Are you sending the right message?

Why do people get stuck on their weight loss project?  Being overweight is a complicated metabolic dysfunction in which the cells are not sending and receiving proper messages. Hormonal imbalance, nutritional deficiencies, poor sleep, inadequate detoxification pathways, drugs, heavy metal overload, and stress all play a part in your ability to use your food rather than store it.  If you are stressed when you eat, your body will respond by storing your food instead of using it.  Try this - before, during, and after eating do three belly breathing exercises.  Place your hands on your belly.  Breathe in deeply through your nose and stick out your belly at the same time.  As you exhale let your belly return to normal.  This exercise turns on your parasympathetic nervous system and tells your body "Everything here is fine - go ahead and burn these calories".  Christine Blakeney, D.O.

Plan to Succeed

The best of intentions can be derailed without a plan. We can learn about the types of food that make us feel good and gain understanding of portion control, but until we know how that translates into our day to day life we still do have a plan to succeed.

Each week I sit down on Sunday morning with my cup of tea, before the day gets busy and I go through cookbooks. I choose 5 or 6 meals that my husband and I will make during the coming week. I think about our schedules and what kind of time we will have and I plan accordingly. I then assess my needs, make a list, and do my shopping for the entire week.

With the food I need stocked for the week and my menu planned, I come home from work and choose one of our menu options. The best part is I don’t have to be creative at the end of the day when things tend to be a bit chaotic.

Some days I have more time than others. For instance, on Sunday afternoon I will put together a pot of soup when I have the time to do so. I then package the leftovers in individual serving containers. Some can go in the refrigerator for lunch and I may freeze others. This way it is easy for me to grab my lunch on the way out the door to work without having to prepare.

This may seem like a lot of work at first, but it is a healthy habit that can last a lifetime if you commit to your plan. It has saved me from the drive through pitfall or pizza delivery fallback option that crosses our minds when we get caught up in our day to day fluster. This way I am always prepared to easily choose a healthy option.

Shannon Westgate

Eating While You Eat

How can we learn to "eat while we eat"?  Try this. Sit at your dining table with your plate in front of you.  Admire how your food looks - the textures and the colors.  Lean forward and sniff.  What do you smell? Peppers? Onions? Basil?  Now taste the food . Move the food around your mouth tasting carefully. Chew slowly and enjoy how the flavors change as you chew. Only after you have chewed and enjoyed every flavor do you swallow. Great! You are eating while you eat!     Christine Blakeney, D.O.

Breathe Deeply to Burn Calories

Why do people get stuck on their weight loss project?  Being overweight is a complicated metabolic dysfunction in which the cells are not sending and receiving proper messages. Hormonal imbalance, nutritional deficiencies, poor sleep, inadequate detoxification pathways, drugs, heavy metal overload, and stress all play a part in your ability to use your food rather than store it.  If you are stressed when you eat, your body will respond by storing your food instead of using it.  Try this - before, during, and after eating do three belly breathing exercises.  Place your hands on your belly.  Breathe in deeply through your nose and stick out your belly at the same time.  As you exhale let your belly return to normal.  This exercise turns on your parasympathetic nervous system and tells your body "Everything here is fine - go ahead and burn these calories".  Christine Blakeney, D.O.