October 2014 newsletter

The Power Inside You

Harnessing the power of your own energy for peace and happiness

This morning I read an article on npr.com that illustrated how much power we have in influencing how we experience our lives. The article, titled "Why Saying is Believing - The Science of Self-Talk," offered research based evidence that the language we use - both when talking to ourselves and to others - directly affects our perceptions.

In coping with pain and stress, I have experienced this first hand. If, in my internal dialogue, I choose to focus on the negative aspects of the pain or stress, those aspects will magnify. However, if I offer myself alternatives, such as "I choose to approach this challenge with calm and confidence," I really do believe that I CAN deal with whatever is facing me with calm and confidence.

However, sometimes having the right words just isn't enough. We can say all the right things, but they just won't stick. This is when the power of our own energy comes in. EFT tapping can help us harness that powerful energy, converting our self-talk into much more than just talk: into a belief that we feel deep in our core. As our bodies come back into balance, our minds begin to believe.

So this month I am offering you the gift of a detailed instructional video: "How to do EFT." If you've ever wanted to try EFT tapping, this short video gives you step by step instructions and a stress relief demo that you can follow along with as you tap. You can use it to gain relief from a specific issue, or for general stress and pain relief, and you can view it as often as you need it.

Wishing you health and happiness, 

Diane

How to do EFT - free instructional video!

Curious about how EFT can help you heal pain, release stress, and clear the underlying blocks that are holding you back? Click on the You Tube video below for a free instructional video!

Enjoy!!
Diane
www.mindbodyglobal.com

Need Relief from Chronic Headaches?

Your at-home guide to healing headache pain:

The Quick Start Guide to Life Without Migraines: Four Steps to Natural Pain Relief

Now available on Amazon.com. 

For only $0.99, you will receive a simple, four step program for healing pain naturally, including:

• How to effectively identify your unique headache triggers 
• Essential lifestyle changes to prevent headaches 
• The connection between pain and stress - and what to do about it! 
• Detailed instructions for a breakthrough method of healing and preventing headache pain naturally
• A daily plan for healing headache pain
• Links to FREE instructional videos 

Whether you suffer from chronic migraines, intermittent headaches, or would like to learn more about how to heal pain naturally, this book is a fantastic resource, and all you need is a Kindle, tablet, smartphone, or computer. Download your free Kindle reading app compatible with your device, and begin your journey to a life free from pain today. 

Wishing you health and happiness, 

Diane

FREE Belly Breathing Tutorial!

Feeling stressed and overwhelmed? Take five minutes and follow along with me as I take you through a brief diaphragmatic belly breathing tutorial. Enjoy!

https://soundcloud.com/mind-body-global-wellness/diaphragmatic-breathing-belly

Eat like a Greek to Reduce Inflammation!

Or really, pretty much anywhere in the Balkans.

And I'm not referring to the modern Balkan diet, which has its share of processed junk food and overconsumption of sugar, but the traditional Mediterranean diet, which is marked by fresh vegetables, whole grains, and unprocessed sources of protein, with a healthy dose of freshly cold-pressed, extra virgin olive oil.

To get you started, here's a Mediterranean diet food pyramid:

To read more about how to change your diet to reduce inflammation and improve your health, I encourage you to research food plans outlined by Dr. Barry Sears of the Zone Diet and Dr. Andrew Weil.

And of course, diet changes are not the only way we combat inflammation. Regular exercise, adequate sleep, and stress relief are all powerful tools to heal symptoms of chronic inflammation. If you need help taking the first steps towards better health, contact me today and schedule your free consultation.

Got a headache?

Let me help you!

For FREE

If you have an acute headache that you just can't shake, contact me and I will help you relieve the pain with a free single session.

You will be helping me do research for a new eBook, and I will help you release the pain when nothing else is working. 

New Coaching Program: Chronic Headache and Migraine Relief

Spring! 

A Time for Growth 

In many places around the world, the earth is showing signs of renewal. The trees are blossoming, flowers are pushing through the ground, and everything looks fresh and green. Spring is my favorite time of year, and in honor of the season I'd like to share with you my new coaching program for women who experience chronic headaches and migraines.

Chronic pain is debilitating, and affects every aspect of our lives: our work, our relationships, and our ability to enjoy life to its fullest. I believe every person has the innate ability to heal--we just have to find the right tools!

View my welcome video message!

Check out my re-imagined Website!

Take my survey!

Wishing you health and happiness, 

Diane

Focus on Women's Health

Caring for our Caregivers

Women are well known for our ability to care for others, and for our difficulty in caring for ourselves. Whether you are a mother, elder caregiver, or simply a woman who spends extra energy and time doing the hands-on work required to keep the people you love healthy, I acknowledge and thank you for your hard work.

This is not a discussion of whether or not women should be our primary caregivers. This is an acknowledgement that women are, for the most part, our primary caregivers. I sincerely acknowledge and thank all the men who are their family's primary, hands-on caregiver, but this week, let's focus on women.

And yet, there is one way in which women need to improve their caregiving: caring for ourselves. There are many barriers that keep us from practicing self-care: time, money, the availability of help, and, of course, sheer fatigue. However, none of these barriers are insurmountable. So how do we change these habits and start taking care of ourselves?

There are many factors that go into acting on self-care, but the first--and most important--is to make the decision to do it.


You ARE worth it. You DO deserve it.
And it is absolutely necessary in order to continue taking good care of others.

Get started today. Take a yoga class or go for a walk. Make time to treat yourself to a healthy meal. Take the first steps in getting help relieving your pain, stress, or anxiety.

Originally published in my May 2014 eNewsletter

Leading with an Open Heart

Open your heart and relieve your stress

In my yoga classes I ask students to "open their hearts" while in poses, the literal instruction being to open the upper chest, spread the collarbones, and counter the effects of sitting and standing with a rounded back and shoulders. So what do our hearts have to do with it?

In yoga, we call the center of the chest, directly beneath the breastbone, the heart center. In yogic philosophy this is the location of a chakra, or energy center, and no matter what your philosophical inclination, you may have noticed that when you are stressed you feel tightness, pressure, or pain in this area.* When we feel anxiety, we tend to close in on ourselves, instinctively protecting the vulnerable organs located in our torso. When we are chronically stressed, and our bodies and minds are permanently in "fight or flight" mode, we move through the world in this protective posture, scared to make ourselves vulnerable, and, perhaps, unwilling to open our hearts and minds to new information.

So I invite you to pay attention to your heart center: notice if you carry stress here, or if your back and shoulders are always rounded. And consider: what would be different if you led your life with an open heart? 

*Always have chest pain evaluated by a qualified healthcare professional. 

Originally published in my February 2014 eNewsletter. 

Setting Intentions for the New Year

I have never been a big fan of new year’s resolutions. Although the beginning of the new year is a wonderful time to make positive changes in our lives, the traditional method of making a list of resolutions can be overwhelming, and in some cases, we set ourselves up for failure by having unrealistic expectations.

Positive change is much more likely to become a permanent habit if we show compassion for ourselves during the process of adapting.

Change comes gradually.

Instead of a list of resolutions, I recommend taking the opportunity at the beginning of the new year to assess what works and what doesn’t, set an intention and a specific goal, and break your action plan down into small steps. 

For example, if your intention is to be healthier, and your goal is to exercise four days a week, your first step might be to take a walk alone or with a loved one 1-2 times a week for three weeks. You may discover that you love this routine, and want to increase your walking days before the end of the three weeks. This is wonderful! Acknowledge your success, but make sure your expectations do not get ahead of your adaptation. 

With each step, increase the amount of change you are introducing, and most importantly, treat yourself with compassion throughout the process. When you have reached your goal, celebrate! Give yourself full credit for all your hard work!

This article first appeared in my January eNewsletter.

My 3-day detox

In response to my holiday overindulgence in the last few weeks of 2013, I began 2014 with a gentle detox.

I've always wanted to try this, but have never before had time or the interest in doing the work that is necessary to make a detox accessible--and edible. Although the ingredients are simple, creativity is required in taking those ingredients and making them into something that I'd want to eat, as opposed to eating plain vegetables and counting the hours until I can eat bread again.

On New Year's Eve, as I sipped my glass of champagne, my body began to scream at me. It had been whining for the last couple of weeks, but it had reached its limit. My knees were hurting, my skin pale, and I was exhausted. And yet, it was the holidays! Have another Christmas cookie!

By New Year's Day I had decided to do something radical about my diet, but waited, of course, until we came back from a mini-vacation in Prague. A visit to the Czech Republic is certainly not the time to begin a detox.

We landed in Tirana on the 5th, and on the way home I stopped at my favorite vegetable market to stock up on produce. One of the benefits of doing a detox in Albania is that the produce is fresh, delicious, and inexpensive. If I decide to do this again in the spring there will be even more variety, and it will be fresher and cheaper.

I used a template from Mind Body Green as an outline, and started the first full day we were home. I did not follow a strict plan, but completely eliminated wheat, dairy, sugar, and alcohol, and drank tea instead of coffee in the morning. I ate a lot of fruits, vegetables, walnuts, almonds, and cashews. I couldn't find the rubber seal for our blender until the second day, so the first two smoothies were pretty exciting. Note: a food processor is NOT a substitute for a blender.

A Super Breakfast

- banana

- frozen berries

-handful of walnuts

- ice and water

Lunch

- handful of spinach

- peach 

- handful of almonds

- ice and water

Dinners consisted of salad, a variety of steamed vegetables, and protein. The first night I cooked salmon with olive oil, lemon, and salt in the slow cooker, and the second night I adapted Dr. Oz's recipe for lentil soup. The third night was quinoa with lightly roasted vegetables, and my husband had chicken. Salad dressing was olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and a dash of dijon mustard.

Salad toppings

- avocado

- green peppers

- tomatoes

Tabouli with quinoa instead of bulgar.

- parsley

- cucumbers

- green onions

- tomatoes

- quinoa

- olive oil

- lemon juice

Lentil soup

- red lentils

- onions

- carrots 

- tomatoes

- olive oil

- cumin

- bay leaves

- freshly made vegetable stock

I was extremely pleased with the results. I felt energized and less inflamed by the end of the first day, and my knee pain had disappeared by the second day. My skin improved, and I lost a little sag in my waist and bum. I never felt hungry. 

There are many reasons to do a detox, but one of them is to shock yourself out of bad eating habits. I plan to stick to smoothies for breakfast and lunch, and do what I can to make our dinners healthier while not alienating my husband.