onebodyoneworld

[onebodyoneworld]

I love this quote.  True across a wide breadth of situations.  Yet changing your thinking is not easy to do while we're stuck in our own heads.  So, the all-important question then becomes "how do I change my thinking?" 

This is extremely difficult without help.  It requires a steady ability to "notice your own thoughts" and bring into your general awareness thoughts and impulses that are often barely conscious.  To this end, meditation, with regular practice, can be extremely helpful.  Alternatively, you can hire a life coach to springboard your thinking off of.  Additionally, if you're interested in becoming more proficient at doing this in your own, you can find a life coach able to introduce you to meditation practice.  

A good life coach will never ask about your family history, or past traumas, or your last relationship, but will keep you focused on where you are now, what you want in the future, and finding the path that's right for you - no one else.  Just you.  

Still wondering what a life coach does?  Curious about how life coaching works?  Stay tuned for next week's post on exactly that!  

In Health and Happiness, 

Vanessa.   

onebodyoneworld.com 

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One Body One World now offers Life Coaching!  What is Life Coaching?  What can a Life Coach offer you?  What can THIS Life Coach offer you?  Stay tuned! 

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A move by Wal-Mart to require labels on products that contain genetically engineered ingredients could be influential in developing a national labeling program.

After being saddened by a front page article covering the inevitability of drilling in for natural oil and gas in northern Colorado, I was pleased to find this.  It would be a great victory to have genetically modified foods labeled as such, but I am skeptical of any parameters Big Ag companies (and major commercial retailers they sell to such as Wall Mart) would agree to so readily, not to mention the ones they'd volunteer.  Nevertheless, I'm happy to see it's on the table and that the movement has at least "engaged the enemy".  

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If vanity isn't enough of a motivator for you, how about money???

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Eat well today. Don’t ride off the day over a mistake. Every meal counts!

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I absolutely love this quote. I post it for the Anonymous reader from the previous post.

[onebodyoneworld]

Mindfulness can Control Diabetes

        Mindfulness of your body’s needs (particularly those for food and exercise) is a formidable tool if you can harness it.  We believe strongly in the need for anyone grappling with Diabetes to be well educated on the science of nutrition, activity and the delicate blood sugar balance, but we also believe that mindfulness and personal experience should be incorporated into a well rounded education to reap the most lasting and meaningful benefits.  The article that inspired this post (from Medical News Today on Nov. 12, 2012) reported a study that found simply being mindful of one’s body and eating, worked as well as traditional education on relevant nutrition, to control Diabetes.  That’s great to know, but now imagine the possibilities of utilizing both techniques together.  

One Body One World workshops are being designed to teach mindfulness, awareness, and  the relevant science together.  So, when an intellectual understanding of why that blueberry muffin is a damaging choice for your afternoon snack is not enough to make you walk the extra two blocks to for some almonds and a pear, being able to look at the muffin and actually feel its effects in your body will get you to go the extra mile for the positive choice.  Personal experience and direct sensations of the ill effects of the muffin are probably a stronger deterrent to eating it, than simply knowing you shouldn’t, but the two working in synergy will result in more successful, lasting change to eating habits.  

We look forward to offering Diabetes specific workshops within the year, but in the meantime, try putting your intellectual knowledge through your own self test for some great results!  Practice learning how to identify by feel, how a different foods affect your body.  Pay attention to your behavior, mood, and urges after a sugar or carb binge for example.  Learn to recognize the sensation of your body struggling to equalize and process the sugars.  Most people don’t pay attention to these moments because we’re busy trying to distract ourselves from the memory that it even happened.  Don’t throw away the learning experience of this valuable mistake!  The damage is done.  Take the lesson as a gift, and carry that forward as wisdom in your pocket.  

Of course, don’t forget to do the same self check after a bout of quality, fresh food!  

[onebodyoneworld]

Reader Question: My experience with an emotional obstacle causing physical pain.

         A reader anonymously sent me this question, and it's a topic I've found intensely fascinating for a long time, so I thought I'd answer it here.  "have you ever experienced an emotional obstacle return as a physical ailment?  If so, how did you deal with it, or did you not?

Dear Anonymous,

I absolutely have experienced them, and dealt with them.  In my opinion, this is not the kind of thing that happens only once or twice a lifetime.  The brain and body are connected in ways we are only just beginning to understand.  That relationship is fluid, and ever-present, defining interconnectedness, and inter-dependance.  I can feel a bad meal negatively affect my mood within an hour, and the same for a good meal.  The physical breakdown of everything we put in our bodies, has a chemical and hormonal effect right away, which in turn leads to more systemic physical effects, and so forth.  The release of certain hormones directly affect our mood, as does a general sensation of heaviness, bloatedness, or lightness, and energy.  This is a simple example of the ongoing nature of this relationship working in one direction, but this reader asked about the cause and effect relationship going in the opposite direction.  

When I started really having to face being lesbian, I had stress build up through my shoulders and back so severe that the stress started coming out of my armpit.  Yeah, it was gross.  It was like a big boil, and it was quite literally, golf ball sized.  I put hot compresses, sulfur, and herbs on it and it did go down, but it took a good week.  During another period of intense grief I lost so much weight I had the body of an African herdsman.  Some people also gain weight in response to grief.  Remember, intense emotions of any kind will affect sleep and food choices, which will also affect behaviors, and hormones and negativity can become a powerful cycle of it's own.  

The best mode for handling your ailment depends greatly on what exactly the ailment is.  Tightness through the shoulders and hips can also lead to compensatory movement dysfunction throughout the kinetic chain, and can result in long term pathological movement patterns and injury if they go unaddressed.  Lots of smooth movements with bodyweight or light weight that focus on using a full range of motion are best for relieving daily stress.  Light to moderate cardio is also great, and a combination of the two is ideal.  I do at least one day like this per week to "clean things up" in my joints and realign.  I'm tempted to say I also do it to help relieve the stress of the week, but in reality, every workout does that, and I these days I know that as long as I keep working out, everything will be ok.  

If you're dealing with an ailment that prevents cardio or full range of motion exercises, then it gets trickier.  Let's say you can't take your self on a vigorous, reentering walk because it's your ankle or shoulder that's presenting and it needs lots of monotonous therapeutic type movement.  If you know this to originate from an emotional place then do your therapy moves, and while you're doing them, consider the source of all this.  Really give the injury it's due attention use the time to process what's happened in a productive way.  Make your peace with the situation.  Pushing through the full set of therapeutic movement will help make sure your mindset stays where it should: on moving past the pain.  With the two working together, you've got a powerful mind-body connection in positive action.  

I'll give you the nutshell version of my experience with this.  After a traumatic incident in my early teens, I lived with a complete mind-body disconnect for many years.  My PTSD had gone undiagnosed or many years, even though I was the epitome of the "lights are on but no one's home" condition.  Even my motor skills and coordination were horrible.  Only after I was able to consciously acknowledge the incident was I able to start to reconnect to body, and I did so through movement - in the gym.  It was such a painful process, I can't even describe it.  Not physical pain, but emotional pain.  Ten minutes of light to moderate cardio would easily have me trying to style sobs in a stall of the ladies room because for the first time in years I could feel my heart and it was broken.  The next day, or over the next 15 minutes, I felt a leg muscle turn on and I would have some other  horrible flashback that would send me right back to bathroom in tears (again).  Eventually though, if you keep pushing, we all uncover our survivor.  It is inevitable.  I promise it will be gratifying and inspiring, and that is the emotional space that techies us how to PUSH.  When I couldn't stand the thought of hearing, seeing or having to hide the tears anymore, I pushed harder to stay on the treadmill when I felt any of those feelings come up.  I pushed through sadness, anger, and tons, and tons of fear.  I ran to the bathroom less and less, while I got faster and stronger in my cardio.  My appetite came back (slowly).  I started looking for ways to change my routine. I left the cardio and started lifting.  This change set me back unexpectedly because of the different positions and hormonal responses to weight.  It was frustrating but I got through it, and that's how my life in fitness was born.  

In summary, I'd say this: process the physical along with the emotional.  You are one person, and the systems are inextricably tied and they both require your attention.  If you're stuck with physical therapy moves to do, allow the fact that you're doing them to be the drive to positively process the associated emotions that bubble up in connection with this aliment, or body part.  Whatever the ailment is (or emotional obstacle), tackle them both with commitment, a routine, and the right attitude.  Another thought, never underestimate the power of touch.  Especially if you're a single person.  As life becomes more digital, many of us are cut off from literal human touch, and it has a healing power all it's own.  Get a foot rub or a massage if you can.  An earnest hug can make an attitude shift suddenly seem possible, and sadness and anger both leave toxins in the muscles and blood that can be processed with a good massage.  

Thank you so much for your question.  It is a really great one.  

I hope this helps.

In Health and Happiness,

Vanessa.

[onebodyoneworld]

Have you ever experienced an emotional obstacle return as a physical ailment? And if so, how did you deal with it? Or did you not?

Hi! Thanks for this question. It's something I've been really intrigued by for several years. I'm in the middle of moving right now, so it will take me a bit to respond but I promise I will. I'd like to post your question along with my response as well. I hope you don't mind. Cheers, and thanks again.

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Needs no further explanation

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We did the Merrill Mud Run!  Down and Dirty.

Advise to prospective mud runners: wear disposable clothing.

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Are you eating healthy?

               Haha.  Such a loaded question I know, with an equally loaded answer.  Truth is, healthy is a relative term.  One diet, or dietary goal is never going to be right for everyone, yet no matter what health issues we are battling, or what fitness goals we are driving toward, we will get nowhere if we don't eat for them.  Of the many factors that contribute or undermine our results (regardless of what our goals are), I'd say diet has the greatest impact, and a good, clean diet, will forgive a lot of laziness on the activity side.  Even if you don't consider your self to have "fitness" goals, we can eat for increased health and relief from literally all kinds of maladies from the common cold, to multiple sclerosis.  

Probably the most powerful, unexpected challenge in changing eating habits, is how deeply rooted our psychological (and in some cases physiological) attachments can be to certain kinds of foods.  And how clever our brains are at steering us away from our own best interests and back into old, unhealthy habits.  The link below is a quick easy read, that will get you familiar with common self talk tricks.  Don't fall for them!  When you do (and you will), learn from them, and keep pushing toward your goal.  

Is There Psychology Behind Healthy Eating?

Warning - Don't interpret this article to mean that if you struggle to stay on track and clean with your eating, it means you're "unhealthy".  We all struggle.  We all loose the battle sometimes.  I promise you, as a personal trainer myself, even your trainer struggles - more than you think from looking at her/him.  Having a proper education around the topic and being willing to make mistakes are key.  Sometimes we even fall off the wagon and bite the dust entirely, but not getting back on the horse simply isn't an option.  You get up and do it again - if you keep at it, it WILL get easier.  

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The Art of Falling Apart

                    How to Master the Art of Falling Apart 

On the warm and fuzzy side yes, but it's not actually the wet rag of a topic you might think.  I have fallen apart more times than I could count, but it's become a driving positive force in my life.  I wouldn't quite say I've mastered it, but I definitely get the point.  I know a few people that have endured so much tragedy, how they got through it is unfathomable to me, and yet they do.  My point in posting it is, that no matter how many times you fall apart, and even if you're someone who feels they're close to mastery, we all can use a little checklist in the moment to make sure we're completing job as efficiently as possible.  With holidays looming closer, there's bound to be a bit of falling apart.  Find it's transformative power, and keep moving forward.  A very positive article and quick read.

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"If you build it, they will come..."

If you don’t build it, they wont come.  

I am taking a leap of faith in devoting my time, my money, and my passion into this project, in hopes that it is timely, useful, and relevant enough to succeed.  So here we go with the freshly evolved One Body One World project.  Logo is complete, and we are thrilled with the results. Our website is in development and really starting to take shape.  We are looking forward to seeing it live within the month.  

         Through training programs, healthy living workshops, and customized active travel itineraries, we look forward to bringing you natural health guidance and programs that will get you thinking far beyond prevention in regards to your health.  This is about taking charge, being in the know, and being able to help others by sharing what you know and by being a role model.  We hope you stop by often for news, tips, and engaging discussion.  

In Peace and Health,

Vanessa Moseley

Owner, Founder.

[onebodyoneworld]

Sugar Addiction

      Look familiar?

It does to me.  Sugar addiction is a very real, yet I now know a total 3 people who don't look at me like I have three heads when I go on this rant.  My friend Tim stopped by yesterday and reawakened my fury at the situation around this issue here in the U.S.. Excessive sugars in the diet is the leading cause of obesity and diabetes in adults and children, making it one of the worst plagues to strike any modern society and yes, therefore something to be scared of and educate yourself on.  

If you care about yourself and those you food shop for, please, please start reading your ingredients labels.  High fructose corn syrup is the worst culprit of all.  This is corn sugar, molested and modified by chemists to exaggerate its worst qualities and attributes.  I don't care what the brand name is, or how healthy and natural they try to make you think their products are.  They are lying to you and they know it.  Please vote with your dollar and leave these products on the shelves.  

Apparently High Fructose Corn Syrup has been gaining quite the reputation around town because they're thinking of changing it's name.  So the long overdue bad rap will have to rebuild entirely, and the dissemination of public education on the subject will have to begin again.  How many Americans will die during that time from obesity or sugar related diseases?  I'm not a statistician, but I'm certain it's at least the population of Brooklyn.  

Similarly, I don't care if the ingredient list says that the sugar is 100% organic, naturally milled, sustainably farmed, and packaged in a facility cleans the machinery before processing peanuts.  It's still sugar, and it's still poison to your body and crack to your biochemistry.

Don't believe me? I dare you to cut it all out of your diet starting tomorrow and see if you aren't going absolutely bonkers within 3 days.  I find that most people fall into two categories.  Either with a penchant for cheaply sweetened foods OR drinks.  An exception being those that claim to be too hooked on the savories to bother with sugar. I actually think that there is a similar mechanism at play here that's hooked on fats. More on that down the road.  

A note of caution to dare takers: sugar can take many forms and names so it may be present in foods you wouldn't expect.