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I was in clinic today and I was reminded oh so clearly how our emotions influence our behaviour. Let me say it really was one of those days of humanness. I love these more than any other, simply because it is such an honour to work with people who choose to be real and not put on a mask, best behaviour of anything else they may feel is needed.
One in particular, and I hear it so often "I know what to do". "People say I should do this........ and that. It worked for me, so it should be easy for you too." While these comments are intended to be helpful, and they are positive, honest and accurate statements of change actions, they are not the best thing when a person is struggling with the driver of their situation whether it is grief and more so low self esteem. I beleive we all do our best at any given moment and even though we know what to do, it is such a struggle when the drivers are emotions, and more so beliefs that we are unconscious of. No matter the mind chooses it is usually the unconscious that gets what it wants. I honour each of my clients, myself and people I come in contact with, for we all have our own struggles of change. We all have a history, current and generational which dominates our choices and often without knowing so. We 'know' what we should, must, could do, but thankfully in truth there are no shoulds, only choices that we can be more conscious of making at every turn of the day. Remember even not choosing, surrender or the like is a choice. We may not feel we are in control, yet we are. I challenge each to sit and ask ourselves for the message, lesson or insight that is being given in our situations, just as this client did today. Such courage to acknowledge the despair, pain and sadness which caused her to black out when making food choices. The driver or really co-driver in her situation of non supportive eating. Each of us do this. Maybe not with food, but with other actions which may not really support our bodies, connectedness with ourselves, or others. My wish to each of you is that you be true to your highest selves and that you may uncover your honest truth that we are enough, we are God's creation and therefore perfect even if we may not feel so. To your true selves, Namaste. 
healthy habits.What is health to you? To me, personally, it personifies balance. Balance between exercise, consuming a nutritious diet, enjoying myself in moderation, working hard towards my dreams and spending as much time with family and friends enjoying life as possible. Too many people get hung up over what weight the scales say and believe that this number is the definition of being healthy. But is this really the case? What does it mean to you to be healthy?
creating HEALTHY habits with australia's healthy weight week!Did you know that in 2013, it was found that 3 in 5 Australian adults and 1 in 4 children (18yrs and under) are now classified as either overweight or obese? To help fight this, the Dietitians Association of Australia has initiated the Australian Healthy Weight Week. Here's what it is all about, how it can benefit you & what you can do to get involved. 1. What is HWW? Healthy Weight Week runs from 16th - 22nd February and has events all over Australia aiming to inspire all Aussies to cook at home more often to achieve a healthy lifestyle. They’re focusing on educating people by giving you the right advice and support to help you achieve a healthy lifestyle and set you on your way to your dreams! They’re challenging all Australians to cook 7 home-cooked meals in 7 days; can you take up the challenge? 2. HWW Events. There are a variety of events happening around Australia throughout the month of February, ranging from educational seminars to cooking classes and everything in between. Check out the link for more info and to find the closest one to you Link. 3. What does HWW offer? On the website you’ll find lots of free goodies LIKE, A FREE DOWNLOADABLE COOKBOOK! & plenty other helpful resources chock full of amazing information, including:
4. Get Involved & Take The Challenge! Take a long, hard think about this… “ONE home-cooked meal A DAY for A WEEK…” Seems so simple, right? This is the cooking challenge that AHWW is setting Australians to reach, so give it a go! It’s a great habit to get into to start living a healthy lifestyle. Cooking at home helps you manage your portions & you’ll also know EXACTLY what goes into your meals. So if you’re looking to improve both yours and your families lifestyles and health, head on over to the Healthy Weight Week website and spend a few minutes educating yourself to make smarter choices. You won’t regret it! Or better yet, make a pledge to change your habits for the week and you could WIN one of ten prize packs valued at $157.19! Healthy eats forbes is doing its part! If you live in or near the Forbes area, Healthy Eats is hosting it’s own event on Monday the 16th and Tuesday the 17th February at the Forbes Sports & Recreation Club on Lachlan Street. It will be all about education and involves a cooking demonstration for people who are stuck for ideas when it comes to healthy, yummy and easy cooking. If you would like to be apart of a cooking demonstration and discover why preparing nutritious and delicious meals for one person or the entire family isn’t scary, or expensive, then come along! The session on Monday 16th runs from 10am-12:30pm and is perfect for the older person or those who are cooking for one. Click to grab your FREE ticket The session on Tuesday 17th runs from 6:30-8:00pm and is suited towards the younger generation or those with children and a family to fee. To grab your FREE TICKET We’d love to see as many smiling faces as possible! So grab your FREE TICKET ASAP, before they run out! Also, don’t forget there will be plenty of food tasting going on!  In other news, Healthy Eats is also running a Diabetes Program out of it’s Newcastle Clinic at Mayfield Medical Connections (55 Hanbury Street, Mayfield). Final dates TBA It aims to educate people and help them manage their Type 2 Diabetes so that they can feel their best! If this sounds like you or someone you know, then keep your eyes peeled to our Healthy Eats Facebook Page as more info will be up about it shortly! Facebook Healthy Eats Keep your eyes peeled!
http://www.allcal.com/back-to-school-family-edition/
 With a new school year beginning soon, now’s the perfect time to create healthy habits for both you and your family! With approximately 275 lunches per child being sent to school each year, it comes as no surprise that organising lunches is a stressful task! But it doesn’t have to be. It is possible to have fun, whilst ensuring your kids are getting the right nutrients they need to take on the rest of the day. So what can you do? Here are a few ideas: Spice it up! Before you go throwing a few chilies into the kid’s yoghurt, I don’t literally mean spice it up! However variety is the spice of life, and you can make each lunch and snack break more interesting by alternating the foods you add to the lunch box. It doesn’t have to be a drastic change, try alternating the fillings on a wrap or sandwich, or swapping what fruit you put in. Add more colour, more textures; expand their taste-bud horizon! (Carambola or starfruit is an easy and delicious fruit to eat, and when you cut it, you get little stars!!) Not only does this make each day that bit more exciting for your young one when they open their lunchbox, it also increases the range of nutrients they obtain. Give this idea a go, and you’ll see an empty lunchbox returning home each day!  Can you handle it? Thinking back to when I was at school … I loved food that was easy to eat and no mess! Sure I was a kid, but who wants to get their hands all sticky AND then have to waste PRECIOUS time washing their hands before playing tag with their friends? Not me! I was lucky in that mum often had ingenious (although probably not original) ideas that made lunchtimes easier and mess-free for me so I had more time to play. In saying this, a few things that you could consider when packing a lunch include:
 Planning is the first step towards success So, I bet you’re probably sitting here thinking that varying and thoughtfully preparing what’s in the lunch box each day is an unachievable task for the long term. Well it is. Unless you have a PLAN! Jotting down what the meals are going to be for the coming week may consume a few minutes of your time, but when that next week arrives and you have your prepared list of foods to buy and what to pack… You’ll be thanking yourself and your wallet! Planning is a great habit to get into, and a great way to involve the kids! Rally the Troops! Getting the kids to sit down with you and discuss what they would like to see in their lunchbox is a great way to make them feel involved and important! Obviously remember you have the final say if all they want is choc-chip muffins and roll-ups! Doing this also fits perfectly into your weekly planning schedule! Involving the kids in the preparation of their lunch can also be a great way to get them involved, teach them basic hygiene and culinary skills and you never know … you may reveal a junior masterchef! Okay, so what comprises a healthy lunchbox? Ideally, a nutritious lunchbox should contain four groups: 1. The main lunch source 2. A core snack (vegetables, air popped popcorn, custard, yoghurt and cheese are some examples) 3. A piece of fruit (remember the tips above) 4. A bottle of water (and a small (<200ml) 99% fruit juice as a treat) The Cancer Council recommends using wholegrain bread varieties, reduced-fat dairy, seasonal fruit and vegetables, and steering clear from processed meats. A quick note on food safety: With all the brilliant ideas mentioned above, none of it would be useful if safe food handling, preparation and storage aren’t considered. Placing an ice-brick, frozen water bottle or freezing a tub of yoghurt will help to keep the cool things cool and prevent bacteria and other nasties from making your child sick. Using an insulated lunch box or cooler bag will keep food cool much easier. If the kids are helping you in the kitchen preparing their delicious lunches, teach them safe food habits by allowing them to wash and dry fruits and vegetables. Teaching correct hand washing techniques and correct knife skills (if they are old enough) are also important. 
Lunch Time Winners!  #1 Salad Sandwich You will need:
Grate the carrot, slice the tomato and cheese. You can use avocado as a spread instead of butter or margarine. Place all items together and cut into triangles, rectangles or leave whole! Done!  #1 Avocado and Chicken Rice Paper Rolls You will need:
Submerge rice paper roll in a bowl of warm water until it softens (only takes 10 seconds or so), gently place on a board and smooth out creases. Place ingredients in the centre. Fold in the sides, top and bottom to make a roll. Fillings are your favourites, so swap them around!  #1 Pizza Crusader
You will need:
Place all items onto pizza base, bake in a pre-heated (fan-forced) over at 210OC for ten minutes. Allow to cool, cut into squares and wrap in plastic and freeze! Take out the day you want them! Easy meal to prepare in advance!  We are officially one month in to the New Year! Now let me ask you, how are you going? Have you smashed your goal to run 5km? Cut down on your soft drink intake? Are you well on your way to losing that pesky seven kilos that has been troubling you for the past few years? Or have you started renovating your kitchen – something you’ve been meaning to do for many years. If the answer is no, that’s okay. Give yourself a moment to identify the reasons why you haven’t started or achieved your goals yet. What could be holding you back? What could be preventing you from putting on your running shoes and stepping outside your door? There may be one single reason, or a plethora of reasons: relationships, economics, geographical location, weather, health status or fear. There are some things we cannot change, like our age, or family history, but there are also things we can change, such as negative relationships (albeit friends, colleagues, partners or family), lack of interest or fear of the unknown. And hey, if you decide to put on those shoes, tie up those laces and open the door after many years of being inactive, then YOU ARE AMAZING! It takes real guts; self-love, self-trust and self-respect to take that first leap. I ask you to consider this: will wading your way through a giant list of to-do’s and resolutions make you a better person? Will that feeling of accomplishment make it all seem worthwhile? Is creating a resolution something you need to do for yourself, to better your SELF, your HEALTH, and your WELL-BEING? Or is it something you feel compelled to do, because lets face it, with each New Year it is the thing to do! If you are saying yes to this, don't force it, when you are ready to do it, it will come naturally and it will be something you ENJOY! Instead of trying to become the ultimate you, let’s accept that now, in this very moment, you are one amazing person WITHOUT all of these resolutions. Anything you achieve after this is just a BONUS to your spectacular self! Stages of change, where are you, honestly? Lets have a brief walk-through the stages of change. You may identify yourself currently in one of the following stages, you may have also identified a stage you were once at, to be back around at the start again. That is the purpose of this figure, to show you change is not a straight-line or a single-loop. We are all human and we will find times where we relapse and fall backwards somewhat, but the important thing is that we continue to remind ourselves why we are doing what we are doing, and that it is to benefit ourselves. The aim is to learn and grow from the experience to grow stronger.  Pre-contemplation: This is the first stage where the individual has not considered changing their habits. What they are doing at this present moment does not pose any risk or consequences. Contemplation: In this stage, the individual is contemplating about changing their habit, but are unsure as to whether they should begin to change. They have realised their habit has both positive and negative consequences, which makes it difficult to take the next step. Preparation: The individual now recognises that the ‘cons’ outweigh the ‘pros’ of the habit and that change is necessary. This is also a stage where the individual realises that a change needs to be made, however does not attempt to rectify their behaviour. Action: This stage involves the individual making changes to alter their current habit. Relapse is of great risk at this period. Maintenance: This stage sees the individual achieving their new habit, and avoiding stimuli that will encourage them to relapse. Relapse: This is perhaps the most important stage to identify. You may find yourself staying in particular stages longer than other stages. Remember, the model of change is not a single loop, and it is normal to fall back into old habits as this is something that has most likely been a habit for many years, so do not expect it to revert in a month. As long as you keep trying, and recognizing why it failed the first, second, third and fourth time, change will eventually come!  WOAH! Before you go putting on your shoes and sprinting out the door to tackle your resolutions head on, give me two more minutes of your time to explain why it is important to have goals that are SMART  S – Specific This means making a goal that is easily identifiable and not blurred – a stranger should be able to read your goal and know EXACTLY what you intend to do. I.e. Eat two pieces of fruit in a single day for three days. M – Measurable This is a great way to observe your progress and adherence to your goals. This is something that can be counted and measured i.e. blood glucose levels, weight on a scale, number of fruit eaten in one day. A – Attainable This is something that you can confidently achieve – safely! i.e. losing 3 kilos in four weeks. Aiming to lose 3 kilos in one week is not safe R – Realistic For a goal to be realistic it must be both achievable and sustainable! Make sure your goal can be maintained amongst your work and relationship duties. T - Time-bound Penciling it into your diary means you are allocating time out of your busy schedule to honour that promise you made to yourself. This is your designated time to yourself, so make the most of it! So how are you feeling? Confident? Excited? Nervous? Embrace these feelings! No matter how your resolutions go, take time out each day to remember what you HAVE already achieved! We are so quick to place attention on what we haven’t done, yet forget about all the small things we have achieved! There is nothing wrong with being your own cheer-squad!  |
AuthorA dietitian with an interest in mind, body, skill development and empowering people to help themselves. After living a lifetime in the first 40, it is now time take it easier and let things be and help others get their their 'life'. Archives
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All information shared on the Healthy Eats site is purely for general interest. If at any stage you feel the information is relevant to you and your health it is strongly recommended you speak with your health specialist. Healthy Eats and its employees do not accept any responsibility for misunderstanding what is presented here, and it does not replace the care of your Doctor or Allied Health Professional.
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