share. learn. thrive!
Ultra-Food Challenge
Some of you may have already followed through the "Thrive-in-30" program to learn more about natural plant based nutrition and see the differences it can make in how you feel and function. I'd like to put out a discussion thread where people can commit to a personal challenge, whether it be a weekend, a week, a month or 100days, to eat the best plant based whole food diet possible.
Every one of us is different and thus I'm not proposing a "one-size-fits-all" challenge with specific hard and fast rules. I'm encouraging you to reflect on where you are and what you need to focus on to evolve toward your best mosty vibrant self. For some it may be committing to a daily green smoothie, for someone else, challenging themselves to be vegetarian or vegan and for others it may be a focused period of time taking on the challenge of raw-vegan nutrition.
The importance of a set period of time is to psychologically realize the challenge is exactly that: a fixed point. It isn't something that necessarily needs to be for the rest of your life, although some of the changes may inspires choices that do have lifelong benefits. It is a push to take on something you may not otherwise do, to explore the possibilities, reflect, learn and ultimately evolve toward nutrition that helps you thrive.
I've commented before, and it remains something I continue to highlight, that food in our society has become "abstracted" into a concept of calories, nutrients, rules and so many other thoughts governed by emotions and habits. I firmly believe we need to develop a more intuitive relationship with the food that nourishes our bodies and the signals that our physiology direct us with. Ultimately how we eat and noursih ourselves is a dynamic process that changes day to day, season to season, year to year as our bodies change and encounter different circumstances and stresses.
All of this is not to say that information is not useful. Indeed educating ourselves on the what, why and how our bodies function and feel,a s well as what is in the foods we eat are powerful resources to help shape our relationship with food and our environment. Ultimately we must make some of our choices based on this information, but instead of continuing to subscribe to it with blind faith, we can reflect on how we feel and function and begin to learn more intuitively, from the inside out, what is specifically true for us and how we as an individual thrive best.
I'm hoping by shaping and sharing your own personal "challenge" we can continue to inspire each other, share. learn and accomplish together what we might not otherwise undertake ourselves.
For myself? I have the Ironman Muskoka70.3 in eactly four weeks. I'm challenging myself to really dial in vegan whole food nutrition with a focus on 90% or more being raw or minimally processed. It's always the relationship with food that I "aim" for, the next four weeks will be a focused, dedicated effort leading up to my "A-Race" for this season. I'll post my highs and lows along with what I learn.
What will your challenge be? Where will it lead you? What conditioned habits will you need to overcome? How will you move from a process of "thinking" about your food to relating to it and its ultimate purpose of helping you THRIVE?
Can't wait to read it all. Through it all, remember.....KEEP RISING!
Every one of us is different and thus I'm not proposing a "one-size-fits-all" challenge with specific hard and fast rules. I'm encouraging you to reflect on where you are and what you need to focus on to evolve toward your best mosty vibrant self. For some it may be committing to a daily green smoothie, for someone else, challenging themselves to be vegetarian or vegan and for others it may be a focused period of time taking on the challenge of raw-vegan nutrition.
The importance of a set period of time is to psychologically realize the challenge is exactly that: a fixed point. It isn't something that necessarily needs to be for the rest of your life, although some of the changes may inspires choices that do have lifelong benefits. It is a push to take on something you may not otherwise do, to explore the possibilities, reflect, learn and ultimately evolve toward nutrition that helps you thrive.
I've commented before, and it remains something I continue to highlight, that food in our society has become "abstracted" into a concept of calories, nutrients, rules and so many other thoughts governed by emotions and habits. I firmly believe we need to develop a more intuitive relationship with the food that nourishes our bodies and the signals that our physiology direct us with. Ultimately how we eat and noursih ourselves is a dynamic process that changes day to day, season to season, year to year as our bodies change and encounter different circumstances and stresses.
All of this is not to say that information is not useful. Indeed educating ourselves on the what, why and how our bodies function and feel,a s well as what is in the foods we eat are powerful resources to help shape our relationship with food and our environment. Ultimately we must make some of our choices based on this information, but instead of continuing to subscribe to it with blind faith, we can reflect on how we feel and function and begin to learn more intuitively, from the inside out, what is specifically true for us and how we as an individual thrive best.
I'm hoping by shaping and sharing your own personal "challenge" we can continue to inspire each other, share. learn and accomplish together what we might not otherwise undertake ourselves.
For myself? I have the Ironman Muskoka70.3 in eactly four weeks. I'm challenging myself to really dial in vegan whole food nutrition with a focus on 90% or more being raw or minimally processed. It's always the relationship with food that I "aim" for, the next four weeks will be a focused, dedicated effort leading up to my "A-Race" for this season. I'll post my highs and lows along with what I learn.
What will your challenge be? Where will it lead you? What conditioned habits will you need to overcome? How will you move from a process of "thinking" about your food to relating to it and its ultimate purpose of helping you THRIVE?
Can't wait to read it all. Through it all, remember.....KEEP RISING!
Tags: Blissology, Challenge, Diet, EatClean, KeepRising, Nutrition, TriShaman, Vegan
Views: 34
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Aleksandar Radan on -
6 days into a "revitalized" commitment to a plant-based whole foods diet, realizing it is only a handfull of brief moments throughout the day that can really "sabotage" our efforts. Realize what these moments are and plan a strategy to practice and master them with ease. For myself, a late afternoon or late evening "sweet craving" is almost always a given. What works best for me is to have a few spoons of a tofu based dark-chocolate mousse. If I don't have any of that available a few bites of dark chocolate, some seasonal fruit or an ACV (apple cider vinegar + stevia + mineral water) mocktail seems to quell the "insanity". Something that "gets me out of my head" where often thoughts try to "rationalize" or "justify" a sweet indulfence, is often a "phrase" or a brief "grounding" breath exercise that gets me to focus on this moment and not the thoughts. "Keep Rising", "Be Your Bliss", "It is as it does" or other short phrases that act like simple mantras help keep things on track. Remember to just keep your efforts pointed in the direction you strive to evolve toward. You never "fail" until to "give up".
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Permalink Reply by Aleksandar Radan on
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For those struggling with "emotional eating" and habitual eating patterns, do yourself a huge favor and read through the book "The End of Overeating". Its a bit dense through the first section but well worth the time to consider and "digest" (pun intended). Understanding our habits and innate choices allows us to step back, see and re-shape our direction. Choose to THRIVE.
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Permalink Reply by Ken Wilkens on -
Great thread! I am planning a fairly radical change in my eating as well. Well, less radical and more like 'clean it up' and go high raw. "Revitalized" is a good word...
Great post, and appreciate your 'insanity' moments, can relate as well. You have hit a very valid point hard, in that most of us I think (I know I do this for sure) hit just a couple of spots during the day.... breakfast is easy.... snacks .... lunch ... then BAM! Come home for work and crave sugar, and for me that's again before bed. Once we can identify and figure out how to get past those hurdles, things should get better - great point!
Ken
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Permalink Reply by Aleksandar Radan on
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That's the whole motivating key to it all...its quite often less than 5 or 10minutes in the course of 24hrs where we need to focus our "strategy" to avoid self-sabotaging "habitual" (and quite often unconcious) behaiviours that lead us to reach for less than optimal nutrition. Its often only when we allow ourselves to default to these habit-patterns that we turn our brain off and often find ourselves going "way off track" (overeating, making seveal linked poor choices ..etc). I'm certain many folks can relate to the sensation of reflecting on a situation and saying things to ourselves like "why did I do that", "I've got no will-power", "Geez did I blow it"....
What is important to recognize is that "I" (our current PRESENT self), didn't do anything, in fact that's the whole point - when we "turn off" and just allow ourselves to go down a familiar pre-formed habitual path we are not in that moment our current self (the person who wants to be healthy, eat clean and nourish ourselves), we are simply re-visiting some former "self" where healthy choices were not as important.
So I find one of the keys is just getting yourself back in THIS moment, and not "default" to habits, patterns, self-rationalization and other "mental chatter". Keep trying different strategies until you get the one that allows you to over-ride the habit and pattern (take deep breaths, do a few yoga stretches, have a glass of water, say a simple mantra).
The other important thing to realize...as much as your brain seems to be in overdrive, and every fiber of your being seems to be saying "If I don't get that sweet or savory treat I feel like I'm going to die"...Just stop, laugh at yourself and realize, as much as your body is sending out every single emergency and panic signal YOU ARE NOT GOING TO DIE if you don't cave in to your craving. Its a "survival instinct" hardwired into our physiology to seek emergency fuel (fat, sugar, salt). Its usually in moments when we are "tired", "stressed", "over-taxed " or otherwise in a "moment of weakness" when our fight or flight instincts kick in. JUST STOP IT, step back allow yourself to see it for what it is - a reflex, a knee jerk response, an automatic habit pre-formed before we had the concept of healthy eating.
Each time you are able to halt the habit-reflex, even its only for a few minutes you are developing a new neuronal pathway which with repeated "exercise" will get stronger and stronger. While its useful to "replace" bad habits with good ones, just celebrate your ability to identify this reflex, praise your awesomeness, feel empowered and keep gaining momentum.
If you do "cave in" don't beat yourself up, reflect, assess and learn what you can do better.
The other big stumbling area is COMFORT FOOD or EMOTIONAL EATING. When we fall into this pattern we are not at all eating the food, rather trying to reach for a good feeling or emotion that we have associated with that food. Quite often we make the mistake of automatically associating birthdays, celebrations and good times with "food rewards". The more we do this, we are creating a powerful association that "food rewards" are associated with times when we feel good, relaxed, happy. When this happens, the foods are automatically linked to the emotions which we often seek to "re-create" through eating the food.
All this being said, I would never encourage people to try and become militant about their nutrition, we have to keep it real, simple, have fun, look forward to healthy choices, and realize that sometimes out bodies do need a few extra calories. Try to make these choices consciously and try to identify them separate from your emotions.
Instead try keeping celebrations and good times as focused "eat-clean" projects and save your "food rewards" for conscious times that aren't as emotionally charged. You will tame your "emotional eating inner hounds" and more and more create the association of "feeling good" with "clean-eating".
Its a journey. Keep smiling through it all, minimize guilt, frustration and defeating yourself. Focus on your abilities, your possibilities, your inspiration and the things that empower you. Put your attention on your intention and you will get there one step at a time. And remember the real "tough moments" are brief, really brief - Look those moments in the eyes, take a deep breath in, take a deep breath out and just smile - after all you are the one "in-charge" not that moment. Laugh and get on with the rest of your awesomeness.
So yup, "REVITALIZE AWAY"!!!! Keep revitalizing, re-comiting, re-inventing, revolutionizing, fine tuning, learning new skills, new strengths and moving in the direction of that which inspires you....that's the journey, that's the point.....yup...KEEP RISING!
Ken Wilkens said:Great thread! I am planning a fairly radical change in my eating as well. Well, less radical and more like 'clean it up' and go high raw. "Revitalized" is a good word...
Great post, and appreciate your 'insanity' moments, can relate as well. You have hit a very valid point hard, in that most of us I think (I know I do this for sure) hit just a couple of spots during the day.... breakfast is easy.... snacks .... lunch ... then BAM! Come home for work and crave sugar, and for me that's again before bed. Once we can identify and figure out how to get past those hurdles, things should get better - great point!
Ken
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Permalink Reply by Aleksandar Radan on
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So what's stopping you from nourishing yourself the way you are inspired to? Challenge yourself, whether for a day, a year or anything in-between. Take the first step in your "re-newed" journey and start the process of "learning" to master the habits that have for too long mastered us.
Keep Rising!
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Permalink Reply by Charlene Tomlinson on -
Took me awhile to read, but this is an awesome thread! You make some great points. Though I don't have any issues with WHAT I eat, I do tend to eat more than I need/eat too late at night/not get enough exercise. This has only been for the last month or so, where I've gotten pretty lazy. I haven't gained weight, but I don't look as toned, & I've noticed a dip in my mood. Maybe being part of a supportive thread like this will help with my motivation to getting back on track! I have been working on it everyday, but sometimes it's still hard :P I keep reminding myself: It's not about being easy. It's about being epic.
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Permalink Reply by Aleksandar Radan on
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Thanks for joining in on the thread. I've rolled around the idea of motivation in my head and have come up with a "top 10" list of ingredients to firing up our motivation:
1) INSPIRATION - connecting with the things (people, events, causes) that are incredibly meaningful for ourselves and get us to "rise" above our everyday habits to take action. Connecting via twitter can sometimes provide a steady stream of "inspirational" doses from our favorite places. Its no secret that folks like @ RichRoll, BrucknerChase, ZenTriathlon, IronNeo, JasonLester, JessiStensland, TriMomKelly, holisticguru and so many other folks on twitter are with me every step of the way, and help me stay inspired and motivated. We are shaped by the people, events and causes we experience, if you don't have them locally take advantage of technology and connect globally.
2) GOALS - signing up for a race, event or a tangible challenge can keep us accounable and on-track when we feel most distracted and wanting to skip exercise or some other element of healthful activity. Keeping goals visible and expressing them openly to friends and community keeps us honest and moving forward. I was also once given the advice to break down big goals into smaller steps, and if those seem like a challenge to break those down and keep breaking the steps down until they are so small its impossible to fail at them. Before I started to run (I previously hated running) it was a goal just to put on a pair of running shoes, then to just run 100feet, then for 5 minutes. In two weeks I'm doing my second half Ironman. It was a whole lot of small steps in-between but each was a goal and each was a success that got me stoked (*see point 9 below).
3) COMMUNITY - Strength in numbers! Finding a "training partner", joining a group or signing up for scheduled classes has also been proven in research to be one of the best ways of keeping us on track with exercise and training.
4) MENTORS - finding someone you trust who can provide feedback and direction that is specific to you can be invaluable. This can be in the form of a "coaching" relationship or can be less formal. An "advisor" can give us knowledge or point us in the direction of learning that can keep us excited, interested, accountable and moving toward our goals. They can also be honest and tell us to stop being lazy and get on with it.
5) CONSISTENCY - I've always been told "a little bit alot of the time, is more important than alot only a little of the time". When working toward our goals its consistency that trumps intensity - slow and steady always wins (although a great intense work-out or training day is always a bonus, just don't let it burn you out or lead to injury). Sometimes we think if we don't have a full hour or two to train its not worth it. If you have 5 minutes do some yoga postures (asanas), situps, push-ups, pull-ups, air-squats or even some deep breathing. Sometimes those 5minutes get us out of our "mental block" and turn into a great 30, 60 or 90 minute work-out. Consistency leads to momentum and momentum leads to habits and habits (healthful ones) are like rungs on a ladder that keep us rising up.
6) EXCITEMENT - There's nothing that kills motivation quicker than a sense of dreary sense of obligation to 'the same old same old' in terms of our training and exercise. Shake it up, learn something new, take on a new challenge, join a new group, train under a full-moon, check out a new location. A sense of adventure, learning and excitement always puts the MOJO back in our action and plans.
7) THE JOURNEY - Fitness is more about the journey than the destination. Sometimes keeping a training journal helps us look back and see how much we've learned, evolved and achieved. For a great online training journal www.trainingpeaks.com is both free and AWESOME
8) ATTITUDE - when it comes to succeeding at any goal "attitude" is more important than "aptitude". It doesn't matter whether you are PRO or are great at a particular skill, it comes down to having fun and taking action. Finding the things that we absolutely love and look forward will take us the distance to our goals. Its important to recognize we over-estmate what we can do in a day and under-estimate what we can do in a year. Just because we can't do it today doesn't mean it won't be possible later.
9) PRAISE AWESOMENESS - I've mentioned this before, but its essential. We can either get ourselves in a funk, feeling guilty, frustrated or even like a flat out failure over the things we "SHOULD HAVE DONE" or for "FALLING OFF THE WAGON". These attitudes just kill our motivation. Praise awesomeness however small. Praise it in yourself and others - it becomes addictive. Be excited that you walked to grocery store, acknowledge the person who's really giving it their all in a group or class, feel good about eating an apple. It creates a sort of moment in our lives that grows and grows and grows and becomes second looking forward to the next small victory and success - a walk, a farmer's market salad, some sit-ups.
10) TODAY - that's where the possibilities exist. yesterday is gone and tomorrow still doesn't exist. today, and more specifically this moment is the best place (in fact the only place) to tap into inspiration, set goals, connect to community, find a mentor/coach, stay consistent, try something new, reflect on what we've learned or journal where we're at, get our attitude in check and praise all that is AWESOME right here right now (and if you weren't paying attention, that list of possible things to do is just a summary of the above points 9 points). I don't like to admit it, but I really did enjoy Ekhart Tolles book "A New Earth" which really gets us to see past all of our mental constructs to unfold all the possibility that exists in each moment.
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So there you have it, my top 10 elements of stoking ur motivation.
Be Your Bliss. Keep Rising!
Charlene Tomlinson said:Took me awhile to read, but this is an awesome thread! You make some great points. Though I don't have any issues with WHAT I eat, I do tend to eat more than I need/eat too late at night/not get enough exercise. This has only been for the last month or so, where I've gotten pretty lazy. I haven't gained weight, but I don't look as toned, & I've noticed a dip in my mood. Maybe being part of a supportive thread like this will help with my motivation to getting back on track! I have been working on it everyday, but sometimes it's still hard :P I keep reminding myself: It's not about being easy. It's about being epic.
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Permalink Reply by Aleksandar Radan on
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For all undertaking any challenge (nutrition, exercise, inward or outward) just wanted to share one of my favorite quotes:
"The path I choose is not soft grass. It is a mountainous path with unfathomable rocks and chasms. But it goes upwards, forward, each day affording to my soul awe inspiring vistas and always ascending in degrees closer to an unutterable heaven" ~ Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)
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KEEP RISING!
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Permalink Reply by Jill on -
Thanks for the discussion & post Aleksandar!
For me, my challenge this month is very simple, but somehow very hard for me to achieve - and it's to consistently get proper sleep. I am a night owl which makes it quite difficult.
I believe though, that making this effort in combination with a nutrient-rich diet will help to bust stress and allow me to have more energy every day...
Any tips & tricks to consistently get appropriate sleep & relaxation techniques would be appreciated!
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Permalink Reply by Aleksandar Radan on
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Always fun to see where these threads lead, and so here we delve into sleep - not really food per-se, but definitely nourishment for the soul. Sleep is such a HUGE topic, it would be impossible to do it justice in a brief post, but I'll highlight key areas worthy of further exploration:
1) REFERENCES: I like to highlight what I believe to be good sources of info. I've really enjoyed Dr. Mercola's take on sleep ( http://knol.google.com/k/mercola-on-sleep-101# ) or if you want to really dive into the matter comprehensively I think Dr. Hyman's latest book "Ultra-Mind Solution" does a great job in addressing ALL elements of nourishment for the mind, sleep included ( http://www.ultramind.com/ ).
2) GETTING TO SLEEP: like exercise or nutrition, if you really want to dial something in it has to become a priority. When searching on-line this comes under the category "sleep hygiene" which is essentially an effective nighttime routine. The more significant the difficulty encountered getting to sleep the more significant should be the efforts to optimize sleep hygiene. For folks who don't have difficulty getting to sleep they can get away with a less strict routine.
- http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/guide/sleep-hygiene
- http://www.stanford.edu/~dement/howto.html
MY SECRETS: always to bed the same time, start "preparing' for bed 90min prior including no TV, turning down all unnecessary lights, hot shower (in winter), getting things organized for the morning, 15-20minutes of relaxing yoga, 10-15min of mindfulness meditation to 'stop the thoughts in my head' (great podcasts available for this), a "gratitude reflection", lighting incense and using a source of white noise.
3) STAYING ASLEEP: Assuming you have done all you can to improve your sleep hygiene there are some folks with difficulty staying asleep. A closer look at what you are eating may be the key. Eliminating things that interfere with sleep (caffeine, alcohol, chocolate, carbohydrates, late meals and fluids) and introducing things that may aid in sleep such as tryptophan ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tryptophan ) may be key. If fragmented or restless sleep seems to be the problem you may want to see your doctor, naturopath or other care provider to consider things like restless leg syndrome, bladder problems, sleep apnea, musckulo-skeletal issues, ambient light or environmental disruptions or a disordered sleep-cycle that may warrant a sleep study. Another round-about way of improving your sleep is by targetting "sleep efficiency" or what is sometimes referred to as "sleep scheduling"
- http://www.truestarhealth.com/members/cm_archives13ML3P1A18.html
MY SECRETS: No caffeine, No alcohol, mineral water 3-4 hours before bed, 'nag-champa' incense, the use of a buckwheat pillow, a good bed (or buckwheat matress cover), white noise (fan), NOT having a clock in the room which can train the brain to wake-up to check the time (which can be anxiety provoking for some) and natural sources of tryptophan if I'm really needing a good night's sleep.
4) EARLY MORNING WAKEFULNESS: The last and sometime most problematic area of sleep is the early morning hours where many people report waking up with "racing thoughts" or simply unable to get back to sleep after 3 or 4 in the morning. Our bodies naturally create a surge of circadian hormones in these early morning hours to begin to prepare us for the day. Some of these hormones like hGH and cortisol activate parts of our brain which is often why the early morning hours are characterized as the period of greatest dreaming. The larger problem is if our brain has stored worries and other anxiety provoking thoughts which can be signalled in this process. Often the underlying factor is 'stress' in our waking lives that gets stored in our sub-concious. If Early morning waking is a problem or you, don't seek to treat the symptoms in this case, do some soul-searching and gather support as you tackle the stressful areas in your life from friends, family or other trusted therapeutic relationships.
MY SECRETS: A book I've found useful in getting past mind-clutter is Ekhart Tolle's "A New Earth". Also looking at the "Bigger Picture"; Over the last 10 years I've gradually and consistently moved my life away from things that are out of tune with my inner sense of purpose, meaning and bliss. It has meant some HUGE changes but worth the efforts. Check out the "SOUL MESSAGE" below....
~~~~
Sorry for the "clinical" nature of this post, something I will NOT make a habit of as it is anything but inspiring.
SOUL MESSAGE: I will highlight as I do with all areas we are seeking to improve "PUT YOUR ATTENTION WHERE YOU INTENTION IS!" Put only 10% of your time and energy on the problem and 90% of your time and energy toward the solutions. We can solve anything (yes ANYTHING) in our lives as long as we dedicate ourselves unwaveringly to the solutions. We can NOT fail until we stop trying. Einstein use to remark he wasn't smarter than other people, he simply spent more time trying to find the solutions without getting frustrated. Seek always to evolve and ......
Keep Rising!
~~~
Jill said:Thanks for the discussion & post Aleksandar!
For me, my challenge this month is very simple, but somehow very hard for me to achieve - and it's to consistently get proper sleep. I am a night owl which makes it quite difficult.
I believe though, that making this effort in combination with a nutrient-rich diet will help to bust stress and allow me to have more energy every day...
Any tips & tricks to consistently get appropriate sleep & relaxation techniques would be appreciated!
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Permalink Reply by Charlene Tomlinson on
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My sleep is actually something that has gotten better, finally! I've had many restless nights, but I'm finally going to bed at a decent hour & waking up earlier. I hate losing my day just because I haven't slept. It's so nice to be back in routine :)
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Permalink Reply by Jill on
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Wow, thanks for your detailed reply, Aleksandar!
I actually have read parts of "The Ultra-Mind Solution", and will be sure to check it out again on sleep issues!
Aleksandar Radan said:Always fun to see where these threads lead, and so here we delve into sleep - not really food per-se, but definitely nourishment for the soul. Sleep is such a HUGE topic, it would be impossible to do it justice in a brief post, but I'll highlight key areas worthy of further exploration:
1) REFERENCES: I like to highlight what I believe to be good sources of info. I've really enjoyed Dr. Mercola's take on sleep ( http://knol.google.com/k/mercola-on-sleep-101# ) or if you want to really dive into the matter comprehensively I think Dr. Hyman's latest book "Ultra-Mind Solution" does a great job in addressing ALL elements of nourishment for the mind, sleep included ( http://www.ultramind.com/ ).
2) GETTING TO SLEEP: like exercise or nutrition, if you really want to dial something in it has to become a priority. When searching on-line this comes under the category "sleep hygiene" which is essentially an effective nighttime routine. The more significant the difficulty encountered getting to sleep the more significant should be the efforts to optimize sleep hygiene. For folks who don't have difficulty getting to sleep they can get away with a less strict routine.
- http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/guide/sleep-hygiene
- http://www.stanford.edu/~dement/howto.html
MY SECRETS: always to bed the same time, start "preparing' for bed 90min prior including no TV, turning down all unnecessary lights, hot shower (in winter), getting things organized for the morning, 15-20minutes of relaxing yoga, 10-15min of mindfulness meditation to 'stop the thoughts in my head' (great podcasts available for this), a "gratitude reflection", lighting incense and using a source of white noise.
3) STAYING ASLEEP: Assuming you have done all you can to improve your sleep hygiene there are some folks with difficulty staying asleep. A closer look at what you are eating may be the key. Eliminating things that interfere with sleep (caffeine, alcohol, chocolate, carbohydrates, late meals and fluids) and introducing things that may aid in sleep such as tryptophan ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tryptophan ) may be key. If fragmented or restless sleep seems to be the problem you may want to see your doctor, naturopath or other care provider to consider things like restless leg syndrome, bladder problems, sleep apnea, musckulo-skeletal issues, ambient light or environmental disruptions or a disordered sleep-cycle that may warrant a sleep study. Another round-about way of improving your sleep is by targetting "sleep efficiency" or what is sometimes referred to as "sleep scheduling"
- http://www.truestarhealth.com/members/cm_archives13ML3P1A18.html
MY SECRETS: No caffeine, No alcohol, mineral water 3-4 hours before bed, 'nag-champa' incense, the use of a buckwheat pillow, a good bed (or buckwheat matress cover), white noise (fan), NOT having a clock in the room which can train the brain to wake-up to check the time (which can be anxiety provoking for some) and natural sources of tryptophan if I'm really needing a good night's sleep.
4) EARLY MORNING WAKEFULNESS: The last and sometime most problematic area of sleep is the early morning hours where many people report waking up with "racing thoughts" or simply unable to get back to sleep after 3 or 4 in the morning. Our bodies naturally create a surge of circadian hormones in these early morning hours to begin to prepare us for the day. Some of these hormones like hGH and cortisol activate parts of our brain which is often why the early morning hours are characterized as the period of greatest dreaming. The larger problem is if our brain has stored worries and other anxiety provoking thoughts which can be signalled in this process. Often the underlying factor is 'stress' in our waking lives that gets stored in our sub-concious. If Early morning waking is a problem or you, don't seek to treat the symptoms in this case, do some soul-searching and gather support as you tackle the stressful areas in your life from friends, family or other trusted therapeutic relationships.
MY SECRETS: A book I've found useful in getting past mind-clutter is Ekhart Tolle's "A New Earth". Also looking at the "Bigger Picture"; Over the last 10 years I've gradually and consistently moved my life away from things that are out of tune with my inner sense of purpose, meaning and bliss. It has meant some HUGE changes but worth the efforts. Check out the "SOUL MESSAGE" below....
~~~~
Sorry for the "clinical" nature of this post, something I will NOT make a habit of as it is anything but inspiring.
SOUL MESSAGE: I will highlight as I do with all areas we are seeking to improve "PUT YOUR ATTENTION WHERE YOU INTENTION IS!" Put only 10% of your time and energy on the problem and 90% of your time and energy toward the solutions. We can solve anything (yes ANYTHING) in our lives as long as we dedicate ourselves unwaveringly to the solutions. We can NOT fail until we stop trying. Einstein use to remark he wasn't smarter than other people, he simply spent more time trying to find the solutions without getting frustrated. Seek always to evolve and ......
Keep Rising!
~~~
Jill said:Thanks for the discussion & post Aleksandar!
For me, my challenge this month is very simple, but somehow very hard for me to achieve - and it's to consistently get proper sleep. I am a night owl which makes it quite difficult.
I believe though, that making this effort in combination with a nutrient-rich diet will help to bust stress and allow me to have more energy every day...
Any tips & tricks to consistently get appropriate sleep & relaxation techniques would be appreciated!
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