SOUND CHANGES™
Six Simple Ways to Achieve Your Healthy Weight
By
Ellen Simon, M.S., M. Ed., LPC
www.imadulation.com
What do you really want?
Do you want a healthy body, vibrant energy and natural joy? If your
answer is yes, are you willing to do what you need to do in order to get
what you really want?
When you connect with your natural intuition, your inner wisdom, you
will be guided to make choices in alignment with your highest ideals.
These choices will be reflected in what you eat, how you eat, how you
breathe, how you manage stress, how often and what type of exercise you
choose, how you sleep, what you think and how you interact with others.
The 6 components to wellness and maintenance of healthy weight
include doing the following:
Healthy food choices.
You are naturally created to make healthy choices. Even as a baby
or young child you stopped eating when you felt full and ate only
when you felt hungry. It's natural to confuse hunger for food with
the need for love, or peace or even novelty. As you look inward and
enhance inner awareness the distinction will be increasingly clear.
You will remember to stop and be mindful of your true needs. Ask
yourself, "Am I truly hungry? Is it food that I really want"? If you
are tired or fatigued, food will not necessarily give you the boost
you seek. Instead, breathe deeply, take a nap if possible or better
yet, go grab your shoes and take a brisk walk or do some stretching
exercises! If you are bored with your surroundings seek another
form of entertainment and stimulation rather than mindless eating.
It is natural to want and need love and using food as a substitute
for love can certainly create an unwanted habit. Many people and
animals need love so if it is love you seek, reach to those in need,
and share.
Self love. As
you become increasingly aware of the magnificence of your body, then
you are more likely to care for it as you would a small child or a
beloved pet. Notice how you feel after you make choices. Good
feelings result when we follow our higher inner guidance!
Positive thoughts & beliefs.
As you become aware of what does not work you can choose congruent
uplifting thoughts, which are in alignment with what you really want. If
you consistently focus on what you don't want, (being overweight,
feeling unfit and wearing moo-moos) then you are going to get more of
that! If you turn your attention to what you truly want & need and
entertain images of your ideal outcome, then you will more quickly bring
into existence your ideal weight and good health. One of the things we
can choose other than our attitude about life is what we put in our
mouth!
Stress management
is accomplished with a consciousness of your habitual patterns +
healthy breathing + mind/body awareness. Stress is the main reasons
so many of us eat when we are not hungry. And prolonged stress not
only exacerbates illness and disease, but it contributes to an
increase in the hormone cortisol, which has been implicated in
maintaining excess fat especially around the belly. There are many
effective stress management techniques and 2 primary aspects of
effective stress management include how you are thinking and how you
are moving. Poor breathing causes muscle tension and even pain
syndromes. Deep mindful breathing can transform your experience of
life!
Exercise
is the best strategy for attaining & maintaining your optimal
weight. Exercise is the best way to relieve stress, overcome
depression and enhance feelings of well-being. Start with 10 minutes
of exercise + 10 minutes of stretching. Find a physical activity you
enjoy and treat yourself; your body's gonna love it!
Sound Sleep
helps you maintain your optimal weight. Studies show that sleep
deprivation can alter hormone production associated with weight gain
while adequate sleep promotes healthy hormone levels of leptin and
ghrelin. When you are rested you are less likely to eat due to fatigue
and more likely to have the desire to exercise. Create a routine for
yourself that includes a soothing and calming ritual before bed. A spray
of lavender is a nice addition to a bedtime ritual.
Remember... You can change your life when you change your mind℠
© 2008 by Ellen Simon
www.imadulation.com. Permission
to reprint if left intact.
Ellen Chernoff Simon is a nationally recognized expert in the field of
mind body health. Ellen's unique brands of audio programs are in use in
hospitals and health care facilities across the country. Ellen is the
author of over 25 titles. This article is adapted from Food for
Thought®, a 6 audio CD set. For more information visit
www.imadulation.com.
