Listening to our Intuition

That moment where you feel you just have to call someone and they tell you they were thinking of you. The time where you just know you have to check on your kids and come to find out they are getting into trouble.  The time where you have that, gnawing feeling in your stomach and you just know you aren't supposed to do  something- to take that job, to move to that city.

This is Intuition.

Do you ever say "I have a gut feeling about this".  That's using your God given intuition.  We all have it, but some of us may listen to our intuition more than others.

There may be times where we ignore our intuition.  I know I have.  I could have saved myself a lot of heartache if I just went with what my gut was telling me.

But our enemy, self-doubt starts to creep  in.... "maybe it won't be so bad after all."  "What am I thinking?  Am I crazy for wanting to change careers?"

We may end up losing out on a great opportunity.

The key is to discern if what you are listening to is truly your intuition or if it's your Ego.  It's always a constant battle.  Recently, I am trying to make a decision that involves my children.  My first thought does make me feel good.... but then all the "what-ifs" creep in.  When it boils down to it, I am afraid of what my kids would think... that's the Ego talking here.

Let me tell you something.  Your Gut NEVER lies. In fact, Deepak Chopra calls your gut your "third brain."

 Listen to your first inclination because that is your intuition.

If you have ANY doubts at all, try to decide if it's something that creeped in after you first heard your gut.  If you wrestle with your decision at all, then maybe it's time to take a step back, breathe, and wait on a different timing.

Listening to your Intuition has to do with Mindful Eating.  When we listen to that voice inside us, we become  aware of what our body is telling us.  Are we really hungry?  Is there something else I am craving? 

This also applies to exercise.  Am I pushing my body beyond it's limits?  Do I need to pay attention to this pain right now?

How can you begin to start listening to your Intuition today?  Spend a few moments in meditation. Take deep breaths. Spend some time in silence, or pray.  Pay attention to the first thought that comes to your mind.

As always, please feel free to share your thoughts about this topic in the comments below!

To your joyous health,

Kellie McGarry
Certified Health Coach
www.nourishedandnew.com

Slowing Down For Weight Loss

Let me preface this blog post by saying that I  apologize for the length of time between posts. I realized it's been about 3 weeks since my last one!  I can identify with this post as I have been pretty busy lately (a good busy though!).  So.....I am going to do something that I almost NEVER do, and repost my article from my April Newsletter that I just sent out.  If you already read the newsletter,  then you can ignore this post!  However, if you haven't then please enjoy. :)
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What if I were to tell you that in order to lose weight, you need to slow down.  Would you believe me? 

Marc David, in his book, The Slow Down Diet, talks about this very topic.  In this culture, we are so used to being like the energizer bunny (it keeps going.... and going... and..) but we really need to be more like the Tortoise in the popular fable The Tortoise And The Hare.  He was so slow at first while the Hare, by nature, went really fast.  However, he quickly ran out of steam and had to take a nap.  So we all know what  happened next.... “slow and steady wins the race.”  The Tortoise caught up and beat that Hare. 

I love that story because it reminds us that it really is good to be slow.  Now, I am not talking about teaching our children to take 10 minutes just to put their shoes on (can you tell we have experience that? lol)  or driving 30 miles an hour on the road ( forgive me, but slow drivers is a pet peeve of mine- yes, I know I need to get over that).

What I am talking about is making a conscious effort to be aware of your present surroundings,  to take a deep breath, relax and really savor and enjoy that moment. 

Let’s go back to the Tortoise and the Hare story.... why did that rabbit run out of steam?  He did not pace himself. I would compare that to today’s typical busy mom... we chauffer our children from one activity to the next because we have  become conditioned to believe that it is good to be extremely busy.  We end up eating very quickly and not really taking the time to savor and enjoy our food. 

In the end.... this constant busyness becomes really detrimental to our health!  When we are super busy, we are naturally stressed and our cortisol levels shoot through the roof.  (Cortisol is our stress hormone) Cortisol can increase our appetite, as well as add unwanted pounds to our belly area, which, in turn can increase our risk for heart disease.

So, going back to weight loss... what happens when we eat quickly is our body does not have time to properly digest our food.  When we do not stop and appreciate our food and how it nourishes our body, we end up tricking our body into thinking we didn’t eat at all!  So then we end up craving more and more food.

Marc David talks a lot about relaxing and giving our body the proper messages.  Being thankful for our body.

You can eat all the brown rice and spinach in the world, but if you are still stressed, you are not going to lose those last stubborn pounds. 

Tips:

1.Take deep breaths before you eat.  Get your kids involved if they are eating with you.

2.  Show gratitude for your food.

3. Chew S-L-O-W-L-Y .

4. Focus on the taste and texture of your food.  Put your fork down half way during your meal and ask yourself how full you are. 

5. Eat at the table, with your food on a plate (not at the computer or TV)

I know a lot of these things sound so simple but  they are easier said then done!  Just remember, that it takes time to start a new habit and there will be good and bad days.  I am not perfect either!  But staying mindful of our food and our body can really help us to learn how to slow down... which helps increase our health and maybe even aide in losing those last 10 pounds. :)


Need support in this area?  GOOD NEWS!  I am starting a Virtual Support Group called “Body Aware”, featuring Marc David’s book, The Slow Down Diet.   Included in the program are the book, handouts and recipes, 4 group phone sessions, and two private sessions with myself! 

I will be talking about this new group at the end of my  next Teleclass!

Join me for A FREE TeleClass on Mindful Eating 101! 

Register HERE to reserve your spot.  Thursday, April 11th from 12:00 p.m.-12:45 p.m.  The call will be recorded but you must register to receive it!


Kellie McGarry
Certified Health Coach
www.nourishedandnew.com