You may have heard the saying “If you think you can’t, you’re probably right and if you think you can, you’re also probably right”.  What we can and can’t do is based on where we focus.  Most people who struggle or have struggled with weight loss, food addictions or lack of activity are used of saying “No, I can’t”. This phrase  becomes such an automatic response that you do not even think about it.

This "I cant" mindset is such a huge contributor to our life.  Stop and think how many times you say I cant in your life or even every day. I can't eat that or I can't exercise etc.... This I can't can also be found in the excuses like I don't have time or I am not capable - its the same thing just worded differently. 

We are all capable -- YOU can do it! 

I challenge you to start the process of changing this mindset.  Whenever you think I can't I want you to ask yourself if it is true?  Can I do this?  Is there some way I can modify this situation so that I can do it? Is there one tiny thing you could do Today? Simply start that thought process and start changing your focus to beleiving you can! I am not saying be unrealistic, if you have'nt been active in a long time you may not run a marathon tomorrow, however you could start with a 10 minute walk! if it is your desire eventually you can run the marathon!   

Find your own way to say I CAN and Beleive in Yourself!! 

Coreen


 



  

With the beautiful sunshine today and with the Summer Season officially here, it is time for us to start thinking about picnics or BBQ's.  What a great way to enjoy wonderful foods and socailize with our friends. 

Here is an opportunitty for you to start to create awareness that picnics do not have to mean mayo , heavy sauces and sugary treats.  What is better then a beautiful Melon salad ( especially at this time of the year when we have so much fresh organic melons available).  Just dice some watermelon, honeydew and cantelope, stir it together and your done!! It has amazing sweetness and flavor without adding anything to it. 

Skip out on the old fashioned mayo laiden pasta and potato salads and upgrade to a fresh roasted potato and Yam salad drizzled with sea salt, olive oil and red wine vinager. ( Serve chilled) Change up that pasta salad by filling it with veggies, feta cheese and olives again drizzle with very little olive oil , a few herbs of choice, a little sea salt and your set.

Choose your meat carefully! Great cuts offer wonderful tenderness and flavor. Grill some tenderloin, chicken or salmon coated with a little of Braggs All Purpose Soy Sauce and fresh pepper.  Great - Simple and CLEAN!!  
Looking for Burgers - use extra lean Ground Beef or Turkey, add some feta cheese, fresh basil, pressed garlic, minced onion,  sea salt and pepper! Grill it up and serve on half Whole Grain Bun or on a bed of spinach. Perfect!!

I hope you enoy some clean summer BBQ's!!

Coreen

 •    1/4 cup raw, creamy almond butter
    •    1 tablespoon cacao powder, unsweetened
    •    2 tablespoons honey or agave
    •    1/4 cup raw cashews (chopped)
    •    1/4 cup raw walnuts (chopped)
    •    1/4 cup sunflower seeds
    •    1/4 cup raisins
    •    1 teaspoon sea salt
    •   
Stir first three ingredients together and fold in remaining nuts, seeds, raisins and salt. Form into 12 little balls, and place on tin foil sheets in the freezer or refrigerator until firm. I store these in tupperware in the freezer. I have just one a day or every other day. These are not good for you if you eat the entire batch at once : ) They do help with that sweet tooth and chocolate hankering though. Enjoy!

CARBS: Approximately  40% of your diet should come from carbs, mainly in the form of whole grains, fruits and vegetables. They supply you with energy and are also an important source of fibre which is needed to keep things moving along. To achieve weight loss but still have energy for training try to reduce your carb intake during the afternoon and evening hours and where possible later in the day substitute starchy carbs for veggies.   Limit your portion sizes on starchy carbs (oatmeal, brown rice, bread) to 1/2 cup or 1 slice per serving.

PROTEIN: At least 30 % of your diet should come from protein. Focus on protein sources that are low in fat.  Fish.  Chicken.  Turkey.  Lean ground beef and steaks.  Protein helps to repair your muscles and other cells and will increase your metabolism as it requires more time and energy than carbs and fats to digest. Protein also helps to regulate your blood sugar levels and helps maintain a feeling of fullness longer.

FATS:  15% of your diet should come from fats.  You need healthy Fats.Good fats help to fight inflammation, lubricate the joints, keep your arteries healthy, skin smooth, hair strong and also help to burn fat! Good sources of healthy fats are fish, nuts, olives, avocadoes, coconut oil and olive oil. Sugar is the bad culprit for gaining or holding weight, not healthy Fat!!

VITAMINS: Vitamins are not where your energy comes from but they are still an important part of the diet. Exercise can produce compounds called free radicals which can damage your cells.  Vitamins found in produce are anti-oxidants and can neutralize free radicals. Getting your vitamins from whole food is preferable to supplements so make sure that you eat a variety of foods and eat at least 8 servings of vegetables a day.   Consider a supplement if your diet is incomplete. 

MINERALS: Make sure you are eating lots of produce to ensure that you are getting enough trace minerals. Calcium does not need to come from milk, other good sources of calcium are:  tinned fish with bones, dark leafy greens, almonds, dried apricots and almond milk.  Ladies make sure you are getting enough iron.  Good sources of iron are red meat, poultry, fish and dark leafy greens. Organic Produce will have your highest mineral content.

HYDRATION: Drink lots of water and do not be fooled by other drinks like powerade to re fuel.  They are filled with sugar and are not necessary.  

NUTRITION TIMING: Eat a small meal 2-3 hours prior to training.  If this is not possible have a small low sugar carbohydrate snack 1.5 hours prior to exercise. Low fibre foods are generally better tolerated prior to working out. Remember to hydrate with water before, during and after exercise. Eat a well balanced meal with a carb, protein and fat, within an hour of a strenuous workout. 

Avoid Sugar!! It has no Health Benefits to you at all.  You can find sweetness in natural forms like fruit and you can use stevia to sweeten things.  Sugar is disguised in many products so be aware!!

Try to eat foods that are closest to their natural state to get the most health benefits from them. 

Eating Clean  means eating the foods our bodies evolved to function best on, and which make you feel – and look – fantastic. When you Eat Clean you eat more often. You will eat lean protein, complex carbs, and healthy fats.  The best part is that if you need to lose weight it will happen almost without you having to try.


It’s not really a diet at all…  This isn’t something you do, it’s something you live.  And it’s a way of life that keeps you lean, healthy and full of energy!   When you eat clean you eat more often, this is not about deprivation. It's not about giving up one food group or another. It’s about giving your body what it needs to thrive.   You will eat lean protein, complex carbs, and healthy fats. These practices keep your blood-sugar levels stable and keep you satisfied.  You will have more energy, improved immunity and better overall health.  Not only does it work like magic, but it’s simple!  No grams, points or ounces to count. 

You have only one body. It's yours for life. If your body spends all its time trying to rid itself of the garbage you put into it, how will it perform optimally? What you put into it dictates every moment of every day. It dictates whether you are lean, overweight, or obese. It dictates whether you have energy to spare or find yourself falling asleep at your desk. Eating clean will have you looking and feeling like a million bucks.  When you give your body everything it needs, you will find almost immediately that you have more energy and that your skin and hair will become lustrous and healthy looking. This is the first sign that you are making a positive change to your health.

Each person will experience a different rate of change in body composition.  Your rate of change depends on where you’re starting from, your genetics, how often and how much you exercise and most importantly, how closely you follow the clean eating guidelines.

Healthy changes in body composition don’t happen overnight. It’s going to take time, but don't let that discourage you! Have faith that it’s a process and that numerous positive changes are taking place in your body.

 

Healing Emotional Eating

Take the time to read the information below and Check back soon to see dates for 
Weekly Program on this topic at Inspire Fitness Studio, Westlock.

Make a commitment to recovery. Invest in yourself. You are worth it.

Get honest. Is this the life you really want? If not, develop the willingness to let go of the behaviors and patterns that are no longer serving you.

Learn to meet your needs with other things besides food. Practice self-care by pampering and rewarding yourself on a regular basis. Become your own best friend.

Get a handle on your sleep issues. Sleep deprivation leads to overeating, food cravings, lack of exercise, and obesity.

Be willing to be uncomfortable and move forward into the unknown. Develop trust that you have the strength and capacity to change. You are far more powerful than you believe you are.

Appreciate yourself for all you have done to survive up until now.  You have made it this far. Your eating has been serving you. It developed to help you survive. You did the best you could with the skills you have. Before you can let go of it, you have to learn some new life skills.

Be willing to set realistic limits and expectations of yourself. A mature person knows that they can’t always have everything they want, when they want it. Stop expecting instant results. Ditch the diet mentality. Learn to tolerate discomfort by delaying gratification. The best things in life take a while to achieve.

Understand it's a journey and you will have setbacks and relapses. You will not always be motivated. The key is to pick yourself up quickly and getting back on the path as soon as possible. Be kind to yourself, beating yourself up only leads to more bingeing.

Try not to attempt too many changes at once. Slow, gentle changes are best. Too much change all at once sets you up for failure.

Ask Spirit or your inner wisdom for help. You have a core of divine energy within you. This energy will heal you. Start a regular practice of prayer, yoga, meditation, etc. Spend daily quiet time in nature or at home reading inspirational literature.

Get support and learn new life skills by attending a group like Inspire offers.

Learn to eat normal, regular meals with mindfulness. Get personal support through having a coach and mentor like myself to keep you accountable and give you daily or weekly encouragement.

Create a safe emotional space - a sacred sanctuary - for yourself. Be kind and gentle with yourself. Practice loving-kindness. Feed your Self with loving thoughts and kind words. Use affirmations.

Learn to sit with your feelings and process them by writing in a journal daily. Feelings are not facts; they will pass if you will acknowledge them. What you can feel you can heal. Let go of the old hurts and resentments that are holding you back. Learn to express your anger in healthy and appropriate ways.

Stop isolating. Focusing on the pain and or problem just envelopes you in it more. Get out of your self and into life. Have fun, help someone else, volunteer. Develop some hobbies. Spend time being creative.

Begin to grieve and let go of the past. Acknowledge that there are things that you didn’t get; forgive your parents and yourself. Welcome yourself back into the circle of your own heart. Learn to give yourself what you really need and want in life, instead of trying to get it from external sources: people, places, and things.

Develop strong, yet permeable boundaries. Detach from chaotic, toxic or draining relationships and situations. Learn to say no. Stop trying to be what you think everyone else wants you to be. Please yourself! It’s not the end of the world if someone doesn’t like you.

Acknowledge all that is good about you and your life on a regular basis. Practice gratitude.

Put your focus on your strengths and talents, not on what is missing. Accept that you will never be perfect. There is perfection in this.

Allow yourself to make mistakes. It means you’re growing! When you fall, pick yourself back up quickly.

Make peace with the fact that your spirit lives in a body and treat that body as the sacred vehicle it was meant to be. Feed and exercise it with love. It is here to serve you. Find the weight that feels right for you, and that's appropriate to your frame and genetic make-up, not what society thinks you should weight.

Understand that losing weight provides only temporary satisfaction. Being thin will not bring you the long term happiness that you are seeking. It’s like getting a shiny, new car. Exciting, then the novelty wears off. You’re still left with you - a thinner version of yourself, with the same problems, issues, and life challenges.

The best reason to lose weight and get fit is because you want to feel vibrantly and vitally alive! It is hard to feel truly alive when you are not in optimal health. Excess weight and lack of exercise drags your spirit down.

The more aliveness you are able to experience, the more you can express your joy and true essence in the world. The more authentic you are, the less food and weight obsession will be an issue for you.

Practice the “middle way.” Learn moderation in all things. Avoid thinking and living in extremes. Life, people, places and things - including food - are not good or bad, they just are. Accept that life in all its complexity is beautiful.

Learn to trust and listen to the small, still voice within. The more that you acknowledge that voice and feed it, the more the critical voice will lessen.

You are not your body, or a role that you play. You are a divine being here to express your true essence in the world. All that is required is that you show up fully in the present.

Fill yourself up with the presence of your own heart by giving yourself the gift of your own attention.  Shine the light of your awareness into the dark corners of your heart. You will find there is nothing to fear there but fear itself.

Take small risks on a regular basis. Begin to tolerate fear and uncertainty. Stretch yourself past your comfort zone by taking baby steps into the unknown. Begin to let others see the real you.

Give yourself permission to just be. Relax into the fullness of the moment. There is wisdom in the stillness.

Trust that there is a higher plan for your life and that everything that happens is a lesson for your growth.

Share your gifts with the world. Begin to express the love you have inside of you.

Take baby steps towards your hopes and dreams. You have a lot to give.

Learn to tolerate peace and happiness. Allow yourself to receive the things you have always wanted. You deserve it.

Welcome yourself home. You are what you have always been looking for. There is nothing to do or to get. You have all that you need. It has always been there, waiting for you to find it. It is your divine birthright.

Relax and open to it. Be it. Acknowledge it. Express it.

Live, laugh, love, play, dance, and eat well. Celebrate and express your joy!

Inspire " the Essence Within"

Weight loss

It seems like everybody these days wants to lose weight.  And for every individual wanting to trim fat, it would seem as though there is a different magic  fat burning capsule, slimming cream, fad diet or miracle cleanse for each of them to try.  Magazine covers at the supermarket checkout that read "lose ten pounds in a week" are giving people the impression that losing weight is easily done.   In fact, there is nothing easy about losing weight at all.  It's not something that happens overnight. It is likely that you have tried to lose weight before; exercise programs that didn't last, diets and cleanses that were too strict to follow.  Millions of people every year waste money on different pills, powders, patches, procedures and programs that offer nothing more than false hope.  The weight loss industry is a multi-billion dollar industry, which for the most part, uses marketing to sell products, not weight loss.  Unfortunately, weight loss isn't for sale, if it was, we'd all be thin.   If you really want to lose weight you are going to need many things, none of which you can buy in a store or order online.  The things that you need to succeed can only come from within you and are more valuable than anything with a price tag.

Everything you need to lose weight is within you right now"

Right now is the time to stop looking for an outside solution, let go of un-realistic ideals and get real!!!  If losing weight is something that you really want, then you will find want you need, it is in you.  It is your hard work, your motivation, your dedication and your perseverance.  The things that you need to lose weight are priceless; but are worth so much.   Yes, it's going to be tough.  Yes, you will have to sweat.  Yes, you will have to feel physical, mental and emotional pain at times.  Beyond hard work, you need to be dedicated.  And not just for a week, or a month, but through the whole course, until you reach your goal.  Motivation, drive, determination and serious self control are other things you will have to find within yourself.    It is a journey, and the road is long but on it you will grow stronger.  You will learn things about yourself and do things that you never thought you could do.  In the end you will look back and see that all of your hard work and perseverance paid off.  It might very well be the biggest accomplishment of your life because as I said before, losing weight is not easily done.   Set your goal and don't take your mind off it until you get to where you want to be.  Losing weight isn't about making willpower an overwhelming new personality trait; it's about changing your everyday behavior. You can do this!!!

Stop beating yourself up about past mistakes.  Yesterday has passed.  It’s what you do today that sets you up for success tomorrow!