Friday 8 August 2014

What Grains Do You Eat?

In today's society we are often told of the 'new, yet old' grains that we 'need' to be eating for the benefit our our health. To remove our dependence on wheat and subsequently gluten.

Have you considered that it may be better to discover the new/old grains that are produced in your own country rather than those that have fed other societies for many generations?

Check out this interesting article on five different grains to consider, including barley, oats, spelt, buckwheat and rapeseed.  It's a great read.

The Wonders of the Universe

Today was a day for being outside walking, the sunrise was stunning (as it always seems to be in the Winter here) and it was a crisp morning, a great time to walk briskly.

On my Life Journey I have often tapped into the powers of the Universe to establish what is available to me and to my Life Journey.  In that time I have undertaken experiments, as you have seen on this blog, and the Universe does deliver, frequently.

This morning, as I do a lot of mornings, but obviously not every morning, I set an intention.  That intention was to see a pademelon on my walk into a favourite part of the rainforest that surrounds us here.  This is because I've not seen any pademelons here for a long time, I was beginning to think they must have moved further away from the tracks for safety and peace.

Not very far into the walk, and we came around a corner and just about ran over a pademelon!!  Even with our chatting before we arrived at the corner and turning it and surprising the pademelon, it just stopped and looked at us.  The amazing thing about this is that these little creatures are very easily startled and hop/bound off at extraordinary speed given their size.  This one just looked, and waited while I sat and looked, before deciding to see if it'd stay around long enough for a photo shoot.  Yep, it certainly did - love it, and thank you Universe!

Feeling Free of Fat
Pademelon in the Rainforest





As the walk continued in this beautiful area, the discussion between us turned to me asking the Universe about seeing a pademelon.  The comment was "that would explain why we've not seen any noisy pittas today then".  So, being that type of person, I changed to asking the Universe about where the noisy pittas were today.

We continued our walk and talk and before you know it, there off to the side of the track was the first noisy pitta we had seen for the day.  It was very obliging, just like the pademelon, and waited for me to get my phone/camera out of my backpack and just stood and waited, no excited hopping about or flying off - absolutely incredible - so very blessed today!

Feeling Free of Fat Life Journey
Noisy Pitta in the branches




Well, I was so very pleased with myself and grateful to the Universe for these wonderful opportunities that I very nearly missed the most exciting gift from the Universe!

As we were walking back past the area where we saw the pademelon, we spotted it again, only this time, it had a little joey bouncing around beside it!! WOW!!!!  So very, very cute, and it quickly hopped back to it's Mum and climbed into it's mother's pouch for safety, so sorry, the only photos are in my memory - one day we'll be able to download these I'm sure, but for now, you have to take my word for how cut it was!

Now I was feeling so very blessed and grateful, the smile on my face was continual on the walk back home.  What a beautiful way to start the day off.

To end the walk, the Universe supplied this beautiful display of Jasmine, it has only just started coming out here, the camillia's are just about finished, the magnolia trees are still blooming, though on the wane also - Spring must be very close as the Jasmine is filling this mountain with perfume and joy.

Feeling Free of Fat Life Journey
Jasmine flowering




Have a glorious day today and enjoy the beauty that the Universe supplies for us so regularly

Wednesday 6 August 2014

Are You A Closet Procrastinator?

“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.”

- Charles Dickens, David Copperfield


I listened to a podcast recently on Procrastination, with the wonderful Jeffery Combs, and I started to realise that procrastination is a definite part of my life, so it was a quick decision to write about it as I'm sure there are many people who will want to read this.

Why read this? 


Because:
  • it's a reason to put off doing what you know you need to do,
  • you want to find out if you are a procrastinator, or
  • to see how you can change being a procrastinator!

Do you answer Yes to any of these questions?

  • did you, or do you, do your homework or study at the last minute?
  • do you only do your washing when you run out of clothes?
  • do you do your ironing when you are getting dressed in the mornings?
  • are your clothes in piles on the floor, waiting to be put away or stored or given away?
  • do you arrive late to appointments, parties, work.....?
  • do you undertake your preparation for meetings, presentations just before the event?
  • does TV stop you 'doing' things?
  • do you say "I need to...." or "I should...."?
  • do you love sitting down and reading a good novel, even when you have chores to be done?
  • do you 'wing it' in life, very 'last minute'?

If you answered YES, you are a PROCRASTINATOR!!!

The next step then is how to change this?

  1. Make a committment to change
  2. Be objective and honest with yourself
  3. Follow systems, be organised

Make a Committment to Change

This is the first step on your daily Life Journey to change from being a procrastinator to becoming a producer!  Without making the decision to change, you will never make the change, your mind will continue to put off until tomorrow the steps you are to take to ensure your success in life.

Stop making excuses and start making decisions.  The energy given to the statement "I am...." is far higher than, "I should...."

Practice it, how does it feel to say each one, where do you feel the energy?

Be Objective & Honest With Yourself

How often do you say, "I don't know why I......"?

YOU are the only person who really knows why you do what you do - be honest with why you are putting off until tomorrow what you could begin doing today. 

What are you afraid of if you do complete a task? Is it fear of:-
  • failure?
  • being judged?
  • what will happen if the outcome is successful?
  • being disappointed if the outcome isn't what you desire?
Procrastination is the effect of a cause, not the cause - it is a learned behaviour, not part of who you are.  Take the decision to change, then discover WHY you want to avoid a successful outcome.  Take the story out of the possible outcome, e.g., stop worrying about what might happen, and focus on being productive!

Follow Systems, Become Organised

Quite often procrastination is a result of being disorganised and becoming overwhelmed with that level of disorganisation.

A useful system to begin following is to divide your time up over your day, include in the planning
  • your family time,
  • your exercise time,
  • your meals,
  • your productive time and
  • your relaxation time

Ask yourself at the end of every day -
 
"How effective have I been today?" 
 
"Has my activity included some productivity?"

Utilise a gratitude diary at the end of every day also, include 10 things for which you are grateful for. These can begin as small steps, but always say thank you for the steps you have undertaken to reduce your procrastination, e.g., 'I am grateful for establishing my diary planning today'

Procrastination

Contact me today to begin to step yourself through your journey from being a PROCRASTINATOR TO A PRODUCER!!

Thursday 15 May 2014

Are your kids eating well?

Everything in moderation is okay

In today's society parents globally tend to agree that everything in moderation is okay for their children.  Do you agree?
Does this mean that of the 17,000 new processed foods introduced to the market every year, these are foods you want to be giving to your children in moderation? (1)

At what point does moderation become excess?

I feel that moderation becomes excess when we are giving similar ingredients in foods that are multiplied in processed foods.  These ingredients are not necessarily those that we wish our children to be getting on a daily basis.

The foods children need to grow include:
  • fruit
  • veges
  • whole grains
  • proteins
  • healthy fats
The best way for your children to get these healthy food types, including their vitamins, minerals and micronutrients that are all required for their growth and brain development, is through eating locally grown organic wherever possible.  If not locally grown, then organic, if not organic, then locally grown in season.

What do you do though if you cannot access these all year round? Or you  have fussy eaters?

Did you know that our soils are depleted of minerals? (2)  Did you know that over 80,000 environmental toxins are released yearly and many are not tested for? (3).  How do you think this is affecting the nutritional content of the foods you are feeding to your children?

Are they receiving the nutrients they need to grow into healthy adults? To grow up without the added risk of Type 2 Diabetes? To grow up without the risk of obesity?

There are statistics available (4) that highlight that children in the US today do not get enough fruit and vegetables, and that this is a greater problem as children age.  What foods do your children eat that contain high sodium levels (lots of extra salt added), high fat levels (fried foods), high sugar levels (sweets, cakes, processed foods, even 'low fat' foods)??

How to change this for your children?

Switch to superfoods that have natural ingredients, no artificial sweetners, flavours or colours to supplement your healthy food choices.
  • Look to locally grown, inseason organic foods to cook with,
  • skip processed foods,
  • reduce your concept of 'moderation' for processed foods or treats
  • increase exercise for your children, go to the park and run around for 1/2 an hour every evening
Change the eating patterns of your family by joining a revolution of good quality foods that provide nutrients for healthy growth, increase exercise routines in your family to have more fun as a family. Ask me about how.

Home grown bananas

By doing these things, and following a healthy nutritious diet, you are more likely to be creating a foundation for your children to grow into healthy, strong adults.

Ask me how now!

1. Pollan M. Food Rules, An Eater’s Manual. The Penguin Press, New York, 2011.
2. Davis DR, Epp MD, Riordan, HD. Changes in the USDA food composition data for 43 garden crops, 1950 to1999. J Amer Col Nutr, 2004;23(6):669-682.
3. Reuben SH. Reducing Environmental Cancer Risk: What We Can Do Now. President’s Cancer Panel, Annual Report 2008-2009. Retrieved from: http://deainfo.nci.nih.gov/advisory/pcp/annualReports/pcp08-09rpt/PCP_Report_08-09_508.pdf
4. Cohen, E. Ten Ways To Get Kids To Eat Their Veggies. 2011. Retrieved from: http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/06/02/kids.eat.vegetables.ep/

 

Sunday 11 May 2014

Secrets to Success

Your life journey takes you down many differing paths, each one has positive and negative success associated with them.  The choices we make along our path results in different outcomes.  How do we know we are travelling well?

One of the secrets to success I have discovered is

POSTURE


I have been listening to various podcasts lately, and they are stating some ideas of similarity - the posture you hold while undertaking a task, whether it's a new one, or one you've repeated many times, will determine a number of different things:

  1. Your sense of ability to accomplish the task
  2. Your energy that surrounds the outcome of the task
  3. Your motivation to complete the task

I first discovered this when I was out running.  It's amazing how a simple thing like running with your chin pointing straight ahead can change
  • your pace,
  • your sense of lightness in your step and
  • your motivation on whether you can make it to the next point in your run
I've been trying out this technique when I'm feeling tired on my runs, and to date, every time, it has changed how I'm feeling about the completion of the run.

Next, I discovered that this very same aspect of posture can change how you see the outcome of a task you're undertaking when working.  Whenever I am feeling like I'm hitting a block in my thoughts, whether it's for writing, researching or speaking to new people, I change my posture.  The difference in my ENERGY, CONFIDENCE & INSPIRATION for the task at hand is amazing.

Try this out at home. 

When you're feeling low about an issue (no matter what it may be) that has troubled you during the day,
  1. stand up and,
  2. with a smile on your face, and
  3. your head held high,
  4. talk about what that issue is
Do you notice the change in energy associated with that issue?
Imagine if you do this when you're in the middle of a task that is draining your energy, your motivation or inspiration?
Try practising this in the mirror too - you will definitely notice a change in your posture - the smile helps with that too.
How you hold yourself during the day makes a difference to whether your tasks have successful or non-successful outcomes - mainly because your energy around the task changes, which invariably changes the whole situation and the potential outcome too.

Take the path and journey to success, change your posture, lift your chin, hold your head up high and remember to smile, the energy will definitely change for the better.

Keep your posture looking upwards and your energy will follow

Friday 9 May 2014

Mindfulness and Ageing Well

As I have mentioned, the concept of Mindfulness is everywhere lately.

I listened to a podcast discussing mindful meditation and the research that has been done on this topic.  What caught my attention was a discussion on the effect of mindful meditation on the length of telomeres.

I know, the first thing you're asking right now is: What is a telomere??

Telomeres are the protective caps at the end of our chromosomes.  They break down over the years as we age and our chromosomes replicate as part of our natural body function.  They appear to have a connection to how we age.




Summary: telomeres are considered to be linked to how quickly we age - improve the length, slow down your ageing!

There is research going on that looks at the telomeres and the role they (and the corresponding enzymes, telomerase) play in the role of health and ageing.  It appears that the telomeres reduce in length when the body is stressed, so mindful meditation can reduce the stress, see this review
/study. Though, as with much research, more research is required.

There is a great TEDx talk on mindful meditation by Diana Winston, if you wish to learn more about this type of meditation

And, of course, there are free guided meditations available here.

So, why did that catch my attention?

Well, mainly because I use a product that is to aid the telomerase and consequently reduce the shortening of my telomeres.  Since I've been using this proprietary herb blend, it has been commented upon that I am looking younger.

Am I really? I'm not sure myself, but then it's not my opinion that counts, but that of those having to look at me regularly! I'm certainly feeling a lot less stressed, my health is great (in my humble opinion) and I'm looking amazing (again, my humble opinion!) - check out the selfie from last month!!




Another way to address the stress your body is put under and to assist in reducing this oxidative stress and the resultant ageing process, is to address your nutritonal status.

Did you know that putting your body through a high stress load on a continual basis increases the oxidative stress on your body's cells?  This increased stress can result in a faster ageing process.

Looking at keeping your nutrition, meditation and stress within a healthy Life Journey plan is the way to go!

Ask me more about your nutrition and stress levels now





Wednesday 7 May 2014

More Mindfulness

A couple of days ago I mentioned that Mindfulness Meditation was talked about a lot.  Well, it's been upfront and personal again today.
If I didn't know any better, I'd think the Universe was stalking me about meditation!!

I was listening to a wonderful podcast by The Wellness Guys this morning and the discussion was about mindful mediation, their guest was Dr Elise Bialylew.  Dr Elise runs a campaign in May every year (this year I heard about it too late to join), called Mindful in May.  Essentially people register to do mindful meditation every day for a month (and are given a course to follow, instructions on 'how to' and a journal to record your meditations), in doing so, they also undertake to fundraise for Charity Water.

Did you know it only takes $30 to provide clean water for one person?  Did you know that 1 in 9 people in the world do not  have access to clean water?

If you're interested in joining, it appears that the registration date has been extended. It costs you $25 to register, and for that you receive an online course in mindful meditation.

Tuesday 6 May 2014

Mindfulness Meditation

Mindfulness meditation is talked about a lot in today's online blogs.

In this particular blog, I really enjoyed how Ian Gawler speaks about ensuring you are truly relaxed first, meditation without relaxation is not so useful :) http://ow.ly/wdKXn

Do you mediate? If so, do you ensure you relax fully first, or, like most things we attempt in today's society, do you rush into it, try the quick 5 minute version, then state it doesn't work?

Sunday 27 April 2014

My Life: Energy Experiment 3

Well, it's been a while since I've blogged about the Energy Experiments.  I am still reading the book, and doing the experiments!

Borrowed from: www.thekickasslife.com





The third experiment involves one I've done quite a few times, and it always blows my mind when I do it - it's worth doing it once a year, just as a reminder that we all have immense energy that flows from us and we can change it so very easily!

This experiment Pam calls The Alby Einstein Principle

Essentially, we all have an energy field and it's very easy to detect, and we can also very easily see how our emotions affect this energy field.

To do this experiment you need:


  1. Metal coat hangers
  2. A plastic drinking straw, cut in half
That's it!

Now, the steps to show that you are energy and that your thoughts and feelings create energy too.

  1. Untwist the neck of each of the coat hangers, so now you have two straight wires. Shape each of them into the shape of an L (the long part to be about a foot, the short part about 5 inches)
  2. Slide the cut 1/2 straw onto each of the 'handles' (the shorter part of the wires), bend the bottom of the wire to hold the straw onto the 'handle'
  3. Now, pretending you are a gunslinger from the olden days, hold the two wands out in front of you, around chest high, each hand in line with their respective shoulder. It may take a while for the swinging wands to settle
  4. Once the wands have settled, stand with your eyes straight ahead and think of an unpleasant event from your past. If the emotion is weak, the wands will stay straight ahead, if it is really strong, then they will begin to turn inwards, tip to tip.  Your energy field will contract with negative thoughts and turn inward, so the wands are following that.
  5. Now, turn your thoughts to a joyous, loving event in your past, or even of someone you love deeply. Watch as the wands now turn outwards as your energy field expands on the positive, loving thoughts.
  6. As a final turn, for some more fun and learning about your thoughts, focus your eyes straight ahead, but focus your thoughts on something in the far right or far left of your vision - watch what happens to the wands  now.
  7. A further experiment you can do with your wands involves a partner.  You stand 5 feet away from each other, one holds the wands and the other recalls a negative experience.  The person with the wands walks slowly towards the person thinking of the experience, how close do you get before the wands turn outwards? Repeat this with the person recalling a positive, loving experience, how far towards the person do you get now? In fact, in some cases, you have to step backwards to get the wands to stay straight in front of you!  This is great fun to do with friends who are skeptical about the energy our thoughts create and allow to ebb and flow.

This experiement I first undertook, and forgot about, about 13 years ago - it was in a classroom environment and it certainly made a lot of non-skeptics sit up and take notice.

Have fun with this simple experiment and let me know how you go - it's great fun to do.

Thursday 24 April 2014

Easy Steps to Breaking Habits

I know that it is difficult to get into good habits, but how easy is it to break those habits?  I remember reading somewhere, once, long ago, that it takes 3 weeks to create a 'good' habit, and 2 days to break it!

Well, for the last month, my routines have gone out the window.  However, in my mind I have been
  • blogging daily,
  • writing out my gratitudes daily,
  • writing up my daily intentions,
  • exercising daily,
  • maintaining my healthy eating routines,
  • working on my business
  • and generally doing all my routines!

Does this work for you? Did it work for me?  Well, the answer to this is yes, and no.

I did keep up with running every second or third day.
I did mentally, and electronically, 'write out' my gratitudes, intentions and blogging ideas.
All this occurred while I was on holiday in New Zealand.

The 'trouble' was when I came home!!  How crazy is that? I immediately stopped my writing, I did keep up some exercise and generally healthy living options.
Though, to put it into perspective, when I came home, it was a short work week, I took the Thursday off as it was my birthday (perks of 'knowing' the boss!!), then it was Easter and now we're coming up to Anzac Day weekend.  All up, many more days off my routine than my mindset had prepared for.

So, at home, the routines had gone out of the window, as I had prepared for the change of scenery while I was away (even when my plans changed dramatically), but not for the change of daily routine when I was back.

This made me start to think this week about how important my organised routines were in my daily maintainence of my healthy living journey and my mindset around them also.

I've now implemented my routines again, so I'm back on track!  The daily writing is occurring again, the healthy living routines are all occurring again and being more organised is definitely returning.  Life journey back on track!

How important are your routines to you? What happens when they are disrupted?


Saturday 8 March 2014

Life Journey Update

I've been following a life journey over the last 7 months.  It's involved a changing body shape and interestingly enough a changing mental shape too.

I wanted to give you an update on where I'm at with my physical body - today I weighed in at 100g under my personal goal.  I set this goal when I first began back on 23 July 2013. The last time I was this weight (60kg) was in 1999 and I think I maintained it for all of a month before slowly following the typical rebound scenario, up and up and up and oh yes, up again!!! Until finally arriving at a never before reached peak of 82kg.  Isn't this the typical scenario for so many people?

Avoid Yo-yo dieting


This is called Yo-yo dieting in the media today.  It's also a heartbreaking situation.  For those of you who, like me have been through all of the different types of diets recommended, pushed, tantalisingly held in front of us over the last 30 years, you will know that I'm at a point of 'how long will this last".  Physically though, I now know about nutritional rebalancing as a lifestyle, I'm confident this won't occur because my insides have had a shower!

However, interestingly, things have also changed for me mentally this time.  Usually I think great, and I slow down everything I've been doing, hence the yo-yo scenario begins.  BUT, what I've learnt over my last 6 months journey (by the way, this was 18 months faster than the last time I reached this goal) is that it's not about reaching the goal, it's about maintaining the lifestyle you have created.

About a month ago, my gym membership ran out.  At that time I was stil 3 kg away from my goal weight.  I had to make a DECISION.  The decision was about whether or not I would maintain my exercise regime, was it important enough for me to maintain it without the incentive of a gym to attend?

My DECISION was that it mattered to me for my health and for my well being and sense of joy in life to have the purpose in my morning routine to still get out of bed and attend my gym sessions.  Yes, I'm fortunate enough to have a treadmill and weights station conveniently located on my back patio!

My DECISION was also that it was about more than just the weight, it was about me showing and mentoring others into believing there was another way, that yo-yo dieting does not have to remain in your life.

Over the last 7 months, my personal development journey has been along the lines of self-belief and also about understanding WHY I'm here, what is my role in my life journey.

My WHY came in for me with a bang on Tuesday!  Here it is: 

I believe that everyone deserves to be nurtured to step into their Greatness,
with love, integrity, strength, passion and fun

I'm here to do that for others.  I've always understood that my role in life is one of servitude, that I'm here to serve mankind, but to truly discover what it is that I'm to do in that servitude has given me a bounce, a joy and a passion that is beyond description.

In my mind this blog today was to be an update on my weight loss journey, so I'll also give you those details now, not just my passion about my WHY!!

I began my journey at 82kg, I'm now 60kg, a loss of 22kg (or 48.5lb).

My waist has gone from 95cm (37.5inches) to 75cm (29.5inches)

My chest has gone from 105.5cm (41.5inches) to 92cm (36inches)

My buttocks have gone from 110cm (43inches) to 92cm (36inches)

My abdomen has gone from 107.5cm (42inches) to 85cm (33.5inches)

I'm feeling AWESOME!!!

Here are some before and after shots as well

26 July 2013
7 Sep 2013
10 Dec 2013
5 Feb 2014
5 March 2014

Thank you universe and followers for making my journey so enjoyable.  

This journey will be continuing as it's only just begun - my mission now is to help others achieve their greatness - come along for the ride, it's going to be filled with passion, love and fun!!



Thursday 6 March 2014

Blog hopping along still

Take a look at the Blog Hop of the Health & Happiness Collective - there's some awesome thoughts on

CHANGE


In God We Trust

I loved this blog from Pam Grout today

Her book E-squared I've talked about before and I'm getting through the experiments as I've been reporting her, and now the universe is turning into an abundant joyous universe, one I'm celebrating wholly with amazing gratitude.

Enjoy the read and the words written - remember, your thoughts create your reality!

Saturday 1 March 2014

My Life: Energy Experiment 2

Okay, now I know the Universe is listening.  Now it's time for the next experiment.

In this experiment, it is about asking to see specific things.  You have 48 hours to ask to see a couple of different things.

Day 1 it was green cars

As I was working from home, and didn't venture out very much that day, I didn't get to see a lot of green cars. Later in the afternoon I was out driving, and there they were! 

Day 2 it was butterflies.






This day was a lot more successful for me.  It started off in the morning when I was working out on my treadmill - butterflies started appearing flying across the front of my vision.  After the workout, it was time for breakfast on the balcony, more butterflies appeared around a tree near the balcony.  Later in the afternoon I went out for a coffee, and there they were again, flying across the road on my way there, flying around the bushes outside the coffee shop, and flying around the car at the car park!  All up, Day 2 I saw 25 butterflies, how amazing.

This experiment is all about your thoughts sifting information and allowing you to see what you are looking for.  So, if you are looking at things negatively in your life, that is what you will be seeing as it's what your brain is showing you.

The universe is an abundant place and there are many things in our view, however, it is our brain that sifts the multitude of information and allows you to see what you are looking for.

Remember, set the intention, and it will occur!!





Thursday 27 February 2014

Blog Hopping Along

I was recently invited to join a blog hop - it's a fun thing and many people can join together to discuss a topic of choice, exposing us all to a myriad of ideas!

Have you ever experienced a blog hop?  Why not join in - it's fun and it's creative!


Wednesday 26 February 2014

My Life: Energy Experiment 1 - Results

Wow, wow, wow!!!

This experiment worked very well for me.  I set the time of beginning (18 Feb, 3.35pm), and within less than 48 hours, I was sent an amazing gift by the universe.

For quite a few weeks, I have been hearing yellow tailed black cockatoos around my area, always feeling disappointed that I have not been actually seeing them.  They are a beautiful bird, though I would say a little shy.


Yelltowtail in pine
You can hear the call early on in this video - they are quite distinctive.

Well, at 7.35am on the morning of the 20 February, I was at my treadmill, soaking up the joy of being in nature, when I heard the ever elusive call of the black cockatoo, hoping to see one, I stepped away from the treadmill and looked up at the massive eucalyptus tree behind our property.

Would you believe there were SIX of the birds flying around and around the tree, before landing in it for a while.

I was stunned!!!!

Did the universe deliver me a gift - in my opinion, yes!!! I have not seen six of these wonderful birds in all the time I have lived here (4 years now), and to see that many at once, was truly awesome!

Got to love the universe delivering on it's promises!

Tuesday 18 February 2014

My Life: Learning 9 Energy Experiments to Succeed

Have you ever wondered why some people ALWAYS get the best carparks?

Copyright: Tejvan Pettinger: Tejvan Photos


While you have to walk from the other end of the carpark to where you are going, in the RAIN?

Have you ever wondered why some people NEVER lose faith that the right result will happen for them, AND IT ALWAYS DOES GO RIGHT??

These questions, and many more, can be answered very easily with some energy experiments!

I learnt about them while listening to a podcast the other morning.

Now, I've actually been trying these experiments out over the last 12 months as I'd decided to see if the Universe was listening to me.  I didn't realise there were books written about this very topic!!

My experiments consisted of asking the Universe for a car park within easy walking distance to my workplace - funnily enough, it worked!! I used to struggle to find a car park, after starting to ask, the car park just 'appeared'!!

Now, an important step when doing these types of experiments (I've found), is that you MUST express GRATITUDE after you've received this wonderful result.  I always say a 'thank you Universe for providing this exact carpark spot for me'  

For me, this expression of gratitude completes the circle 

You can imagine how surprised I was to hear that the very experiments I was undertaking and that I had been thinking about were written about in a book that was a New York Times Bestseller!!

Borrowed from: www.thekickasslife.com


On reading Pam Grout's wonderful book on the topic, E-Squared, I wanted to start more little Universe energy experiments!

Watch this space to see how they turn out!

My Life: Energy Experiment 1

Want to know how my first experiment was set up?

This involved a simple first experiment, just to establish if the Universe was listening to me, to see if I was 'tapped in' so to speak!

Well, according to Pam Grout and her experiments, there are some things we need to get out into the open first and diffuse.

  1. There is an energy out there, not dissimilar to electricity
  2. That energy is a "DUDE", call 'him' GOD' or whatever, but it's there
  3. GOD isn't necessarily a 'him', it may be a 'her', or an 'it', your beliefs
  4. The energy doesn't play favourites, we are all good enough to 'tap into it'
  5. The energy doesn't reward suffering only, it's not a test to see who is the best
  6. The energy isn't wanting us to do things for rewards daily, there is no judgement
  7. You can never ask too much of the energy
  8. Focus your attention on the energy and it's there, willing to give what you ask

Intention Setting

In this first experiment, I'm to ask for a blessing within the next 48 hours, something unexpected, something I don't usually receive.  This blessing will be unrefutable proof.

I'm writing this blog at the beginning of my experiment, my NOW, so I expect to see this proof within 48 hours of now, something that will be a clear sign, a thumbs up of proof, something that cannot be written off as coincidence!

Date: 18 February
Time: 3.35pm

Countdown has begun!!!


Saturday 15 February 2014

Crash & Burn - Valentines Day Aftermath

There's always a lot of pressure on women to look stunning for Valentines Day - even though I play into it occasionally, it is still a big commercial venture that seems to pay off for all businesses in the community, from florists to newsagents, to bakeries, bottle shops and dress shops!!

What did you do that was special for Valentines Day that you would not normally be doing on a Friday night? I'm very lucky as I get spoiled with wonderful meals every weekend that make me smile at the effort that goes into making them and the love that is lavished in the kitchen.

Now, for many years I have struggled with Valentines Day, mainly because I've felt frumpy, overweight, tired, unattractive and many, many more negative words.  Have you ever felt like that? How can you feel great about yourself when you know you're overweight?

This is a shot of me 6 months ago - feeling very much fair, fat and forty - as the saying goes!!  How was I ever going to be attractive to my husband again, let alone to my own self image!





I was 82kg, or around 180lb, the heaviest I'd ever been in my life.  The feelings of disgruntlement, sadness, struggle, self hate and many more were all there in large amounts (actually this photo is one week into my change process - I was too terrified to take a photo at the very beginning!!!).

I've now been changing my lifestyle and routines for 6 months, and I've managed to get back into my wedding dress (in fact it's a little loose) for the first time in 13 (ok, well nearly 14 years now) years.  It's an amazing feeling to be so motivated, with energy and without all those extra pounds/kgs.  I've now lost 19kg, which is about 42lb, a lot of extra weight this little short girl was carrying around!!!




I'm now selling the products that I have been using with such success, and I really want to share them with you too, so you can create the self image you truly deserve. 

Click on the contact form to the right, and I'll be in touch with you to discuss how you can get started this week, with a 30 Day Money Back Guarantee - yes, you read that right - try going to your local chemist and getting a system where they'll give you your money back if you don't see a change you like in the first 30 days - it's incredible stuff!!

So looking forward to working together to get the best possible outcome for you in your self image, your motivation and your overall wellbeing!

Thursday 13 February 2014

Sexy nails for Valentines Day

Who's Supervising Your Diet?

Valentines Day - Dieting Dinner

Another wonderfully easy, yet simple 2-course dinner, with a glass of wine is following.  The dessert for this meal can be made ahead, and the fun and games you get up to while eating it, is entirely up to you!!

This meal is a wonderful dish to warm up your wintery Valentines Day - enjoy!!







Serve with 1/2 a cup of quinoa that has fresh tarragon chopped through it

For your dessert try the Banana Pudding Pops - these are fun to eat, depending on what you decide to do with them!!  If you don't like bananas that much (a bit like me), you might like to try mangos!


 Accompany this with a glass of white wine (a glass is 5oz or approximately 150ml)

All up the calorie count for this meal is:
Pork chops - 257
Quinoa - 111
Banana pops - 82
Glass of wine - 116
Total: 566 Calories - within your 600 calorie budget!

Have fun xx

Wednesday 12 February 2014

Be my valentine

Sexy body

A Sexy Body


What is a Sexy Body?  In terms of the media, it's usually the body of a model, a swimsuit model generally, such as this



This is ultimately what a lot of us are told we desire, what we work so hard to maintain and why we stress over the size of our body.

However, if you do really want to start losing weight, then the mindset has to be right before you even begin.

I was listening to a podcast recently on setting goals and these are the steps that will get you on track for the beginning of your journey.  I know that these principles are what I've been following, though without knowing the structure or reasons behind it - but, hey, it works!!

Step 1: only ever set one willpower goal

By setting yourself only one willpower goal, you're not overwhelming your whole mind.  Imagine if you set too many (as many people do at New Year), such as I will stop eating junk food, I will lose weight, I will exercise more, I will be a nicer person, I will..........   As you can see, you're starting to ask a lot of your will power.  

Willpower is extraordinary in so many ways, but if you overwhelm it with too many things to do, it will begin to crumble as it is scattered in what it's trying to achieve for you.

OVERWHELM!!!!

By choosing only one willpower goal, that's the only one you need to focus on, it's the only one that has to be successful.  For example, focus on "I will exercise more".

Now, if you exercise more (without worrying about any other willpower goals or thoughts), there will be a change in the other goals you were originally thinking about, as a consequence of your one willpower thought.

So, if the one willpower goal is to exercise more, make this the focus.  Make this your mindset.

How do you make it your one mindset willpower goal?

2. What Got You Here

Take a step back from your life as it is now.  How did you get to this point of no exercise? Did you ever exercise in the past?  If so, what did you do, how often did you do it and what made you stop doing it?  These are important questions to ask, as you're now looking at why you are now at a place of no exercise and wanting to do more exercise.  You're looking back at your history and seeing what obstacles you have put into your way to stop you exercising.  List them out on a piece of paper



3. Where Do You Want To Be?

Now you make a list of where you want to be.  For example, how often do you want to be exercising, what will you be doing, for how long will you exercise, when will you exercise?  All questions that will begin to make you focus on what you want to achieve with your willpower goal.

4. Why Do You Want To Do This?

This step will keep you focused on your willpower goal. It's important to work this one out.  A good way to do it is to list 20 reasons that you want to do it, and 20 consequences of you not doing it.  Sometimes it helps to stand in front of a mirror when you're doing this step.

Write out your reasons you want to do it in this format:

I must...............So That.....................

Look at different areas in your life, what will be the impact on those if you exercise more.  The areas of your life to look at include what can be called the "7 Al's"

Spiritual
Mental
Physical
Vocational
Social
Familial
Financial

What will be the consequences of you exercising more in all of these areas - very soon you will find that 20 is easy to obtain!  List these down on a piece of paper or in a journal.

Next, write out the 20 statements that look at the consequences of you not doing the exercise.  Write these out in the format of:

I must................Or Else....................................

Again, if you're struggling to find 20, go to the 7 Al's and work out some more.  List these in your journal too.

By doing this exercise, you begin to get to the core of why you really want to do this willpower goal, your true deep WHY 

This step is not an easy step to do, but it will certainly focus you on your reasons WHY you are taking this step of setting a willpower goal.

It's the WHY that will keep you on track when you feel yourself waivering, it's the WHY that will motivate you to do the exercise when you'd rather hit the snooze button!


5. Repeat Step 4 FOUR More Times

Repeat step 4, writing out 20 positive and 20 negative outcomes FOUR more times.  This will result in a list of 100 positive and 100 negative outcomes.  Reinforcement of your WHY is the motivating factor to ensure you stay with your one willpower goal. Once you have a WHY that outshines the excuses, you will easily obtain your goal of exercising more.  This goal will change other areas of your life also.  When you begin to exercise more, you see the value of having food that supports your increased energy requirements, you take on board more water, you start to see a change in your body (muscle develops and fat is replaced) and your 'feel happy hormones' are released (endorphins).  What an amazing outcome from just one willpower goal being achieved!!

My willpower goal was set 6 months ago, to lose 18kg (40lb) of excess weight, I achieved that, and more within 6 months, my only goal was to lose weight, I make exercise or my eating patterns another willpower goal.  In the past I've overwhelmed my mind with too many of these, and it was just the one I needed to focus on, the rest fell into place once my focus was on the one thing - diet, exercise and health all changed as my progress continued!

I want to thank a couple of mentors of mine that helped me develop what I've done into a system, these include Paul O'Mahoney and David TS Wood

Let me know how you go with your willpower goal, what it is, and how you feel when you've achieved it! 


Valentines Day - Dieting Dinners

I absolutely love salmon fillets - had some cooked in a manner very similar to this last weekend when we were out for a special dinner with friends. The main difference was that our salmon wasn't marinated, and we had a herby crust over the top instead of sesame seeds. Superb though!

Salmon always brings something special to the table and the atmosphere around the table. I don't know why, but it certainly does for me.

Honey-soy broiled/grilled salmon






Serve this with a hot & sour slaw salad


Depending on your tastes and the time of the year, I'd also look at a cold salad to accompany this, e.g., a rocket, cherry tomato and feta salad, with a wholegrain mustard vinegar and oil dressing - that would be scrummy for me.  Also the calories would be kept in check with the salad.  Another option would be to add steamed vegetables to the dish, e.g., asparagus if it's springtime would be special (though I wouldn't suggest you drizzle them with butter, defeats the purpose of keeping in your calorie budget for the day!!!).

Also serve with brown rice.  ½ cup cooked rice per person, with 1tsp of sesame oil & a squeeze of lime (1 cup of brown rice in 2 ½ cups of water make 3 cups of cooked brown rice, takes 40 – 50 minutes to cook)




Again, this can all be served with a glass of white wine (5oz or 150ml) to make the meal a special evening.  

If you don't drink alcohol, you can have soda water with slices of lime in it, and use the calories to have double the sweet treat, such as the chocolates I use.  My suggestion would be to melt 4 chocolates, and dip strawberries into the chocolate - very yum, and so beautiful for a special evening.



Overall the calories for this meal are:

Salmon - 161
Slaw - 64
Rice - 149
Wine - 116
Chocolates - 100
Total calories: 590

Have fun!!

Tuesday 11 February 2014

Valentines Day - diet dinners

I know there are many people today who like a vegetarian option for their main meals also, so here is a meal that will be acceptable to vegetarians as well.  What I love about this dish, is that it cooks like a lasagne, but there is no pasta in it!  The eggplants are used as the pasta.

Bruschetta





When making this recipe, I would consider making it the traditional way, so toast, then rub with garlic and drizzle with olive oil (rather than brush it with a pastry brush).  However, instead of drizzling ½ a tsp of olive oil on each slice (15 calories per slice), you could consider spraying the side of the bread after rubbing with garlic.  Fresh tomatoes and fresh basil make this a very tasty starter - 2 slices are a good starter size.



Eggplant lasagna with ricotta and asiago (orparmesean) 





The total calories for this meal are:
Bruschetta - 170
Lasagne - 378
Total - 548

The two courses are close to your 600 calorie budget for the day, a glass of wine will take you to 664, though one chocolate that I use (50 calories) will take you to 598 - within budget!

Have fun


Monday 10 February 2014

Valentines Day Dinner - While Dieting

Valentines Day and romantic meals - do they go thegether?

I believe they do, you can maintain your calorie intake for the day and still have a beautiful dinner, with a glass of wine, or even a sweet treat!!  Follow this blog this week to discover some very tempting dishes I've found and put here for your convenience, which come out as less than 600 calories for all the courses and the treats!!

If you are maintaining a 1200 calorie a day way of living while you're taking your weight loss journey, Valentines Day does not need to be dreaded.

Enjoy these recipes and come back to see more each day.

Today, we are looking at a special main course meal, a glass of wine and a special sweet treat.





Serve the scallops with a Japanese cucumber salad.  


A glass of white wine with the main meal, and for afters, I have some special Green Tea infused chocolates, wrap these in a beautiful silk or gossamer purse as a sweet treat after the main meal.


Overall the calories for this wonderfully simple, yet special meal are: 588 calories


Have an amazing meal on Valentines Day xx


Friday 7 February 2014

Going to lose that darned last few kgs!!!!

Ever find the last few kgs/lbs are the hardest to shift?  I'm at that stage now, only have 3.5kg (or around 7lb) to go - and it's being a little stubborn!!

What I find is that I need a goal - so today I signed up for a challenge, the Isabody Challenge, it lasts for 12 weeks, before photos and measurements, during photos and measurements, final photos and measurements, plus an essay - too easy!!!

Here are my before shots - it'll keep me on track, as I don't think they look that fab at all!







I'm such a short little thing - I'm sure if I was 5' 8" it wouldn't look quite so bad!!!!

Have a fun day

Thursday 6 February 2014

Which antioxidant??



Love the animation in this video, as well as the message - enjoy your antioxidants!!

Wednesday 5 February 2014

Better than sex

This morning I've had the joy of listening to a wonderful coach, Arjuna Ardagh.

From: www.thekickasslife.com

He has just released a new book called, yes, you guessed it, "Better Than Sex". Now, it's not about what you're first thinking, well, maybe it is.

Anyway, it's about your awakening, your internal knowing, why you are here, your inherent knowing.

What do you inherently know about yourself? Is it that you're a creative person, that you wish to help others, that your journey is to be on the ski slopes.......??  Whatever it is, it's what gives you such joy and peace within your world. 

It made me realise the truths within me that I've known for some time, happiness doesn't come from what you own, it comes from living your truth within - by doing that, trappings follow, and gratitude for the joy is immense.

You can find the post by clicking here - have fun listening to Arjuna and the experiences that are 'better than sex', it's fun.

Tuesday 4 February 2014

Addicted to Avoidance

Avoiding making a decision on your weight loss?  What is it that is holding you back?

List out 10 benefits of you losing weight.
Examples could be:

I have lost my weight, SO THAT I can now keep up with my kids when they play in the park

I must lose my weight, SO THAT I can celebrate 50 years of marriage with my wonderful husband/wife



Now, list out 10 negatives of you not losing weight
Examples could be:

I must lose my weight, OR ELSE I won't be able to enjoy my grandchildren as I will not be alive anymore

I must lose my weight, OR ELSE I will be a burden on my partner when we retire


We must look at our journey in a balanced way, why we need to look at both the positives and the negatives for any decision we are going to make

Looking to begin the journey?  Then check out whether or not you're addicted to avoidance

Don't avoid the decision, make the decision today!!


Finding your inspiration to lose weight

Finding Your Inspiration to Lose Weight

Finding Your Inspiration to Lose Weight
By Brendon I Boid

For a lot of people, getting started on a weight loss plan is easy. However, what becomes the main concern is the enthusiasm to continue. One may lose motivation to exercise because of the lack of desired results, or one can simply stop midway the weight loss plan because of their busy schedule, waning interest, and so many other things. If you have been aiming to lose weight but can't keep your motivation up, here are some tips to find and make the most of things that can strengthen your motivation.

Aim for attainable goals.

If you have been on your weight loss plan and your interest is waning because of the unsuccessful results, assess your fitness goals to see if what you're aiming for is reasonable or attainable given the time you've set for yourself. Remember, trying to make big accomplishments in too little time can just wane your motivation if you fail to achieve your desired goals.

Think of weight loss as a way to improve wellness.

Aiming to lose weight just so you can show off your toned body during summer or wear a pretty dress seems to be a shallow goal. What you can do instead is to think of your plan as a way to improve your wellness. Start making healthy food choices - not because you want to lose weight, but rather because you want to take care of your body, feel good and more confident about yourself, and avoid illnesses and other health conditions.

Don't deprive yourself.

A lot of people revert back to their old habits because they struggle to maintain their healthy diet, hence the rebound weight gain. When trying to lose weight, you don't actually need to avoid all your favorite food - may it be that unhealthy junk food and chips, your favorite dessert, or anything that you consider your comfort food. Instead of eliminating these foods in your diet, aim to limit your consumption instead (the amount and the frequency) so your body doesn't feel too deprived with all the dieting that you make.

Reward yourself.

Shedding the extra weight might be your primary goal, but you should not discount all the small victories that you are able to accomplish throughout your healthy journey. These small victories can include being able to do your workout routines for the whole week, or making healthy choices on your diet for the whole month. These achievements, no matter how small, can give you a sense of accomplishment and may provide more motivation to continue on your plan.

Recommit to your goals.

Obstacles and minor slip-ups are not a reason to give up, but to try harder to achieve your goals. If you fail to exercise today because of your busy schedule or give in to your food cravings after a month of dieting, well, that's perfectly okay. Instead of taking these moments of weakness as hindrance to your weight loss goals, though, use them to improve your motivation, recommit yourself to your fitness goals, and strive harder to achieve them.

Weight loss may not be that easy for some, but your weight loss journey need not be a struggle at the same time. Commit to your goals and aim to find those things that can motivate you more to continue.

Aim for a safe and effective weight loss by making a wise choice on health products like fat loss supplements. Check them out at this site to find what's best for you depending on your goals.

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