ManifestingWellBeing.com

What did you eat today? Chips? A hamburger? Cookies? An Apple? Most of us are aware of what food we eat on a given day. Some people also pay close attention to other ways of tracking what they ate, such as how many “points” the consumed or how many calories. The fact is that in addition to eating food, we also eat to suppress our emotions. As a result, because we are emotionally eating instead of to fuel our body, we may overeat, or eat foods that are less than healthy for us.

To see if you are “eating your emotions,” first, look at what events happen before you eat. Pay special attention to the times when you eat between meals. Look at the events that happen before you eat, or the events that you are thinking of, before you eat. What was happening? Were the kids acting out, did you have a fight with your spouse, or did you have a stressful day at work? Any emotion, such as anger, frustration, disappointment, anxiety, excitement, can cause us to over eat or eat foods that are not healthy for us.

The next step is to become aware of what you are doing when you over eat or choose less than healthy foods. Are you watching television, talking on the phone, on the computer? To help you eat more consciously, here are some suggestions that will help to improve your digestion and support you in avoiding the temptation to overeat:
Eat slowly
Try to not do other activities while you are eating
Pay attention to the texture and flavor of what you are eating
Think kindly of yourself
Appreciate the food that you are eating

Preliminary results indicate that being more mindful may help to reduce weight. So the next time you find yourself feeling stressed and reaching for something to eat, it may help to take a deep breath and notice what is happening . . . .

Deborah Barnett, Ph.D.
www.ManifestingWellBeing.com
Manifesting Well Being for Health and Success

Burn Your Baby Fat

Becoming a new mom is a time of great joy, but often a time of challenges, as well. One of the frustrations new moms experience is the difficulty of losing the weight the gained during pregnancy. Holly Rigsby has created “Fit Yummy Mummy” the perfect answer for those moms who want their pre-baby body back.

This weight loss system is for busy moms. It is user-friendly, practical and realistic.

This value-packed program gives you:

1. Tips for how often to eat (eating more frequently is better – stop the dieting!)
2. Guidance for what to eat, so you know longer have to feel confused
3. A workout system with a variety of workouts to fit your schedule PLUS – you don’t have to exercise more than 90 minutes PER WEEK!
4. The Busy Mom’s Fat Loss Companion, loaded with a goal setting sheet, journal, and pre-made grocery list
5. Plus you will receive follow up support e-mail coaching suggestion with fitness and recipes to keep you on track

All in all, two thumbs up from me: when the information on hand is as detailed, easy to absorb, and – above all – reliable as Fit Yummy Mummy, you really can’t go wrong.

Deborah Barnett, Ph.D.

www.DeborahBarnett.com

www.WeightLossForWellBeing.com

The World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research have a report outlining suggestions for the prevention of cancer. This is exciting to see research going into prevention, instead of purely cures for illness once it has already occurred. As I read the main points of the report I noticed that many of the suggestions are very good for those interested in releasing excess weight or maintaining weight.

I suggest that you visit the site for the full report. http://www.dietandcancerreport.org/

Here are the main points for the prevention of cancer:

1. Have a lean, but not underweight body.
2. Exercise for at least 30 minutes a day.
3. Avoid excessive high fat/high sugar/low fiber foods, including sugar-filled drinks.
4. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains and fiber-rich foods are beneficial for your diet.
5. Avoid eatting a lot of red meat and processed meat.
6. If you choose to drink alcohol, it is best for men to stop after 2 drinks and women after 1.
7. Work to get your nutrition from foods instead of supplements.

I would be eager to see them include suggestions for decreasing stress and increasing positive emotions in the next report. Authors such as David Simon, MD in his book Return To Wholeness have highlighted the benefits of mediation, visualization, journaling and laughter in the face of cancer. What other suggestions would you think might be beneficial?
Deborah Barnett, Ph.D.
http://www.weightlossforwellbeing.com/
www.DeborahBarnett.com

Swine Flu . . .just the phrase can evoke fear. People are talking about it almost everywhere. It’s on the news and the person behind you in the grocery check-out line may have mentioned it. Is it a REALITY? Of course. But how much of a threat is it really? Let’s put it into perspective. In the U.S. this week there was 1 death from Swine Flu and 5,769 deaths from obesity.  Interesting isn’t it?

So is it important to be worried about Swine Flu? Certainly it is probably wise to be aware of its presence. But I would challenge the idea that it is necessary to be in a state of worry or fear about Swine Flu. First, one reason not to work yourself into a state of worry about Swine Flu is that this will not help anything. It will not help to decrease the spread of Swine Flu in the least. (Some may argue that worrying about Swine Flu would actually increase the spread of it, due to focusing intently on it – but that discussion would take up an entire post.) Second, from a medical perspective a weaker immune system is more likely to be susceptible to illness. Worry, or fear, can weaken the immune system due to the “fight or flight” response.

The fight or flight prepares our body to fight or run away when faced with a physical or psychological threat. Psychological threats may include situations such as becoming upset by a challenge at work, having an argument at home or worrying about Swine Flu.  Emotional reactions to situations trigger the fight or flight response so that in many individuals it is set off several times a day, and each response often lasts much longer than your body can easily handle. This creates wear and tear on the body. According to research conducted by the Mayo Clinic, the end result is that our body is more susceptible to health ailments such as infections, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, depression, insomnia, and memory impairment. So one healthy way to keep our immune system healthy is to avoid worrying by practicing stress reduction.  Finding joy in  life, breathing deeply, meditating, exercising, and getting enough sleep, are a few stress reduction suggestions. We can choose to get swept up in the fear of Swine Flu, or we can choose to remain calm, and likely healthier . . . the choice is ours.

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Deborah Barnett, Ph.D.

www.DeborahBarnett.com

www.WeightLossforWellBeing.com

Results  of a new study show  that  1 in 5 American 4-year-olds is obese. The highest prevalence is in American Indian/Native Alaskan children, in whom obesity is twice as common as in non-Hispanic white or Asian children. The research, published in the  April 2009 issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine ,  was conducted by Sarah Anderson, an Ohio State University public health researcher and Temple University’s Dr. Robert Whitaker.

It is important that this epidemic is getting noticed. It also shows that the obesity issue in this country begins at a very early age. Lifestyle30 suggested in her blog that we urge our public school systems to reintroduce physical education as a regular part of the curriculum and make kids go outside and play. This is a wonderful suggestion. I would also add that public school cafeterias could do a lot for our children by having healthy lunches available. However, the messages that children receive at home from their parents about healthy food choices and exercise is critical. I know that many parents experience stress and that the easiest option to feed kids wins when the choice arises between an easy choice for dinner versus a healthy choice. Yet parents could do a lot for their children by modeling healthy exercise and food choices, having a healthy dinner available when possible and talking positively about being healthy.

What are your suggestions for the childhood obesity epidemic?

A friend of mine, Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) specialist Bruce Stewart of www.psychologyofplace.com recently posed the idea to me of weight change, versus weight loss. As Bruce highlighted, the idea of “loss” has a negative connotation. When we think about losing something, it usually does not feel good. However, thinking about changing, transforming or even releasing, has a more positive ring to it.

 I thought about how the end result losing weight, or changing one’s body size to a smaller size, is very exciting and uplifting. The end result is one of physical, and often emotional transformation.

 Bob Proctor has a book entitled The Science of Perfect Weight. Certainly attaining one’s “perfect weight” is an uplifting comment. A wonderful summary of Bob’s book is posted at  

http://www.ehow.com/how_4783866_release-weight-not-just-lose.html

One of the key concepts of Bob’s book is training your mind to focus on being at your Perfect Weight. This creates an image in your mind and your body then responds to that image. By using this method you are working on changing your habits, attitude and mind.

Using the online video that I have created, you will be able to change your mind and body to increase your health. By addresssing and neutralizing the limiting beliefs that keep you from releasing your excess weight, you will successfully find your perfect weight. Go to http://www.manifestingwellbeing.com/manifest/ and start moving toward your perfect weight.

Here’s to your success!

Deborah Barnett, Ph.D.

www.ManifestingWellBeing.com

www.DeborahBarnett.com

These days everyone is talking about the acai berry and its reportedly powerful health benefits. Oprah and Dr. Oz have highlighted this dark-colored, little berry from South America.  The acai berry is very valuable for its anti-aging properties and anti-oxidant properties. It reportedly has twice the antioxidants of blueberries. It is also a good source for vitamin B, vitamin C, iron, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, Omega 6 and Omega 9.  Some people have applauded its ability to help them lose weight. But is the acai berry the weight loss cure?

Nutritional supplements for most people are likely beneficial. However, no matter how many supplements are taken, they will not get at the root causes of excessive weight gain. To lose weight and keep it off, several questions to be addressed including: 

• Why did I engage in the lifestyle activities that brought on the weight?
• What habits do I have that are keeping the weight on?
• Why do I sabotage my weight loss efforts?

When questions such as these are addressed and the emotional factors around the weight are revealed, lasting weight loss can occur.

For an affordable online video to help you address the limiting beliefs that can hinder your weight loss visit

http://manifestingwellbeing.com/manifest/

Here’s to your success!

Deborah Barnett, Ph.D.

www.ManifestingWellBeing.com

www.DeborahBarnett.com

Susan B Roberts, Ph.D. is professor of nutrition and psychiatry at Tufts and director of the Tufts’ Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA) Energy and Metabolism Laboratory. Robers and Betty Kelly Sargent have come out with a book called The Instinct Diet. From her research, Roberts has found that people eat based on biological instincts.

These 5 instincts are:

Hunger – we eat to satisfy ourselves and we like the feeling of being full.

Availability – the more easily food is available to us, the more we want to eat it.

Calorie density – we love to eat food that is full of calories.

Familiarity – we like to eat food that we recognize and associate with experiences that make us feel safe.

Variety – we like variety and the more variety of food that we have, the more we eat.

Roberts focuses on the Familiarity Instinct, and why it so strongly influences our eating habits. Roberts points out that we eat foods we like and are familiar with and when we eat these types of foods our familiarity instinct is activated. A perfect example of this is the effectiveness of food commercial that show people eating pizza or drinking a particular soft drink. When we see others eating and drinking certain food they become familiar to us.

Roberts gives several tips to work with our instincts to improve eating habits and control weight gain:

• Introduce new foods into your diet by initially eating small amounts of new foods.
• Gradually substitute healthy foods for unhealthy foods
• Eat healthy food when hungry to have your brain start to look forward to eating healthy foods to satisfying your hunger.
• Have a “time to stop eating” signal that you use at end of your meal. This could be a cup of tea or piece of sugarless gum.
• Give yourself structure – eat only at planed meal and snack times. Your body will stop having random hunger and cravings between eating times.

To curb cravings:

• When you have a craving, instead of giving in, tap your forehead until your mind is distracted from the craving.
• Wait 15 to 20 minutes or call a friend to do something besides eating.

If you are interested in a supportive way to work with beliefs and associations that can sabotage your weight loss visit

http://manifestingwellbeing.com/manifest/

Here’s to your success!

Deborah Barnett, Ph.D.

www.ManifestingWellBeing.com

www.DeborahBarnett.com

In the last Blog post I talked about New Year’s resolutions. Is losing weight one of your New Year’s resolutions? Have you have gotten off track with your commitment to your New Year’s resolution? Do you feel like you have no motivation to lose weight?

Most of us know what steps we could take to lose weight. We know that we should exercise more; eating healthier food would be a good idea; smaller food portions would help; as would drinking more water. If you lack motivation to lose weight think about why you decided that you wanted to lose weight in the first place. Did you just mutter that your doctor told you that it would be a good idea? Whoa! Let’s find a reason that is a little more exciting for you. Think of the benefits of that you will experience with a more slender body. What activities will you do when you are more slender? What clothes will you wear? How will you feel when you look at yourself in the mirror? This feels more inspiring doesn’t it?

Now, come up with a plan that you are going to use to lose weight. These are your guidelines. The purpose of guidelines is to help you progress toward your weight loss goal in a conscious and deliberate manner. If you are feeling overwhelmed by the amount of weight that you have to lose or all of the lifestyle changes that you have to make to lose the weight, break down your steps into smaller tasks. Focus on what you can do today.

Make sure that you have sufficient support for yourself as you lose weight. If you live with anyone, let others know how they can help you. Have someone that you can check in with regularly so that you are accountable to them. Finally, clear the mental and emotional limiting beliefs that keep you from being successful in your weight loss journey. Many people have successfully lost weight using the techniques that I offer in my online weight loss video

http://manifestingwellbeing.com/manifest/

You can be successful!

Deborah Barnett, Ph.D.

www.ManifestingWellBeing.com

www.DeborahBarnett.com