So I asked Jess about her journey and this is what she said…
Enter Jess.
1. What has been your health journey?
When I was 22 I was diagnosed with a type of cancer that was deemed “incurable” by modern medicine. My only treatment option was amputation of my arm - but this was just a band-aid. In order to save my own life, I radically transformed every aspect of it. I went from a champagne-guzzling party girl to a green juice-guzzling wellness warrior. All of my research led me to Gerson Therapy - which involved two years of hourly juicing, round-the-clock coffee enemas and a strict organic vegan wholefood diet. In April this year I reached my two year mark, but my health journey didn’t end there. All of the wisdom I’ve learnt over the past few years is now a foundation for a super healthy future.
2. How have you changed your mind about your body?
The biggest mind shift came when I decided to start being kind to myself. When I stopped doing things because I “had” to do them, and started doing them out of genuine love and respect for myself, everything changed.
3. Why did you create the Lifestyle Transformation Guide? #1 highlight during the process?
The idea for The Lifestyle Transformation Guide was born from the burn-out I was experiencing when I was doing one-on-one coaching. I had taken on too many clients and my self care and happiness was being compromised - however I didn’t want to stop coaching. So, I decided to package my program into an online format - with a few tweaks here and there. The number one highlight during the process was doing all of the interviews with the wellness experts. It gave me the chance to make so many new awesome and wise friends. That, and filming the promo video!
4. What’s the greatest transformation you’ve seen from a client?
My greatest client success story is a lady who was overweight, a heavy smoker, stressed out working way too many hours, and spending all of her time pleasing everyone besides herself. After working through all of the LTG steps, she is now a non-smoker, at her ideal weight, has glowing skin, and spends time every day on herself. She is so inspiring!
5. What would you say to inspire someone to “Change their Mind about their Body”?
Be on your own side. Start being kind to yourself. Only say nice things to yourself. Start to build the self kindness muscle, and everything else will flow from there.
6. What is your personal battlecry of love, your mantra of compassion that turns you from fear to joy?
“I love and approve of myself exactly the way I am”.
Enter Tahlee…
*sigh* Isn’t she dreamy?
So if you want in on one of the most AMAZING online transformational coaching programs I’ve ever seen - then scoot on over by clicking the beautiful button below.
Remember, The Wellness Warrior Lifestyle Transformation Guide is not a prescriptive meal plan or rigid detox menu. It is a 12-step invitation into an entirely new way of eating, moving & being in your body.
THE GUIDE IS FOR YOU IF …
+ You are in pain — plain & simple. Whether it’s a massive wake-up call — like cancer or diabetes — or just a perpetual feeling of creakiness, irritation & exhaustion. Pain is your body’s way of communicating that it needs something different — and it’s your job to listen, and respond with love.
+ You have a MASSIVE desire to make changes, feel better & live your life differently — even if you haven’t figured out how you’re going to find the time (and commitment) to do it, just yet.
+ You’re tired of navigating conflicting information, skip-hopping around from diet to diet, starving yourself on self-destructive fasts, and feeling ALONE in your quest for real health.
+ You just want to feel GOOD! You want a life of smashing energy, conscious & wide-awake decision-making, and zero drama. You secretly believe that life is supposed to be easy. And you’re yearning to be proven right.
PLUS - If you decide that The Guide is for you, and you purchase it between 18 September – 18 October you will go in the draw to win either a Vitamix (worth $995) or one of 10 runner up prizes.
So what are you waiting for? Go now!
