May

Kickstart Your Way to Radiant Health

A new moon cycle is upon us, and I have been through a whirlwind the past 4 months and so am advocating for change this month on a cellular level. What is one way – and a powerful way – to change your body and your life?

EAT CLEAN, WHOLE, ORGANIC FOOD. This is my normal m.o., of which eating clean, using food to detox and eating the right food to heal make it easier to weather the changes of life. However, four months ago, I veered away from my resolve to be optimally healthy – to take care of my dad who is going through a major life crisis. I have learned tons of lessons during this phase, most of which are hanging out around my energy desperate for a place to sink in. I can try to shake it off by dancing, staying up late, writing about how bad I feel or endless processing. I also know what works and that the process of detoxification is rather simple. It is to come clean on the inside and the outside will shine with radiance. Feminine beauty can be created through a whole foods diet, and all of the shame, grief and overwhelm can be integrated through eating clean, getting moving, sleeping and repeating these actions on a daily basis.

I will guide you here – for now this is a FREE cleanse – you will be able to access anytime through my blog @ createradiance.wordpress.com. And also I will have it up on my site www.createradiance.com.

Things to consider for the cleanse:

How busy you are
What your goals are
Who may get in your way
Possible excuses

From there, you may choose the length of time you want to devote to purifying your body and how much you are willing to release will depend on this. This is a kickstart to your radiance.

Pre-cleanse it is important to prepare your mind and body for the de-sludging process. You want to make sure you have ample time in your schedule to cook and shop, as well that you will be courageous enough to keep the commitment to yourself to be clean, inside and out. The outside counts also, and you may notice that as soon as you clean out your diet, you will notice things in your life that need detoxing as well, such as clothing and clutter. Clean insides sensitive you to your environment, and make you resonate with a higher vibration. With that comes the knowing what needs to stay and what needs to go. This cleanse is about improving your life from the inside out, so this is just food for thought (and with knowledge you may be motivated to listen to your hunches and clean out your life:)>

My day one looks like this. Fortunate to be on day two of my moon cycle, and in a place of needing rest, so I’ve been able to be @ home for most of the day.

Morning:

walk, 30 mins

breakfast: kitchari with turmeric, mustard seeds, fennel, garlic and cauliflower, coconut oil

lunch: kitchari with turmeric and beet greens, garlic, coconut oil

snack: 1 T peanut butter, coconut water

dinner: kitchari with kale

Disclaimer: This is not a mono-cleanse. I don’t suggest eating kitchari for days on end to purify your body and enhance your natural beauty. According to Ayurveda, mung bean kitchari is the most balancing dish and a very cleansing meal to consume. It is super energizing, grounding and nourishing and tastes delicious. Here is a basic recipe for kitchari, a detoxifying meal you may enjoy for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

KITCHARI:

1 cup of mung beans or red lentils, rinsed
2 cups basmati rice
2 cups chopped vegetables
1/2 t tumeric
1 T coriander
1 t mustard seeds
1/2 t fennel seeds

Bring beans and 4 cups water to a boil. Simmer on low for 10 minutes. Add rice. Add vegetables and simmer for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, heat oil in a pan. Add spices and cook until fragrant. Add to cooked bean, rice, vegetable mixture. Enjoy warm. Garnish with cilantro and ginger.

7 days ago Short URL Comments

Food and Mood/Gluten Free/Uncategorized

beauty/detox diet/eat clean/feminine radiance/radiance

Sep

Curry Coconut Butternut Squash Soup

Coconut milk is my new love. Creamy and sweet and oh so fatty, it hits the heart right in between the om and the ah. It’s like the perfect balance of the yin and the yang, or not really, because there is nothing yang about it. You can use it just like you would cream or a heavy milk, yet with a nutrition profile that is astounding. Without regard to the fat content, coconut milk has many benefits that will send your heart soaring and your taste buds gleaming with an inner smile all the way down to your belly.

Benefits of Coconut Milk:
Following are some of the health benefits of coconut milk:

Manganese Ya! Manganese is an amino acid that gets sucked out of your body due to glucose intolerance. I attribute many blood sugar imbalances to the intoxication gluten can cause, yet it may not be 100% for you if you are reading this and hesitant to believe it. This is my experience and a testimony from years of personal and professional research, and so if it does not resonate, leave the rest to discover for yourself! Manganese is in coconut milk and so you may assure your bones and brain they can have a party because the coconut is going to offer you one! As well, grains, legumes and nuts provide manganese.

Flexifies the skin and blood vessels! No one wants to find their blood has become stagnant, their veins hard to access or their circulation cut down to only in their torso. You want strong arms to support your body, arms to help lift you up (and hands to express through). The copper and vitamin C in coconut milk will encourage flexibility in the blood flow of the body, which means everywhere so drink up!

Your Daily Boost! Coconut milk is high in phosphorus which strengthens bones. So practice yoga and drink/cook with coconut milk for strengthening bones and preventing bone loss.

Keep your blood-a-flowing! Anemia is a common cause of lethargy and over-exhaustion due to a lack of proper mineralization. One cup of coconut milk offers 1/4 the RDA of iron.

Free your mind and the rest will follow! Stressed out in your mind or body? Check your magnesium, perhaps the cause of pain in your neck or back is that your diet is causing your nerves to withdraw from their natural flow of beauty. Coconut milk provides plenty of magnesium to relax your muscles and send healing sparkles of light to those areas which maybe harboring the plague of your current situation. Perhaps coconut milk in some soup tonight?

Full Belly, Full Heart! Coconut milk provides plenty of fiber, which fills you up quicker and may aid in reducing the need to eat more than your body is ready for. So eat more fiber (coconut milk!), ultimately eat less overall.

Silly Seli – what? Selinium is an important antioxidant which reduces inflammation in the body, especially surrounding the joints. So, more coconut milk, especially if you have arthritis – it is observed the people with low levels of selenium may suffer from rheumatoid arthritis.

Pot-ass-what? Potassium, or foods containing potassium (if you break that word apart, it’s funny, right?) is a blood pressure reducing-agent that comes naturally in coconut milk.

Immune me, please! I spent a semester in college in Tanzania and once was forced to lie back @ camp and miss a day of beach hiking (hiking on beaches to “island hop” around various un-inhabited aka desert islands) due to a major fever. I went hiking on my own and came to a village known for it’s incidences of elephantitits. That’s another story, but for now, know this: they gave me coconut to drink and said it would take my pain away. It did, however my taste buds weren’t quite mature enough to think that coconut milk was magical. Once I broke through to the other side, now my immune system is in high gear and I haven’t been sick since (in 10 years!).

Zinc your taste! Zinc is the key to healthy taste buds, as well as plays a role in promoting the health of the prostate gland. DRINK MORE COCONUT MILK!
Now for the main squeeze :

Butternut Squash Curry Soup featuring Coconut Milk
Ingredients:

1/4 cup onions, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 T ginger
1/4 t curry powder
1 t coconut oil
1 c butternut squash
1 t coconut oil
1 cup water
1/2 t sea salt
2 T coconut milk

Heat oil until smoking. Add onions, garlic and ginger. Saute until fragrant and clear. Add curry powder, saute 30 seconds. Add squash and water. Simmer and cover for 15 minutes or until squash is soft. Blend. Add coconut milk (optional). Simmer for 2 minutes. Add more coconut milk for a creamier consistency. Serve warm, garnished with cilantro.

Super yum.

270 days ago Short URL Comments

Food and Mood/Gluten Free/Uncategorized/Weight

blood sugar balancing/coconut milk/Gluten Free/soups/sugar detox/vegan

Jul

A Pathway to Greatness

I have a confession to make. I am fascinated by Twitter and my “followers”. I wish there was a little birdie (or an app) which showed how people come to follow you on Twitter. I am inspired when people post what inspires them or what is working in their business. I love social media because it invites the possibility of meeting people of like-mind who understand the power of connection, even if from afar. If you follow me on Twitter, I may buy your book, I will check out your website and I am fascinated by who you are.

I am also fascinated by the concept of “self-compassion”. I used to think self-esteem was a registry for how to embody recovery from anorexia and bulimia. This is sticky territory, especially if the core of your suffering is so widely accepted that it is almost encouraged (seen by the media) in a culture such as America where 9 out of 10 women are dissatisfied with their bodies. Imagine if there was a registry for inner talk.

Self-esteem is more of the reflection you have of yourself based on the outside world – including the beliefs you have about yourself based on history, genetics and culture, as well as your measure of success. If you look around, you may never be good enough. There will always be someone with more money, a better ______ than you, and on and on. Which is why self-esteem may not matter much in recovery or in your ability to lose weight and keep it off, develop a healthy body image and ultimately to LOVE YOURSELF.

The type of love I am referring to starts from within. It does not come from others, it does not come from how good you are, how much you give back, how much you left behind or how much you care about other people. It is not measured nor can it be negotiated. It is like the distinction between asking God or your concept of a Higher Power to help you find a job or a lover, and having a conversation with the Divine as you embody your greatness no matter what is going on in your life.

Self-compassion is the ability to transcend what is going on in order to fully embrace your suffering. It comes with gifts. Big ones. The sort of gifts that keep on giving and do not depend on Karma. It naturally attunes you to having positive karma, not because you have to make up for a shortcoming, but because you want to fall so deeply in love with life, that you feel called to give back.

I recently watched a video by Happiness expert and Stanford psychologist, Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D., on self-compassion, which shows the parts in a brain that are not firing when someone is depressed, and the parts that get activated with someone allows themselves to be with their suffering. She explains a study that was done where participants journal at the end of the day about the worst thing that happened to them during the day and talk to themselves as they would a good friend with the same experience. The conclusion of the study was that by looking at their suffering, depression and negative feelings were alleviated. It is as simple as this. The people involved in the study were doing a service to themselves to dive deep into what was perhaps the worst part of their lives and could naturally develop a conversation with themselves that elicited lightness of being.

What does this mean to weight loss? To recovery from an addiction to a person, substance or behavior? To overcoming anorexia or bulimia? First off, it does not happen all at once and it does give your freedom from the pressures that overwhelm you such as wanting to look better, have more money or a better life than someone else.

Self-compassion is a practice, that can be started in any moment. It is an antidote to choosing a self-deprecating behavior, yet it is what is beyond perfection and because of your humanity. It is being with truth even when it hurts and embracing the parts of yourself that are shameful, not your best and hidden form others in embarrassment or limiting beliefs (such as not being good enough). As Debbie Ford says in the Dark Side of the Light Chasers, “You must go into the dark in order to bring forth your light.
Our full magnitude is more than most of us can ever imagine.”

The alternative to self-compassion is to micro-manage the parts of ourselves that we feel bad about, rebel in shaming behaviors and never let ourselves fully discover the wide range of emotions available to us as human beings. Denial leads to shame and shame may lead to denial. Self-compassion is a way to understand that we will never be good enough if we are trying to measure up to a standard. Life is an organic process of shifting in subtle ways in order to achieve greatness. Greatness we may see in others may be the illusion that they are more free than us in a way that creates a pathway of shame in our heart.

True greatness is the pathway that exists and is always available to us, in the center of our heart, as the feeling of love, compassion, forgiveness and joy, simply because we can. Take a deep breath into the awareness that you are home. All of you is welcome here and that your body, breath and life are good enough to exist in this moment as a whole, healthy, happy and healing person.

*One more note: self-compassion is not a way of avoiding accountability or responsibility for our emotions. It makes us more accountable, to love ourselves more fully so that we let go of the illusion that we will ever be good enough than we might have been in order to become who we truly are: which is truth and love, constantly seeking expression….

Follow me on Twitter

322 days ago Short URL Comments

Food and Mood/meditation/Recovery/Weight

anorexia/bulimia/emotional recovery/healthy body image/sobriety/weight loss

Jul

The Metabolism of a Foodie

Woosh!!!! Did you know your subconscious mind has the power to stoke or burnout your metabolism perhaps just as much as what you eat???? I experimented with this insight last night, at a 4th of July party. I usually (99% of the time) make the choice to eat foods that come from the earth. No gluten, dairy and minimal sugar seems to be where it’s at when following a detox lifestyle (and how I tend to eat). Last night, I ate a hot dog and apple pie (American as can be, purely refined) and I TOLD MY BODY IT WAS GOING TO BE OK. I was fine. No side effects or symptoms. I feel awesome today and I am so thankful for not only the food, but the fun I had yesterday and having the willingness to try something new (even though my mind said it was not healthy at first, once I made the decision it was ok, I felt better than ok:).

What can we learn from this? That food does bear weight, especially if it gets stuck in our thoughts. Defining yourself as a foodie can be and is an enlightening purpose: a person having an enthusiastic interest in the preparation and consumption of good food. I am a self-proclaimed foodie. I run with foodies and I usually allow only foodies into my wheelhouse. The alternative is someone who does not care about food. Is this really true? Are there people who don’t care about food? Not really. Because you can be somewhere in between and at any given point waver between the two – hyper-concerned about what you eat, and the alternative: not at all conscious (which can cause stress, if you are unprepared…) does not mean one doesn’t care. We all care and we all have needs. Sometimes life gets going so quickly that you don’t have time to take out to put your care into food does not mean one doesn’t care. I have, for half of my life been in worry around food, or even more so if you consider the self-imposed (they usually are;) diet of grilled cheese and fruit I grew up on. I, a formerly obsessed foodie have been on super-restrictive diets and have learned more about life through food than food through life.

Where you want to dwell is somewhere in between. Where life fills in the dark spaces and food livens up your experience of connecting with friends and family over the breaking of crisp bread alongside warm soup on a winter’s night. Where food inspires you to wake up and smell a little more, see clearer and feel grateful for where you’ve been and where you are headed. Where life is so rich and delicious that food complements the beauty that abounds and each bite you take is filled with pleasure, simply because the act of eating is your birthright. No matter if it is brown rice or chocolate cake, you are infinitely grateful for being able to nourish your body. You feel more rooted in your body than ever before, that what you eat is no longer a bother and how you eat is more pleasurable than ever before. You are simply in love with all of life and food comes alongside you, reminding you of the precious present moment as you chew, taste, smile, laugh and feel at peace not because of what’s in front of you, but because of why, who and how you are becoming what you are. Where the art of eating, breathing, sleeping, playing and growing is delicious because your focus is on nourishing your heart in ways more than just food can provide.

What are ways that you currently think about food?
What needs to change – do you have fears that need overcoming? Try something new. Go out for a new cuisine, try out a new sport, take a vacation from a certain person or place, drive a new way to work.
How can you set the tone to have more ____(fill in the blank with an intention) in your life? Could you bless and thank the food and it’s source? Set a goal to eat with friends or alone a few meals a week? Take more time to prepare your meals? Plan more? Plan less? Whatever makes you think less and feel more.

Feel better now. Ask yourself powerful questions when it comes to your relationship with food. Check in: how could I improve? Am I being too rigid or do I need to loosen up on the rules? Is there food “noise” going on in your head: do what needs not undoing. Eat with pleasure, not guilt. Of course, optimum health comes through experience and we each have needs that are evolving, which is why even our metabolism needs to be stoked continuously and educating once in a while.

Keep coming back to create radiant health from the inside out…

329 days ago Short URL Comments

Food and Mood/Lifestyle/Recovery/Weight

Jun

Mood, Energy and Sleep Cure

For years I struggled with moodiness, imbalanced energy and a lack of stability in my heart. I was obsessed with perfecting my diet and overcome with a poor body image. My life depended on what I ate, and rarely was I doing it the right way. I attended the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and everything changed. A lot went on during the years when I was healing from my shame and anger, but some things are notable that I see in clients daily that I’d like to share about how important sound nutrition is in maintaining a stable mood, positive energy and healthy sleep.

The first thing to be aware of is amino acids. Amino acids play central roles both as building blocks of proteins and as intermediates in metabolism. Your body produces 10 of the 20 amino acids, the rest must come from food. Not getting the right balance of food leads to many imbalances in the body, most notably blood sugar destabalization, which causes chaotic moods, can lead to energetic blocks and disrupted sleep cycles. Think about how good you feel when you eat well, and you feel well. Most of the time, you may notice you have gotten enough protein. Some of the time feeling well may come from having carbohydrates enough to fuel your daily workout. And all of the time it comes from a healthy balance of the two, as well as getting essential fatty acids which lubricate the brain and belly. Amino acids come from protein, but if the protein is incomplete, or not the right protein for your blood type*, then this may lead to more stress. I have seen some clients lately who are struggling – either to maintain their weight, sleep through the night or generate the energy to exercise. I see right away that as much as they are focusing on their nutrition and trying to dial it in correctly, there is a missing link.

How can you balance your nutrition to ensure you are getting balanced amino acids?

1- Animal protein: eggs, chicken, fish, meat. If this agrees with your body! (I am 95% vegetarian, I eat eggs and fish occasionally, because this agrees with my body and I have the knowledge and motivation to eat a balanced vegetarian diet) Eating animal protein at meals is the best way to balance your blood sugar, helps to relax the body and create grounding energy and healthy moods.

2-Vegetable protein: Beans, especially lentils, black beans, azuki beans, chick peas, mung beans, black eyed peas. Combine beans with grains: brown rice, quinoa, amaranth, teff, buckwheat, white rice – to complete the protein and create a balanced amino acid content. Otherwise, without the grains, the protein is incomplete causing blood sugar imbalances which may lead to mood and energy disruptions. Wouldn’t you rather have sustainable energy?

3- Essential fatty acids: FISH OIL, flax oil, coconut oil, olive oil are the best. Also, sesame oil, butter, ghee. Walnuts, pumpkin seeds, almonds are also good, though can be rough on your digestive system, so be sure to chew them well and eat in moderation.

4-Food Intolerances. Because our digestion is vital to our emotional health, it is important to know what foods agree with you and what foods may be causing you digestive distress. Gluten is the number one food to look out for if you struggle with any of the following: low blood sugar, sleepiness after eating, disrupted sleep, diabetes, eating disorders, depression, anxiety. Dairy may also be a culprit of stressful digestive patterns causing stressful mood and energy imbalances. I recommend trying out on your own body to see what works more than getting tested by taking out suspect foods for a week and adding them back in, one at a time. Food intolerances cause assimilation issues, which make the amino acid information from above not as pertinent information. If your belly is not happy, then your brain will not be able to relax and do the work to balance your mood, energy and sleep.

Feel Better Now: the Art of Creating Radiance

A recent poll was taken on the happiness of Americans, measured on a scale of 1-100. Most of the states in the US ranked in the 60-70 range. I live in Tennessee and we were ranked #40 in the nation. Despite Nashville being such a hip and progressive place, people here are still overweight and unemployed, and a mojority of them are not doing anything about it. I agree that may be a harsh criticism, but I see it daily in people on the streets and the research is there to support this theory. I also see a tremendous amount of activists in our community, working within organizations, starting their own mission, building awareness through classes, news, and coming together for a common cause. All of this is great, especially if you know what your mission is. What your heart is here to teach. None of this is possible, if you are not functioning at your best, and using your resources wisely, which includes reaching out for what you need to…feel better, help others, be radiant!

Imagine yourself as a sacred activist, teaching others what you have learned, walking your talk, being supported by a community who sees and hears you and encourages you to share from your heart. This could be in your job, through teaching yoga, in your family. In essence, activism is how you show up in your work, life, family, relationships. Are you a symbol for health and happiness? Do you help people feel better or are you taking more than you are giving? We all need help sometimes…

If you notice yourself at the opposite end of the spectrum than where you would prefer to be…ie in worry, fear, focusing on lack, here are some ways to feel better now

Notice the conversations you are having with yourself. Find the strength to implement ones that feel better. Example: I am fat and gross and miserable. Affirmation: I am fit, sexy, healthy, happy and wealthy. Feel better? It’s ok if you do not believe it. Fake it until you make it, even if it takes days, weeks, months. All of life is a practice, and a result of the work we put in…to our bodies, to our relationships, to our work. So, you do have the power to create your thoughts, feelings and beliefs.

Be the captain of your ship. Your conscious mind functions as a caption. Subconscious is like the crew, taking orders from the captain. If you think you want something, and get the opposite situation, the conscious mind may need to harness the power to create more positive pathways. You can implement affirmations to help soothe the connection and to create what you want. Example: overeating. You think you want to be thin, and you keep binging and feeling bad about yourself. Consciously, let yourself imagine being thin and beautiful. Surround yourself with pictures of being thin and beautiful – why you want to be, such as pictures of going to the beach. Do the work it takes to sustain your body as you dream it to be. This starts with a conscious intention and practices to build awareness of what you want in order to keep moving in that direction.

Take life in segments. When you sit down to eat, acknowledge you are eating only for the next segment of time. That you will be able to eat again, and that you can eat only what you need to be fed for the next little while. Also, know what your goals are, and also that they do not have to all happen at once. That way you are aware of where you are going, and by doing so, you invite your subconscious to stay attuned to what the next right action is.

Kaizen: one step at a time, moving forward in a positive way. Kaizen is japanese for “improvement” or change for the better”. There are days when we all want to stay on the couch. There are times when this is totally appropriate, to check into a movie or a good book and turn your mind away from life as it is as you allow yourself to journey into a story. This is healthy for the brain and increases your productivity factor as you take a break away from working hard or over focusing. Space is a good thing!!! And, when you are on, doing one thing at a time, with all of your attention and focus, is a way of efficiency and effectiveness. This mode of functioning will give you energy. It activates the change muscle, a healthy outlook and an ability to handle life as it comes (because you are not thinking about or doing too much at once:).

What do you need to feel better now? Some tools that can help you to identify where you are going, or what your next steps are to help you feel better, improve yourself and sprout a successful life are:

Vision Board
Setting realistic goals
Fear Inventory – acknowledge resistance regularly, replace with truth
Work with a coach on any or all of the above exercises – be witnessed and supported in achieving your goals

I am happy to speak with you about your goals. I would love it. I love sharing the tools that work for me and am available for free 30 minute coaching sessions. If you want to clarify yourt next steps, check into what’s holding you back, and invite yourself into the possibility of fully breaking through to a fit, sexy, healthy and wealthy body and life, let’s talk. Call me to book your appointment: 615.618.6556 or email waller@createradiance.com

Love,

Waller

379 days ago Short URL Comments

Food and Mood/Lifestyle/Recovery/Sexuality/Weight

change/coaching/productivity/weight loss

Jan

Eating Disorder or Identity Crisis

I hate to admit that the theme for this post came from a search from a previous post, but I do like to know what people are interested in and how what I know may resonate what you want to read. The topic of whether you are struggling from an eating disorder or going through an identity crisis hits very close to the center of my heart.

First, a coach I have worked with in the past, Heather Fougnier – who is recovered from bulimia and helps women to recover, as well as is a business coach, reminded me that if I am struggling with any aspect of my eating disorder, a new door may reveal itself for me to walk through. This does not mean that if you are in between jobs, school, relationships or on vacation, that you should make it a time to over or under eat. It does mean, that a lack of structure in one’s life may make it more difficult to maintain structure in all areas of life – unless, you are doing it for survival and understand fully the consequences of not taking care of yourself.

There are simple, practical ways to set aside an unhealthy relationship with food RIGHT NOW. If you are struggling with anorexia, bulimia, compulsive over-eating and are at risk, I do not claim to be diagnosing your condition or able to treat you, but I can offer you healthy habits to add in TODAY to start to feel better. And, in my 14 years of recovering from anorexia, bulimia and any form of eating disorder there is, I know that #1 way to maintain a recovery mindset is through balanced nutrition. THis is a matter of feeling starving and wanting to binge, starving and wanting to keep on starving or overeating and not wanting to stop, there is one way to heal all of these conditions and it is by getting enough of the right foods to eat at regular intervals and doing so with mindfulness and compassion.

When I first started recovery, and at points I still practice this when I remember to it is to say a blessing over your food, and when you do to remember any one who has ever struggled with an eating disorder or who is currently struggling. This can look like: Please bless the lives of all those men and women who have ever and are currently struggling in their relationship with food. Help them to breathe deeper, eat more mindfully and be nourished by the food they put into their bodies. Doesn’t it feel better to acknowledge you are not alone in the struggle? It has for me and I bet it will for you also!

What are some other ways we can move beyond having the eating disorder as an identity? See it as such. When you are not fully taking care of yourself, there are many things that might have triggered you to get off course – mental, physical, emotional and spiritual. We are multi-dimensional people with holistic needs. The food is one piece out of the pie, but it is a necessary and vital piece which makes the other pieces fall into place mmore effortlessly. Imagine when you are satisfied by a meal are having been starving to eat and how much better you feel and easier it is to think and feel! When you are under or over fed, this may not be the case. Overeating can cause the same symptoms of lethargy and sleeplessness, combined with anxiety and depression, all of which lead to feeling confused about what to do and what you may need to get back on track.

So, to move toward your goals today, start by balancing your plate. What does a balanced plate look like?

A meal should have:

1-3 servings of starch, preferably gluten free (whole grains or whole grains crackers/breads)
3 servings of protein, about 15-25 g of protein
2-3 fats – up to 1 T oil (coconut, flax, olive, ghee)
veggies – as many as possible, preferably most of your plate

A snack:

1 starch (ie fruit, crackers, rice cake)
1 protein (cheese, nuts, hummus)

Eating every 2-3 hours is a smart way to keep your brain supercharged and blood sugar stabilized. Doing so is your ticket to a healthy recovery and a life of healthy, sustainable nutritional habits.

491 days ago Short URL Comments

Food and Mood/Gluten Free/meditation/Recovery/Weight

anorexia/bulimia/eating disorders

Jan

Coming Home

I was in a woman’s group yesterday and we practiced yoga for a part of the time and focused on the center of ourselves – our hara, (or our tailbone, as this teacher referred to it). It was an enlightening experience, to realize how shut down I am in that area. I wish I could say I was a practicing my female sexuality, but I am not at the moment, and that, girlfriend, is simply a state of mind. We all have wishes, desires, hopes and fantasies, yet parts of ourselves fall prey to the masculine-driven, power-hungry, yangness of our culture: the need to think ourselves into situations which end up hurting us, rather than experience the moment as it is. Our feminine selves naturally embrace imperfection, move and change as if each day we are whole, happy and health and every ounce of us is allowed to feel ourselves into our best life. I learned in yoga class/woman’s group that truly, I’ve started to tap in a lot more to my feminine power and it’s scary how sensitive and necessary this wisdom is and that it is only available to us when we practice it!

I hate to put this is the same post, however need to make an admission to someone greater than myself. My most beloved authors are Ann Lamott and Geneen Roth. I can see (read) them now, writing about how lonely they were when they reached for the 12th donut hole, only to find the hole inside was larger than any box would ever be, with or without the donuts. And, the donuts make the hole turn inside out and become who and what we think we are. This was my day. I’ll call is a hole attack. If I’m seeking wholeness, this was embracing emptiness (not the Buddhist type). This time, I really went for it, on an exploration into what could simply never be more than the pit in my stomach filled with nothing but unworthiness, bad, gross, negativity that will remain, yet never be understood in light of my wonderful self. I guess that’s what makes us whole, really, is that empty self that is waiting in the dark, speaking to us when we least expect it and we make holy choices to overcome self-doubt, act as if we really love ourselves, and treat ourselves with kindness today to create a healthier and happier tomorrow.

Today’s hole was a reminder of an old, stale place. It had to happen so I could refresh my memory how simple it is and how vital that we stay awake. I’ve been sick of the eating disordered voices lately, so much so that I’m thinking about writing a book. It seems like the only way out of this mess is through, and my mind keeps telling me that. The other alternative is to bounce around in the confines of my mind, from one bite to the next, wondering when I can jump out of my skin again and how I can hide myself under the seeming layers of fat, which are really just healthy hormones which make me human.

I’ve heard from many women lately how sick we are collectively of our minds, the media, and our culture seemingly telling us how thin and beautiful we should be. As if to say: look at me! and not within at yourself….If you look at me, tell me I’m beautiful, much more so than you…I’m thin! Love me!

I know from experience it doesn’t work. You can never be too thin..I tried and I got absolutely no attention from men or inner stability and connection to my feminine self @ 90 pounds. I feel so much more @ a more abundant weight. Some days (today!), I confuse food for love, and give up on the possibility of love altogether. Other days, I love myself, I believe in myself and I put myself out there as effortlessly as I did as a child hugging a friend. And then there are the in between days, when I feel awkward enough to put myself in the arms of the world, not quite getting what I want, yet some part of me is not giving up. I’d prefer to have a lot more belief and less self-imposed criticism. It doesn’t help the world be a better place and it is exactly the opposite of my intention in the world: to inspire and teach people to be healthy, happy, and live in joy and abundance.

Love, happiness and find one reason to love yourself NOW!

Waller

505 days ago Short URL 1 Comment

Food and Mood/Recovery/Uncategorized/Weight/yoga

anorexia/bulimia/eating disorders/female sexuality/Recovery

Oct

Gluten Free and Happy to Be

You may be reading this because you have gone gluten free due to a health condition, or a current trend in dietary theory led you to discovering the impact that going gluten free can have on your life. Any information you are reading here comes from personal experience, along with research I have done on gluten free living. I suffered with ill health for many years, and was in a healing crisis when I was diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy. Besides that, I could not hold on to weight, my blood sugar was all over the place, I had severe anxiety followed by depression and finally had a series of seizures. All of this and I still did not get it, neither did doctors. I was told “anorexic”, after having no problem consuming as much food as possible. I spent an exorbitant amount of time and energy on trying to find foods that agreed with me, and I settled on soy and a grain based diet, only to discover I was allergic to soy, and many of the foods I was eating. No wonder for the strange health conditions which seemed to be popping up all over the place!

Then I ran into an ex-boyfriend, who, when we were together, liked his beer and hangovers, while I was a bulimic in action. Together, we suffered silently separately, but came together and thrived on the possibility of not having to be alone and miserable. He had been diagnosed celiac, and told me about his recovery process. At the time, I was severely underweight, and still trying to figure out the food. And then…I cut out gluten. My symptoms went away, my weight normalized, and I found a way of eating that worked for me.

Here is how I went gluten free.

1. I cut out gluten.
2. I felt better.
3. I felt much better.
4. I learned to cook without gluten.
5. I felt free around food, less moody and compulsive, grounded with a flow in my spine.
6. I continue to feel better following a gluten free lifestyle, which does not include restricting the delicious options available.

The rest is history. Every day, I create, convert and customize recipes that fit in with the gluten free living. Some work, some need work, but there is always room for more gluten free options in the world. I am currently offering a Chi Bar–a gluten free, dairy free, soy free, sugar free energy bar that is spreading like wildfire. If you want to learn more, or order one or a dozen, email me @ waller@createradiance.com

Stay tuned for my new website, coming out in the next week, which will offer gluten free guides, guidance, recipes, relaxation techniques–a sort of healing reservoir for recovering your health from an addiction, stress condition, or life in general.

WIth love,
Waller

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966 days ago Short URL Comments

Food and Mood/Gluten Free/Lifestyle

Sep

Calm those Sweet Cravings!

Fall is the time of year when the sweet taste is in season. You may notice yourself craving more sweets, and also be aware of the foods that are starting to be in season are round, sweet foods (ie apples, onions, squashes)
It is important to keep yourself fed with the sweet taste, so that you are satisfied and not at risk to eat the gallon of ice cream or box of cookies. The tips below are certain to heal your body and calm your mind to continue living a sweet life.

5 Steps for Beating Sugar Cravings:

1. Eat Whole Grains and sweet vegetables.
2. Chew Well
3. Give up restricting yourself and pick up enjoying life.
4. Try natural sweeteners (see below)
5. Be patient with yourself. Love yourself. Spend time with sweet people.

Natural Sweeteners

Maple syrup is an excellent substitute for sugar. It is high in trace minerals like zinc and manganese, which can assist in heart health and in balancing cholesterol levels. The light “Grade A” or “Number 1 can contain formaldehyde runoff from the first extraction of the syrup under certain processing conditions. All the other grades are safe, but Grade C (the darkest amber syrup) is the best.

Honey is another item that’s often presented as a healthy alternative to refined sugar, but it is sometimes controversial. People who react to sugar as a “brain allergy” (especially common in children, for whom it can trigger ADD/ADHD symptoms) may react to honey the same way. It is high glycemic, and hits the body as a hard sweet. Raw, unpasteurized honey is rich in elements which can help with wound healing, kill bacteria, soothe sore throats and digestive upset, and decrease local allergy symptoms. Honey is also sweeter than sugar by volume, so you need less in baking or cooking.

Agave is a sweetener extracted from a South American cactus, and traditionally used to make tequila. Often called “honey water,” the agave nectar or agave syrup is light, both in taste and colour. It is runnier than honey and tastes much milder, but is in fact sweeter so even less is required in cooking. Agave is extraordinarily low glycemic – it has almost no impact on blood sugar, making it an ideal sweetener for diabetics and those who are sensitive to sugars.

Blackstrap molasses is a sweetener that is actually good for you. Unlike refined white sugar and corn syrup, which are stripped of virtually all nutrients except simple carbohydrates, or artificial sweeteners like saccharine or aspartame, which not only provide no useful nutrients but have been shown to cause health problems in sensitive individuals, blackstrap molasses is a healthful sweetener that contains significant amounts of a variety of minerals that promote your health.

Brown rice syrup is a liquid sweetener with the consistency of honey. It can be substituted for honey in baking. It has a unique caramel-like flavor that can be used to enhance a recipe, but it will disappear if used sparingly in a recipe. Brown rice syrup metabolizes slowly but does have calories and carbohydrates. Diabetics and low-carb dieters should use it with caution. Brown rice syrup is considered to be one of the healthiest sweeteners in the natural food industry, since it is produced from a whole food source and is made up of the simple sugars.

Foods to emphasize:

• Whole Grains
• Beans
• Miso
• Sweet Vegetables: Carrots, onions, winter squash, cabbage
• Brown rice mochi

Snack Ideas

• Dates stuffed with almond or walnut
• Apple with nut butter
• Rice cake with agave, jam or brown rice syrup
• Tea with molasses
• Carrots with hummus
• Handful of almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds

Recipes for Radiance

Azuki-Squash-Kombu
Makes 4 servings

Soaking time: 8 hours or over night
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 2 + hours

Ingredients:

1 cup azuki beans, washed, and soaked in 2 cups water

1 cup hard winter squash (such as butternut, buttercup or kabocha), cut in large cubes

1-inch square piece of kombu

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

water

parsley, chopped, for garnish

•Place the kombu on the bottom of a heavy pot.
•Add the soaked beans with soaking water and, if necessary add enough water to just cover the beans.
•Bring to a boil over a medium flame. When it comes to boil, cover the pot, reduce the flame to low, and simmer for 1 hour.
•Add a little water occasionally, as needed, to keep the beans just covered. Do not add too much water, as the less water there is the more rich the flavor of the beans will be.
•After 1 hour, place the squash on top of the azukis, re-cover the pot and continue simmering 1 hour more. The beans and squash should both be very tender at this point.
•Add the salt by sprinkling over the top of the beans and squash. Stir salt in a little, very gently so as not to break up the squash piece, and cook 15 minutes more, uncovered to reduce the liquid. If there is still a lot of water after 15 minutes you can continue simmering uncovered as long as you like, just keep the flame very low and check regularly to make sure it does not scorch.
•Serve hot garnished with parsley.

Leftovers will keep refrigerated up to 3 days.

995 days ago Short URL Comments

Food and Mood

diabetics/natural sweeteners/sugar cravings

Create Radiance

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