Tina's Take

“Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.”

– Voltaire

Yes, you already have enough on your to-do list, and I’ve blessed you with 3 articles to read on the joys and tribulations of the Holiday Season.  I do recommend them for their simplicity and the tips offered, which if you choose, you can incorporate and make this Holiday Season a most joyous and grateful one. 

If you care to read 2 or more of the articles, you will note that there are areas of commonality.  For many the holidays of November and December bring forth feelings of loneliness, financial stress, togetherness either too much or too little, excess of drink and food, not to mention the exhaustion of doing too much.

There are many ways to deal with all these stressors, as made available to us in the articles.  However, I believe that the ones that are the most important and the most difficult for many, especially women, to do is to set boundaries and take time out for self-care. 

How do you go about doing this?  The first step starts with first identifying what your needs are, followed by those of your immediate family.  Second, what boundaries need to be put in place for the benefit of yourself and all whom you encounter during this season of joy?

Often, we believe we are being honest with ourselves; however, this is not always so and never easy. And never mind the guilt feelings encouraged by others who want you to be selfless to their selfishness. It is essential to your well-being and those around you that you do not ignore making the time to take 5 minutes daily to connect with your own heart during these holidays.  Write down any new ideas for how you can make adjustments to this year’s holiday season as well as those you need to prepare to implement next year.

A great reminder of self-care is presented to us every time we fly; first put the oxygen mask on yourself before you attempt to help others.  Remember that more is simply more!  Make time to slow your life down by even as little as one less activity a day.  This will allow you to savor the moments and reconnect with the essential meaning of the holidays: CONNECTION and GRATITUDE

When you can connect with people, you are made aware of your humanness with all its strengths, frailties, and all the qualities in between and will come to appreciate all that you are and have.  I believe that connection leads us to feel grateful for all the blessings we are usually too busy to remember. 

My tips are to slow down, reflect, reconnect and BE present during this holiday season and take heartfelt actions to create the life you want.  You have and are the POWER to live your best life!

Are diet and dieting the same?  How do we use or confuse these two terms? And does it make any difference? 

Diet as a noun has 2 definitions:

1. Food and drink as considered in terms of its qualities, composition, and its effects on health.
2. A particular selection of food, as designed or prescribed to improve a person’s physical condition or to prevent or treat disease.

Dieting is the action of a diet and here there is also 2 definitions:

1. To select or limit the food one eats to improve one’s physical condition or to lose weight.
2. To eat or feed according to the requirements of a particular or prescribed selection of food.

I felt it important to put these definitions here to bring attention to the unconscious way we might be perceiving these two words in relationship to our health and those of our loved ones.

When we choose to understand diet as the of quality of the foods and drinks with their effects on our health rather than as the limitation of foods one eats to lose weight or improve our physical condition, we can begin to make a fundamental shift in our mindset about diet and dieting. Focusing on the meaning of diet may aid us to become more selective of how we will choose dieting.

In the article I have chosen to share with you in this month’s newsletter, there are some particularly important basics that offer a simple approach to help you, today, to begin creating a daily practice of making nourishment a part of your healthy lifestyle.  By substituting nourishment for dieting, we can let go of the old struggle with dieting.

Understanding the basic nutrients our bodies need to work at optimal level is a first step in creating a diet that will fit not only your body’s unique needs but will be the foundation you build upon to create a plan of nourishment that fits your tastes.  Another important consideration when you choose the food that will bring you the most nourishment is the seasons, your geographical location and how the food is grown.  Getting to know where and how your food is grown is vitally important to your health.  You may already know or have heard of the dirty dozen.  Knowing which food are harmful to us because the use of the pesticide creates toxicity in our bodies, which in turn cause us pain and disease.   To reduce your exposure, it’s best to buy organic produce or ask at your local farmer how his produce is grown and what methods he uses for controlling pests. (https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/full-list.php)  It is also important to know which ones do not need to be organic but can simply be washed in a water/vinegar solution.  https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/clean-fifteen.php.

In conclusion, whatever step you can take today to begin your journey to better health is a great step forward.  While money is an important part of living well in today’s modern world, it doesn’t in any way replace the priceless wealth of having good or even great health.  Diet or should I say nourishment is the foundation to living well and creating the life you desire.

Cheers to a healthy and happy you!

Tina