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Last week, we tackled the stuff in our house and I hope you\u2019ve already done some decluttering so that you can feel why<\/span><\/em> you are doing it. Once you get that feeling of space and brightness in your house, you\u2019ll be motivated to continue on the path of decluttering. As promised last week, this week\u2019s blog will give you some very practical, doable tips<\/span> to start getting your body in shape again. Not to be able to wear that nice summer dress, although that may be a nice bonus, but to feel good again, to feel light, healthy, full of energy.<\/p>\n Let’s start \u2018decluttering\u2019 our body so that the energy can flow freely again and that we\u2019ll feel light and full of life again!<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n To get our body in shape again, we need to take a look at some of our habits. We have to look at:<\/p>\n I am all for daily rituals<\/strong><\/span>. The more you integrate a healthy lifestyle in your daily planning, the faster it will become your new daily routine, and once it\u2019s a habit, it\u2019s easy to keep doing it because we are creatures of habit.<\/p>\n I am kicking in an open door when I tell you that what you eat and drink will influence the energy flow in your body. We all know it, and still, it\u2019s so hard to not<\/em> eat and drink all that junk. We all do it and then we feel awful. To stop that cycle of devouring, feeling bad, devouring, feeling bad, \u2026just stop for a moment, take a minute so that you can actually feel<\/em> your body and be conscious<\/em> about how your body is protesting when it has been one of those evenings again, where you\u2019ve been hanging on the couch, stuffing yourself with all kinds of junk, and then finally getting up to drag yourself to bed to have an unrestful night. When it happens to me (and yes once in a while it still happens to me, I am only human too :-), I always see in my mind an old commercial (for a stomach medicine of course) where that frog is clinging to a branch but slowly slides until he falls off. It\u2019s exactly how I feel then and it\u2019s a good reminder to stay away from the junk for a long time again. The more conscious you become of how you\u2019ll be feeling afterwards and how it\u2019s really torturing your body, the bigger the intervals in between the binge-eating\u2019s, until the moment you won\u2019t allow them anymore.<\/p>\n So how can we avoid this \u2018disaster stuffing\u2019 and start living a healthy routine<\/strong>:<\/span><\/p>\n Keep a journal and note what you eat every day<\/strong>.<\/span> It will give you an idea of the incredible number of unnecessary<\/em> snacks we all eat. Having to write it down, will already have you snacking less because it makes you conscious. Being conscious<\/strong><\/span> also makes you realize: you eat out of habit, out of boredom, to numb an unpleasant feeling. I once read a funny quote:<\/p>\n \u201cWhatever the problem is, the answer is not in the fridge!\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Start with a healthy breakfast<\/strong>:<\/span> eat what works for you: fruits, granola, oatmeal, \u2026 avoid sugars, too much wheat, too much dairy, and all foods made with yeast.<\/p>\n Lunch and dinner<\/strong><\/span> can look different for everyone according to work schedules. Eat as much vegetables as possible.<\/strong><\/span> Avoid already-prepared-meals, avoid deep fried foods, cook your meal with fresh ingredients. The most important thing about your food is the combination* <\/strong><\/span>in which you eat your meals. As a vegetarian, I do not eat meat or fish but when you do: eat them only in combination with veggies.<\/p>\n vegetables with meat,<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n vegetables with fish<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n vegetables with pasta\/ potatoes\/rice\/ bread.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n You\u2019ll notice that when you eat in the right combinations, you won\u2019t have that \u2018balloon\u2019 feeling anymore. You\u2019ll digest easier and better<\/span> <\/strong>so you win twice: no more swollen bellies and more nutrition absorbed by your body. Prepare a healthy, tasteful and colorful meal and eat slowly<\/strong>.<\/span> Concentrate<\/em> on eating your food, look<\/em> at your food and chew<\/em>! I learned**that you have to chew at least 20 times. By counting how many times you chew, you learn to notice how fast you normally swallow. You can train eating slowly by chewing 30 to 50 times on one mouthful just to learn to slow down. I know you can\u2019t keep doing this but it will make you aware and it\u2019ll make you chew at least double of what you are doing now. The better your food digests, the less you\u2019ll feel like grabbing a snack afterwards. Drinking lots and lots of water<\/strong><\/span>, helps to keep you hydrated. Be aware of how much coffee you drink, it\u2019s okay to have some coffee but just do not overdo it, it dehydrates your body. Alcohol and sugary drinks are NEVER a good idea so if you really like to have those drinks, keep it for special occasions, and consume moderately.<\/p>\n This is something you really need to put in your agenda and honor it<\/strong><\/span> like you would any other important item in your daily schedule. If you are out of shape, start easy, but exercise <\/span>daily<\/span><\/em>.<\/strong> Go for a walk, take the stairs, ride your bike if you have to run an errand close by.<\/p>\n Put a reminder in your phone<\/strong> <\/span>to make sure you build up your daily ritual. You can integrate this in even the busiest schedules: go for a 10-minute walk during lunch time, park your car 2 blocks from where you work and walk, take the stairs instead of the elevator (when you have 20 stories to climb: start with 5 stories by stair and 15 with the elevator or what you\u2019re capable of and slowly build up the stair-walking), \u2026 be creative, do whatever works for you but take action, get that body moving!<\/p>\n Get yourself a buddy and do some sports together<\/strong><\/span>, make it something fun. Start once a week and see how it goes.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll see how these seemingly little things slowly but steadily help you get into shape. Once you are in better shape, you\u2019ll feel more like working out and you\u2019ll start enjoying<\/em> exercising.<\/p>\n Sleep is an enormously underestimated tool to feel good<\/strong>, to restore health<\/strong> <\/span>and to stay healthy. Build a daily ritual<\/strong><\/span> to have that goodnight sleep (again) we all need, we all crave. We are not only healthier but also a much kinder person \ud83d\ude42 when we had a good night sleep, so here again, nothing but wins!<\/p>\n How can you build your daily ritual?<\/p>\n Go to bed every day at the same time<\/strong><\/span>: yes 7\/7.<\/p>\n Sleep for at least 7 hours,<\/strong><\/span> some people need more and that is okay! Listen to your body, honor its wishes.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t stuff yourself with junk and\/or alcohol before you go to sleep, make sure your food has time to digest before going to bed.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n No technology 1,5 hour <\/span>before you put your head down. <\/span><\/strong>All input, even relaxing stuff, is still input and puts your brain in \u2018overload\u2019. Unplug, let your brain get some rest too!! Otherwise, you\u2019ll end up feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, irritated, \u2026<\/p>\n Do something relaxing <\/strong><\/span>like reading a good book, watching something that makes you laugh, that makes you feel good, listening to some peaceful music.<\/p>\n Have a gratitude journal<\/strong><\/span> next to your bed and write every evening, just before putting out the lights, some happy thoughts, things you are grateful for. That\u2019ll put you on a higher vibration and you\u2019ll fall asleep on that frequency of feeling good.<\/p>\n Meditate or say a prayer<\/strong><\/span> and you\u2019ll have a peaceful, restful sleep. Gratitude is what makes us happy so saying a prayer, thanking for what you have in your life, being conscious of all the good things in your life will bring peace in your mind.<\/p>\n A<\/span> decluttered bedroom<\/strong>, a good mattress<\/strong>, <\/em>a well aired, not too hot nor too cold room,<\/strong><\/span> are also, very important aspects to have a goodnight sleep.<\/p>\n It is the most natural thing on earth, it\u2019s the very essence of being alive and yet, we don\u2019t give it a second thought.<\/p>\n Become aware of your breathing. Put a reminder in your phone, and breathe consciously for just a minute, a couple of times a day<\/strong>.<\/span> Just focus on your breathing. Go outside if possible or stand at an open window. If that\u2019s not possible, then just sit and breathe. You\u2019ll feel how your body relaxes, how you energize your body again, how it makes you feel good.<\/p>\n As part of your daily ritual, you can start your day<\/strong>,<\/span> in bed, with some breathing and stretching exercises, and end your day<\/strong><\/span> with some breathing and stretching exercises***, you\u2019ll notice how much you\u2019ll benefit from it!<\/p>\n If you want to learn all about energizing and even healing, your body through breathing, you can read The Energy Codes by dr. Sue Morter****. If you want to take it one step further and combine breathing and taking cold showers, learn The Wim Hof Method*****.<\/p>\n It may seem an unimportant item but just try this out: sit with an unenthusiastic slouch and look down, notice how this makes you feel.<\/p>\n Then sit up straight, shoulders back, head up, how does this make you feel?<\/p>\n Feel the difference in energy?<\/p>\n The same goes for how you walk, how you stand, even how you talk. Train yourself in sitting straight, standing straight, walking with an energetic bounce in your step and talk with enthusiasm in your voice.<\/p>\n The way you hold your body determines how you feel<\/strong><\/span>. Use this to get that energy flowing again. It works, even when you are feeling down or tired, straighten up and you\u2019ll already feel a slight difference in your mood and energy level. Use this to feel light and energetic again.<\/p>\n You see, YOU can really make your body healthy again, you can feel light and rejuvenated by just doing the above things. It\u2019s all quite simple really, no earth shocking stuff but it\u2019s important to build daily rituals<\/span><\/strong>. <\/span><\/p>\n Use your phone<\/strong><\/span> to put reminders,<\/p>\n get a buddy<\/strong><\/span> to keep going,<\/p>\n write down<\/strong><\/span> your progress,<\/p>\n hang a note or a picture<\/strong><\/span> on your bathroom mirror to remind you of your why,<\/p>\n make your screen saver a motivational quote<\/strong><\/span> so that you stay on track.<\/p>\n Celebrate<\/strong><\/span> all your good days! If you slip up, just let the day go by and move on. The next day, do all your rituals again.<\/p>\n You can do it!!<\/span> <\/strong>If you want to read more about \u2018decluttering\u2019 your body, read part 2 of my book \u2018Less is Yes!\u2019*.<\/p>\n\n
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