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EDITOR IN CHIEF Joan Herrmann —
ASSOCIATE EDITOR Lindsay Pearson —
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Matt Herrmann —
GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Chris Giordano Andrea Valentie Oliver Pane —
CONTRIBUTORS Lorie Gardner, RN, NBC-HWC Gayle Gruenberg, CPO-CD, CVO Rick Hanson, PhD Joan Herrmann Mark Hyman, MD Ilene Leshinsky Linda Mitchell, CPC
FROM THE EDITOR — Many people are in search of ways to reach their highest potential. They want to be wise, strong, happy, and loving. I recently had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Rick Hanson, a psychologist, senior fellow of UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, and author of the book, Neurodharma. In our conversation I asked Dr. Hanson how we can best attain our desires and stop repeating the old programming that doesn’t serve us well.
Dr. Hanson shared with me practices for strengthening the neural circuitry of contentment and inner peace, and he showed how we can implement these strategies in daily life to better handle stress, heal old pain, and create meaningful relationships with others. According to Dr. Hanson, when we combine neuroscience with ancient traditions, wonderful things can occur. Listen to my conversation with Dr. Hanson: https://spoti.fi/306p3az
— Joan Herrmann
DR. HANSON
ISSUE NO.120
INSIDE THIS
ISSUE IS COFFEE GOOD OR BAD FOR YOU? BY MARK HYMAN, MD
PAGE 12
CHANGE THE CHANNEL BY RICK HANSON, PHD
PAGE 18
CREATING SPACE WHERE THERE IS NONE BY GAYLE GRUENBERG
PAGE 22
ON THIS MONTH’S
C OV E R MANY PEOPLE ARE IN SEARCH OF WAYS TO REACH THEIR HIGHEST POTENTIAL. THEY WANT TO BE WISE, STRONG, HAPPY, AND LOVING. ACCORDING TO DR. RICK HANSON, SCIENCE IS REVEALING HOW THESE WAYS OF BEING ARE BASED ON CHANGES IN OUR OWN NERVOUS SYSTEM, MAKING THEM MORE ATTAINABLE THAN EVER BEFORE. HE EXPLAINS THE NEUROSCIENCE OF AWAKENING AND HOW IT CAN BE AN EFFECTIVE PATH TO HANDLING STRESS, HEALING OLD PAIN, FEELING AT EASE WITH OTHERS, AND UNDERSTANDING OUR NATURAL GOODNESS. DR. HANSON IS A PSYCHOLOGIST, SENIOR FELLOW OF UC BERKELEY’S GREATER GOOD SCIENCE CENTER, AND A NEW YORK TIMES BEST-SELLING AUTHOR . LISTEN TO DR. HANSON ON CYACYL: https://spoti.fi/306p3az
NAVIGATING UNCERTAIN TIMES: 7 STRATEGIES TO HELP YOU STAY ON COURSE BY JOAN HERRMANN
PAGE 26
COPING WITH CRISES BY LINDA MITCHELL
PAGE 30
THE NEW VIRTUAL WORLD OF TELEMEDICINE BY LORIE GARDNER
PAGE 34
IT’S ABOUT TIME! BYILENE LESHINSKY
PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED BY JOSH KAPLAN
PAGE 38
OCTOBER 2020
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ISSUE N O. 1 2 0
OCTOBER 2020
IS COFFEE GOOD OR BAD F O R YO U ?
Let’s face it: Americans love their coffee, which is the number one source of antioxidants in our diet – which actually makes me kind of sad!
Written by Mark Hyman, MD
I
In a recent animal study, researchers saw improvements in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and cholesterol when mice consumed coffee and fat together. (More on that combo in a minute.) They also found coffee can help reduce gut permeability or leaky gut. Among its other benefits, studies show coffee decreases your risk for type 2 diabetes, lowers cancer risk and improves mood and memory. Coffee can also boost metabolism and sports performance. On the other hand, coffee can become highly addictive, altering stress hormones while making you feel simultaneously wired and tired. So I understand the confusion. It feels like one day we see studies that support coffee and the next day we see 10 reasons why coffee is bad. So let’s uncover the truth about this aromatic beverage that most of us love. When to Avoid Coffee Before jumping to conclusions, remember those blurred lines aren’t entirely about coffee itself. It also depends on the person drinking the coffee. The way you respond to coffee is often determined by genetics that affect caffeine metabolism. For one person, a cup could have them bouncing off the walls, while another person can have a triple espresso at dinner and fall fast asleep easily. In other words, everyone is different and we all experience coffee’s effects differently. One patient complained about fatigue, restlessness and heart palpitations. Obviously, in that situation, I recommended avoiding coffee. Likewise, if you suffer from adrenal fatigue, coffee could easily become dangerous. Some individuals might also be sensitive to coffee beans, meaning their bodies can’t tolerate them and they create
unpleasant symptoms. Constituents in coffee can also interfere with normal drug metabolism and liver detoxification, making it difficult for your liver to regulate the normal detoxification process. Sometimes, too, I find patients substitute coffee for real food. Never ignore your hunger and eat regularly to prevent low blood sugar levels. Keep protein on hand and snack on a handful of nuts or seeds like almonds, pecans, walnuts or pumpkin seeds. I had one patient who drank 12 cups of coffee a day yet constantly fell asleep at his desk. This person could barely function and couldn’t understand why he felt so exhausted. The truth is he wasn’t sleeping well at night due to all the caffeine but he was too exhausted to realize it. He wasn’t getting the proper rest his body desperately needed at the right time. So we tapered him off coffee, and he began to sleep soundly at night, rather than nodding off at his desk during the day. If you fall into those categories, coffee probably isn’t for you. Regardless, I recommend treating coffee like any other potential toxic trigger and eliminate it for at least three weeks, especially if you’re addicted and can’t seem to function without coffee or if you drink multiple cups a day. If you need coffee every day to feel motivated or even function, you have a coffee addiction. If you have withdrawal symptoms and headaches from stopping coffee or feel like you can’t live without it, you are biologically addicted to it. There’s also a big chance your stress hormones are out of whack and need resetting. How to Quit Coffee The best way to wean off coffee is switching from drinking multiple cups to just one cup and eventually half a cup. You might also switch to green tea or herbal teas and warm lemon water. As with any detox plan, drink adequate amounts of water and get plenty of rest during this time. I also suggest regular exercise to stabilize energy levels. Should you get irritable or have difficulty sleeping, supplement with 200 to 500 mg of magnesium citrate before bed. My favorite detoxification rituals include a sauna, meditation and yoga. I provide powerful techniques to relax and combat stress on my website. If you can handle it, remove coffee from your diet for three weeks and add it back in slowly. Be attentive to
how you feel once you reintroduce coffee. Pay attention to your energy levels, symptoms (like anxiety or jittery feelings) or changes in digestion. In other words, monitor how you personally respond to coffee. You are your own best doctor here. It’s perfectly fine if you realize coffee just does not work for you. Other health-friendly beverages include green tea or non-coffee-based lattes using powerful herbs. If you find you can occasionally tolerate coffee, avoid adding milk and sugar. These two culprits do more damage than the actual coffee. One person may be able to enjoy raw, cruciferous vegetables while another needs to avoid them because
of digestive issues. This same thing applies to coffee. For some people it works; others, not so much.
About The Author
MARK HYMAN Mark Hyman MD is the Director of Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Functional Medicine, the Founder of The UltraWellness Center, and a ten-time #1 New York Times Bestselling author. To Learn More Visit: www.drhyman.com
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Change the Channel Written by Rick Hanson, PhD
W What can you do when nothing is working? A wise therapist, Betsy Sansby, reminded me that sometimes a person just can’t find any stillness anywhere. Maybe you have epilepsy or chronic pain, or are wildly worried about a child or other loved one, or have been rejected in love or had the bottom fall out financially. In other words, as Betsy put it, like there’s a nest of bees in your chest. Sometimes the inner practices fail you – or at least aren’t matched to the pickle you’re in. You’ve let be, let go, and let in. You sat to meditate and it was like sitting on the stove. You tried to be here now and find the lessons – and wanted to whack the person who told you to
do this. You still feel awful, overwhelmed, angry, afraid, inadequate, or depressed. Now what? Sometimes it helps to change the channel, to take some kind of action. Watch TV, eat an apple, ask for a hug, get out of the house, something (not harmful) to shake things up, distract yourself, tune out, burn off steam, etc. At some point you still have to engage the mind directly and do what you can with your situation. But there is certainly a place for respite or pleasure in its own right, plus these help refuel you for challenges. Plus, changing channels has the built-in benefit of taking initiative on your own behalf. This helps counter the natural but harmful sense of helplessness that comes from tough times, and it supports the feeling that you and your needs truly matter. How? For starters, give yourself permission to change the channel. Sometimes people get stuck in a situation, relationship, or feeling and think it’s more noble, awake, open, mindful, accepting, or therapeutic to stay with it, even if it hurts like crazy and isn’t getting any better. Sure, let’s not err on the side of suppressing feelings or running from the first hint of discomfort. But let’s also not err on the side of running laps around a track in hell. Then do something. It doesn’t need to be ambitious. Usually the simpler, the better. Try physical pleasure, which helps calm down the stress machinery of your brain. Run water over your hands. Roll your head around your neck. Smell an orange. Look at a flower. Treat your body well. Eat some protein. Take a nap. Go for a walk. Do vigorous exercise if you can. Remember your vitamins. Broaden your perspective. Look out the window. Consider your situation from a bird’seye view, more impersonal angle. Consider how someone (real or imagined) who deeply loves you would look at it. Think about it amidst 7 billion other humans, or in the sweep of history.
From The Story
“Give yourself permission to change the channel.”
(Of course, not to diminish, dismiss, or shame your own pain.) Entertain yourself. See a movie, listen to music, go watch a show. Look at Red Bull stunts, concert videos, amazing pong shots, or rock climbing on YouTube (alright, some of my faves) or whatever you like. Set something in order; exercise control somewhere. When I feel depressed, I make my bed. Keep it simple: fold one pair of dish towels, separate the big forks from the little ones, straighten one shelf of books. Connect with others (as long as you don’t feel overwhelmed by it). Call a friend. Pet your pet. Sit in a coffee shop full of strangers and enjoy the bustle. Go somewhere that feeds your heart. Maybe sit under a tree, or by a stream, lake, or sea. Perhaps a church or temple. Or a park with children playing, a museum, or a garden. Every life is hard sometimes, and some lives are terribly hard all of the time. Do what you need to do. It’s OK to change the channel.
About The Author
RICK HANSON, PHD Rick Hanson, PhD, is a psychologist, Senior Fellow of the Greater Good Science Center at UYC Berkeley, and a New York Times bestselling author. His books have been published in 29 languages and include Neurodharma, Resilient, and Hardwiring Happiness. To Learn More Visit: www.RickHanson.net
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C R E AT I N G S P A C E W H E R E T H E R E I S N O N E Written by Gayle M. Gruenberg, CPO-CD®
D
Do you have an abundance of “stuff ” and don’t know where to put it anymore? You likely have overlooked and underutilized nooks and crannies in the house that can be configured to store away things you don’t need or use every day but still want to hold onto. Before you go out and buy the latest product that claims you will finally be organized if you use it, look around the house and see if there are any hidden spots you never noticed before. Don’t see any right away? Try these: Under the bed. This is a great place to store out-ofseason clothes, memorabilia, gift wrap, or even current, in-use-now items. Bed risers can lift the bed a few inches, which makes it easier to accommodate storage solutions. Some to try are low plastic boxes with wheels and hinged lids, drawers from an unused bureau, and even pizza boxes for kids’ artwork. The key is to create a system that is easy to access and maintain regularly. If you live in a multi-level home, you’re handy or have a small budget, and you’re up for a little construction project, the area under a staircase can be converted to prime storage space. A closet can be built and outfitted with shelves, drawers, hanging poles, or other pull-outs to serve as a pantry, store luggage, or overflow items of any sort. The space between studs in a wall can be carved out to create bookshelves, install a shallow safe, or recess a medicine cabinet in a bathroom. Hanging a picture frame with a hinge can hide the safe. The toe-kick under a cabinet in a kitchen or bathroom can be retrofitted with a drawer, creating the perfect place
to store sheet pans or toiletries. When my clients claim they have no space, I tell them, “Look up.” Vertical spaces are underutilized. Walls, the backs of doors, and the insides of closet and cabinet doors are often overlooked but highly convenient storage spaces. One of my favorite products to use inside a closet door or behind a room door is a hanging mesh shoe organizer. It can be used to corral hats, gloves, and scarves in winter, sunglasses and sunscreen in summer, pet toys, hair accessories, or office supplies. Decorative removable hooks create a mud room near an entry door. A hammock hung in the corner of a child’s bedroom can contain a collection of beloved stuffed animals. Stacking drawers in a bathroom base cabinet maximizes the height of the cabinet. Scanning paper documents and storing them digitally can eliminate the need for file cabinets. A bit of advice regarding organizing and hidden spaces: store “dry” things there, like canned goods and contained food, dishes, books, clothes and shoes, extra supplies, and paper items. One challenge with using hidden spaces, particularly for clients with brain-based conditions, is remembering what you put there and that you did put things there. Forgetting can lead to re-acquiring, which then requires finding more spaces to put things.
About The Author
GAYLE M. GRUENBERG Gayle M. Gruenberg, CPO-CD®, CVO, is the chief executive organizer of Let’s Get Organized, LLC, an organizer coach, and the creator of the Make Space for Blessings system. To Learn More Visit: www.LGOrganized.com
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October 2020 Issue
Navigating Uncertain Times: 7 Strategies to Help You Stay on Course Written by Joan Herrmann
A
A tragedy is defined as “an event causing great suffering, destruction, and distress.” We understand the meaning of those words, however, I believe the important component is how we view the situation. What may be a “tragedy” to one person, is nothing more than a “bump in the road” to another. While we can agree that death, divorce, illness, financial insecurity, a job loss, create less than desirable circumstances, each can be viewed and handled differently from one person to the next. The key is that person’s outlook. Here are a few strategies to help you navigate uncertain times. Maintain a positive attitude. There are people who see the glass half full in all situations and others who see it as half empty. You have a choice about how you view what occurs in your life and that choice determines how you will transition through a tragic experience. Don’t assume the role of victim. When a tragedy occurs, you may believe that you are a “victim of circumstance” and that this will be your lot in life. You think that you will never recover. But you have the power to change the situation. No matter how devastating a circumstance, you have the power to get through it. You are not a victim. See the blessings in any situation. You know the old saying, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. We all can turn pain into something positive. Some people create a charity from the loss of a child, others write books based on their experience, while others make necessary life changes such as getting sober. Tragedy has the power to transform you and it provides hidden
blessings if you take the time to look for them. Reach out to friends and loved ones and express your feelings. Isolation can make the situation worse. Hurt, fear, sadness, grief, are all normal emotions and they should be felt and expressed. A true friend would want to know what is going on in your life. It is never too much to tell someone that you are in trouble and need help. You should never be ashamed! Empower yourself through education. If you cannot get going by yourself. Read books and seek information that can help you feel stronger and more in control. Seek professional assistance. If you are overwhelmed, depressed, or have suicidal thoughts, find a professional who can provide insight or a new perspective about the situation. Don’t allow someone to make you feel “less than” because you are in pain. Everyone heals in their own time, there is no right or wrong way, and there is no timetable. Remember, how you experience your life comes from how you view what you experience. As Dr. Wayne Dyer said, “When we change the way we look at things, the things we look at change.”
About The Author
JOAN HERRMANN Joan Herrmann is the creator of the Change Your Attitude… Change Your life brand and host of the radio show and podcast, Conversations with Joan. She is a motivational speaker and the publisher of 24 Seven magazine. To Learn More Visit: www.JoanHerrmann.com
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October 2020 Issue
Coping with Crises Written by Linda Mitchell, CPC
W Wouldn’t it be great if just being a good person and trying your best meant you’d escape pain and trauma? Crises challenge your peace, happiness, sense of stability and can even jeopardize your psychological and physical safety. Sadly, no one escapes them so you must all find ways to cope with unexpected crises. When tragedy occurs, it presents you with several choices. It’s not the circumstances themselves that make or break you, it’s what you do within them that defines you. Realizing this, you have taken the first step on your path to healing, moving forward and thriving. Like everything else in life, your mindset and attitude frame how you respond. Tough as it is, the worst thing you can do is bury your head and refuse to accept your new situation. You certainly needn’t like it, but the path to healing requires acceptance, not resistance. When crises show up, you are well served by acknowledging situations without fighting or acting out, which simply amplifies the hardship. To be clear, I am not suggesting you give up and allow circumstances to steamroll you. On the contrary, you must get clarity and decide how to best approach your new
reality. This involves recognizing what you can and cannot control, creating a workable plan of action and continually re-evaluating choices moving forward. Here are some helpful habits to adopt while moving through a crisis: Allow yourself to go through every stage of anger and grief, processing emotions as they arise without expectation or judgment. Recognize that everyone grieves differently. Express rather than suppress your emotions. Fear will steer if you let it - resist that rabbit-hole. Acknowledge the new situation you are in. Accept it even if it’s something you’ve never imagined. Note that acceptance doesn’t require even one ounce of liking it. Prioritize self-care. Something as simple as five deep breaths when you feel yourself crumbling is pivotal. Be sure you make time for healthy food, adequate sleep and things that nourish your body, mind and soul. Seek support. We rarely think clearly in a crisis and expecting to survive it alone creates undue pressure. Lean on loved ones you can trust. Surround yourself with people and things that lift you up. Create a realistic plan of action that instills a sense of hope and resilience. Give yourself some grace. Don’t set looming goals, instead simply focus on
the next right step. Sometimes that’s just one small step that helps you tread water when you feel you might sink, and sometimes it’s one courageous step that helps you leap forward. Commend yourself for staying in the present moment. Ruminating on the past or worrying about the future creates increased anxiety, regret, and fear. Find a few things to be grateful for each day despite the difficulties. You can’t always gauge the intensity or duration of a crisis. Some demand more energy than others, so revise your plan as necessary. Leave self-judgment and criticism behind while creating a sense of acceptance, peace, clarity and hope.
About The Author
LINDA MITCHELL Linda Mitchell, a board certified executive and personal coach, speaker and reinvention expert empowers people who are stuck, overwhelmed or ready for change to confidently transition into their next meaningful role with clarity, purpose and ease and emerge more powerful, passionate and fulfilled. Reclaim balance and joy! To Learn More Visit: www.LivingInspiredCoaching.com
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The New Virtual World of Telemedicine Written by Lorie Gardner, RN, NBC-HWC
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed our world in a short matter of months. We in the New York and New Jersey area, experienced the pandemic with a complete shutdown. While the medical world was focused on the mounting and overwhelming cases of this horrible COVID-19 disease, most other treatments, surgeries, screenings, and physician visits were put on hold. This opened our world to a greater need for telemedicine. Telemedicine refers to the practice of caring for patients remotely when the provider and patient are not physically present with each other. Modern technology has enabled doctors to consult patients by using HIPAA compliant video-conferencing tools like Zoom or Microsoft Teams, or even using Facetime on an iPhone. The provider can be your physician, nurse practitioner, therapist, or a specialist consult. Patients collect medical data at home with apps that track blood pressures, weights, fitness goals, which and can be sent electronically to the physician for review and discussion during a telemedicine visit. Historically, telemedicine has been around for a long time. Even as far back as Alexandar Graham Bell’s time when they decided that they could use the phone for remote health communicating. It was also used in the Mercury space program when NASA began performing physiologic monitoring over a
distance on their astronauts. NASA further developed this technology with a pilot with the Papago Indians. Rural areas have benefited for quite a while with telemedicine since they are many miles from direct healthcare providers. Telemedicine has also been used for decades in clinical settings. For instance, EKG and other tests can be transmitted electronically. Medicare quickly hopped on board with telemedicine. In the past, Medicare had many limits related to HIPAA/licensing regulations and physical location, so only very rural areas of the country regularly practiced telemedicine with Medicare/Medicaid. Starting on March 6, 2020, Medicare started to cover these visits as if they were in-person visits in any location. How It Works Telemedicine visits take place on an iPhone Facetime app, a Zoom call, Microsoft Teams application, and more. It can be used for follow-up visits, managing a chronic disease, medication management, a specialist consultation, and a host of other clinical services. These are provided remotely with the patient at their home via a secure video and/or audio connection to their provider. This has been used in the past but in a limited way. Using telemedicine as an alternative to in-person visits has a host of benefits for patients and providers alike. Patients enjoy: • Less time away from work or home responsibilities • No travel expenses • Less interference with child and elder care responsibilities • Privacy
•No exposure to other potentially contagious patients in a waiting room
in-person visit to be able to assess this properly.
Providers enjoy: • Improved office efficiency • An answer to the competitive threat of retail health clinics and online-only providers potentially improved health outcomes • Fewer missed appointments and cancellations • Private payer reimbursement – due to COVID-19 insurance companies are reimbursing telemedicine visits. • Increased revenue
Be Prepared for Your Telemedicine Visit What can you do as the patient to prepare for the telemedicine visit? Here is a list to review and consider: • Be prepared with the correct technology needed and the steps required to connect to the visit ahead of time. Plan to do a “dry run” if it is the first time using the technology. Make sure your audio and video are working. • Obtain/download any needed apps ahead of time. • Find a quiet space and good lighting ahead of time. • For any physician visit, have your list of symptoms, medical history, medication listing, outcomes of any test results you need to discuss, and all of your questions. It is best to write this all down, so it is readily available for the call. • Have a family member or friend assist if the technology is challenging.
Can it work as well as in-person care? NYU Langone reported on their experience in six weeks. They conducted 144,940 video visits involving 115,789 unique patients and 2,656 unique providers. They found that 56 percent of those visits were for urgent care and 18 percent were non-urgent COVID-19 related visits. Patient satisfaction ratings with telemedicine visits were positive. When you think about the things that create anxiety regarding a physician visit like travel and getting there on time as well as the wait times, concerns about exposure to contagious illnesses, the telemedicine visit can reduce all of those concerns. I feel the visits are more beneficial if you have a prior relationship with the physician, although I have had many people say that if it is a minor illness or problem the insurance MD line can be enough. As a nurse advocate and health coach, I have spent many years interacting with patients and clients face to face. When I became certified as a health and wellness coach, the coaching was all by phone. I found that this was more effective and beneficial than in-person interactions. A virtual visit with your physician will never substitute for the need to do an in-person physical exam, but used appropriately it can a great option in certain situations. We will need to wait for the studies to be done on the quality of telemedicine visits versus the
About The Author
LORIE GARDNER Lorie Gardner RN, BSN, NBC-HWC, founded Healthlink Advocates, Inc., to assist people with all aspects of their healthcare. As private nurse patient advocates and board certified health and wellness coaches, they partner with clients seeking assistance navigating the complex healthcare system and those seeking self-directed, lasting health improvements aligned with their values. To Learn More Visit: www.healthlinkadvocates.com
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ISSUE NO.120
CULMINATION
Written by Ilene Leshinsky
It’s About Time This is such a remarkable time in history, don’t you think? A global pandemic, racial inequality, political crises, economic upheaval! Just one of these things could make us want to crawl into bed and pull the covers over our heads. And then, if we look back about three years ago, we can recall the MeToo movement.
OCT 2020
I absolutely abhor that as a society we have the need for so many social and moral changes that are so long overdue. However, I absolutely love the ability of people – people like you and me – to come together, using one voice to make the lives of others not just better but equitable, peaceful, and safe. So here I am using my voice to say that we women need to free ourselves (finally) from the hypnotic pull of trying to change our bodies. We need to find body freedom! I was working with a business coach a few years ago – briefly - presenting my idea for an online program that teaches women to love the bodies they’re in and eat with joy. She interrupted me mid-sentence and said, “Women want to lose weight!” Just a few months ago I was contemplating – briefly - being a guest expert for an online women’s summit. The host was promoting a program that promised weight loss for all participants with a marketing message that any woman could get thin and stay thin without a struggle. I often feel like a salmon swimming upstream! Are we still trying to lose weight, even in the face of the data that’s been the same for decades? Why are we still focused on body perfection, losing weight, and looking 25 when we’re 50? And just in case you’ve been living under a rock, here it is: 95 percent of women who diet, gain back the weight they lost in one to five years. I ask my clients to visualize this: You are in a room of 100 women. Look around. After the diet ends, only five of those women will still be in the room! And yet we still buy into the fantasy. And I get that fantasy. For half of my life, I struggled to stabilize my weight. I had poor body image. When you’re overweight as a young child and are shamed for your eating behaviors and your size, it’s almost impossible to develop positive body image. I either starved myself or compulsively overate. And my weight and size swung back and forth for close to three decades. That’s a long time to be lost and unhappy! And then one day I had an epiphany. While leading a Weight Watcher’s meeting (yes, I was a WW member, leader and trainer),
“95 percent of women who diet, gain back the weight they lost in one to five years. ”
I had an awakening. I realized from the core of my being that I was the expert about my body – not WW or Atkins, or Jenny Craig. I was the expert and that my body’s innate wisdom would guide me to health and well-being – if I was willing to listen to it and to respond accordingly. That epiphany was freeing – and scary! And it was the moment when Find Body Freedom, my program for women who want to change their relationship with their bodies, was born. It was the moment that changed my life! Fast-forward 40 years, my weight is stable and I am healthy, active, and happy. But this isn’t about me. It’s about any of us women who still believe that if we change our bodies, we’ll change our lives. We’ll find happiness, a better job, a life partner. We’ll buy a new bathing suit. However, the opposite is true. When we change our lives, actually when we change our thoughts and feelings about ourselves and our lives, our bodies change. Because we start to honor our bodies, value and respect them - nourish, rest, and move them - they reward us vibrancy, energy, health, and a radiance that is impossible to ignore. We don’t quite believe that yet but I’m asking us anyway to give up the ghost of body perfection. I’m asking us to take the leap of faith into a quest for a beautiful life instead of a beautiful body. It’s about time!
ILENE LESHINSKY For nearly 30 years, as a psychotherapist and a coach, Ilene Leshinsky has been working with women of all ages to help them find more joy and fulfillment in their lives. In her Find Body Freedom program she gives women the support and the training they need to love the bodies they’re in and to eat with joy. To Learn More Visit: wwww.findbodyfreedom.com.
