If you could close your eyes AND read this at the same time that would be awesome, but since you can't, read below and then take a few seconds to close your eyes and imagine. Go on, trust me, this will just take a few seconds.
Close your eyes and imagine a beautiful yellow lemon. Imagine the texture of the smooth, dimpled, outer skin. Now imagine the lemon has been cut in half and you can see the lemon juice dripping from the pulpy interior and the small, pale, slippery seeds. Can you smell the lemon? Can you imagine what it's like to bite into it. Did your mouth actually react to the taste? Okay, open your eyes?
Have you tried eating mindfully lately? So the above visualization illustrates the SENSORY EXPERIENCE of eating without the distractions of our cell phones, small screens, radios, magazines, or televisions. We tend to chew more when we're not DISTRACTED (and we know the mouth plays and important role in digestion), and we also tend to eat LESS because we're MINDFUL of what's going in. Oh, and mindful eating doesn't require you to close your eyes-just tune in to the colour, smell, texture, sound and taste.
If you're not already doing it, try to mindfully eat at least one meal a day a see if it reinforces the idea that food is a gift to your body.
Halloween Candy Survival Guide
Blah, Blah, Blah. Plug your ears...heard it before: Heart Health, Blood Pressure, Diabetes, Liver Disease, Arthritis, Dehydration... Sugar isn't good for you.
Tell me something new!
Okay, here it is, without the sugar coating. Don't be surprised if you see weakened immune systems, and a spike in colds and flu by mid-November.
Halloween is upon us and are we ever stocked up with candy! Yikes, sugar is so addictive! Morphine-like endorphins are released and the brain lights up on sugar and wants more but, unfortunately, the rest of our body isn't so thrilled.
Less sugar not sugarless is the way we need to roll because often nasty substitutes are used. You can gradually wean off it or go cold turkey-whatever works and steer clear of fructose, mostly made from corn, and, well, that's a whole other topic.
Halloween Candy Survival Guide:
1. You're probably going to have some candy so enjoy it guilt free, but be sure to 'take it easy there pilgrim'.
2. Supplement with Vitamin C: chewable, powder, capsule or from your healthy food.
3. Hand out all of your stash. Make sure you don't have any candy left!
4. Eat lots of colourful veggies and fruit.
5. Stimulate your immune system by gently pounding or tapping (with your fingers) your thymus gland-it's in the middle of your chest just below your collar bone.
Sugar consumption spikes at Halloween and so November can be a challenging month. Boost your Immune system. Stay healthy everyone!