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Friday, January 28, 2011

Finding Perspective

What a week in the DC area! 
  • Snow and ice took out power in over 359,000 homes.  In my county, 100,000 people still do not have power.  (yep, I'm included)
  • A homeless man died outside of my friend's office building just this morning 
  • People spent over 7 hours in their cars trying to get home, only some were able to get a hotel
  • My dad is in the hospital after a fall and probably heading to rehab/PT before he can go home again
Why do I mention all of this on my blog? Perspective is why.  We are lucky for what we have!  Today, I'm not going to write about how to eat healthier or exercise more.  Today is about keeping your head up in the face of adversity.  I've been struggling with this all week, but I like to think I'm doing okay.  Today is about staying positive while those around you may complain about the minor things.  Perspective keeps you level-headed for the major things. 

My 91 year-old Dad recited the poem below while we enjoyed a nice dinner at Cafe 1894 in Kensington, MD just a few weeks back.  1984 is fairly new and a quiet little place that feels more like a 1940's restaurant in the midst of the busy DC metro area.  Their website doesn't do them justice, but you should check out their food and atmosphere.  A true hidden gem in Kensington's Antique Row!

Ironically, that's the last nice dinner I shared with my dad before he had two bad falls.  Now, he's trying to find his will and strength to eat well, walk again and live independently.  It's amazing how fast life can turn around.  Now especially, I cherish the poem he recited by Rudyard Kipling:

IF

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:


If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

 
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: 'Hold on!'

 
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!


Enjoy your day, your weekend and your loved ones.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Inspired by Others

I created Lifestyles By Leslie as a blog to inspire others, but in recent weeks I've found myself pushed by others to reach my full potential.  Just when I think I have a few tools under my belt, people show me what they are made of:




A Teacher’s Awards Ceremony


I’m a Sr. Account Manager for Kaiser Permanente and I work on the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) account.  MCPS and Kaiser are partnered for the MCPS On the Move competition. 131 elementary schools registered over 3,500 teachers to compete, get healthier and win prizes for their efforts on an individual, team and school level.  Phase I of the competition focused on fitness and it ended last night with an awards ceremony.  The teachers tracked enough minutes of exercise to go to the moon and back!!!  Phase II begins in March, focused on nutrition.  Yours truly will be writing the MCPS On the Move Blog which I’m pretty excited about!

Dominique Dawes was the keynote speaker for the awards ceremony.  I met Dominique in 1998 at the US National Gymnastics Championship in Indianapolis.  I was there for a team coaches training and Dominique came to the coaches reception afterwards for pictures. 




Today, Dominique is a grown woman – well spoken, energetic and insightful.  She inspired over 200 teachers last night by telling them funny stories to keep their momentum going as they enter phase II of the competition.  She echoed my saying that healthy is a lifestyle or as she said put it, “wellness is journey, not a destination.”  At the end of the ceremony, I found myself feeling like I’m not doing enough!  I left with an autographed picture and a new perspective – get clear on your intention and your goals in order to make big or small changes in your life - even though that is what my first two posts were all about, for me included, it's a daily struggle to keep on track towards those achievements.  Life gets busy!  We are human - if we do not have some kind of coach (wife/husband, friend, family, co-worker) we lose momentum at times.  Look at that, I struggle with the same road blocks as you!  At the end of each day , check in and ask yourself, “Did I do something small today to move towards my goals?” 


A Yoga Certification
In December, I “sort of” set the intension to get my 200-level yoga certification by the end of 2011.  The program is 8 months long and I found myself thinking, “Eight months is a long time…I don’t know if I want that commitment. Can I afford it?” Then, I had to laugh at these doubts because my nutrition certification was over a year long, in the uber-expensive town of NYC, with weekend travel to boot.  I’ve wanted to get a yoga certification and expand my pratice since 2008 ---  it’s about time I just do it!  I am still working out how to pay the monthly cost, but I am putting my intension out there that I will find a way.  Isn’t that what life is all about anyway?  Find a way to reach your goals through faith, hope and love. 

My intensions for Winter & Spring 2011:
  • I will offer a vision board workshop this winter
  • Continue enjoying my nutrition clients as they change their relationships with food
  • I plan to create a fun, simple detox cleanse, available via phone and email support
  • I will continue to inspire people through guilt-free, self care
  • With the help of a good friend, I will continue searching for the perfect venue to create a wellness conference in DC/MD.
Life is too short; do what you are meant to do.  If you don’t know what you are meant to do, brainstorm or get together with a health coach like myself:  http://www.leslieedsall.com

Comment and tell me about your goals.  Keep reaching towards your dreams!

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Cultivate Mindful Eating

If you are finding healthy eating to be a challenge, you are not alone! To make it easier, try slowing down during meals to become mindful.  Mindful of what, you ask?  Mindful of what you are putting on your plate and in to your body throughout each day.  In doing so, you will find your meals to be a stress reliever instead of a “stressor” and you may even enjoy the time-out during a busy day!  A few mindful eating tips:

Gratitude
When sitting down for a meal, take time to appreciate the food you are about to eat.  If you focus the attention on your meal, you can bring awareness and gratitude.  Take the time to give thanks – not everyone has food on their tables and we should be thankful to have healthy meals.


Taste & Chew
In order to enjoy your food with gratitude, it also requires taking the time to taste each and every bite. You may not realize it, but digestion begins in the mouth not the stomach.  Two digestive enzymes, amalyse  and lipase, are found in saliva – they are not available anywhere else in your digestive system!  These enzymes begin the breakdown of carbohydrates and fats while chewing stimulates the “go” trigger, producing digestive enzymes in the stomach.  As you chew and begin to digest your food, notice all the tastes and textures which can make chewing a mindful experience.

Put the Fork Down!
Try this experiment and begin to put your folk down between bites.  It sounds funny, but we are so used to eating fast that it seems like you should have something in your hand at all times.  Be a rebel and stop!  If you take the time to pause between bites, you will give your brain a chance to catch up with what is in your stomach  - your brain will tell you when you are full.  Halfway through your plate of food, check in ask yourself, "Are you still hungry.?' If you are, go ahead and eat, if not, you will know exactly when your body has had enough food.  Not overeating means you’ll be taking in less calories.  We all know that translates to inches lost!
 
Finish Last
Have you ever felt like you are the first or last person to finish a meal?  See if you can be the last one at the table to finish. By doing this, it makes eating slow fun and creates mindfulness. This is a fun way to make mindful eating part or your daily life.
For more information, check out the Principles of Mindful Eating  Print out a copy and share it with friends and family!
Keep your body moving, nourish it and remember, “Healthy is a Lifestyle!”