Mindfully aware

Mindfulness is something that can seem really challenging to achieve when under pressure or dealing with a great deal of emotion.

From my own experience, and from others I have worked with, mindfulness becomes a big part in helping to navigate busy times and calming overworked emotional responses.

Some benefits found when using mindful approaches and meditation are calming a busy mind whilst getting into the 'now'. Focusing and gently directing your mind on what you are doing and away from latching onto negative thinking too.

There's not one way that is best for someone to experience mindfulness and there are many different ways to be mindful too.


Yoga is a mindful activity and one that I enjoy doing for the mental focus that is required (as well as the challenge of the physical movement!).

Our yoga teacher told us about a very mature lady who she saw whilst on a retreat. This lady was in her 70's, was extremely supple and lithe for her age. She chose to rise much earlier (at 6am) at least an hour and a half ahead of the rest of the group. This lady was mindfully directing her body (and mind) to a morning routine that strengthened her physically and got her joints and muscles ready for the morning yoga session. It was proof that focus and awareness had given this lady a choice of how she wanted to be, how she wanted to feel, and then directing herself fully to that activity.

If only we were all on a retreat? It seems easier to imagine when you have not got the daily pressures of life. However, mindfulness can be used at any time. Why not go for a walk and just pay attention to the feeling of your feet on the ground? What about noticing the sounds you are making with your feet? The feeling of a breeze on your face? Making a cup of tea with absolute focus on that task, letting any thoughts 'not about tea making' to drop away until you have finished your cuppa?

Enjoy being a little more mindful today. Notice what happens when you do.

Angie :)

See:

http://www.angiegiles.co.uk/
Twitter: angie_therapist
Facebook: Angie Giles Hypnotherapy

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About the Author: Angie works as a hypnotherapist, counsellor and coach at the Norfolk Clinic Complementary Healthcare Clinic, 38-40 Magdalen Road, Norwich, NR3 4AG. 

Call Angie directly on 07773 610816 or email info@angiegiles.co.uk 
Angie offers a free initial consultation to find out more. 

 

Want to be leaner and live (healthily) longer? Islanders of Japan may hold the key!

Do you want to be leaner and live healthily longer? 

There's a southern group of Islands in Okinawa in Japan where the elders live to a very ripe old age (the greatest proportion of centenarians in the world, according to the UN). They have a significantly lowered risk of heart attack, stroke, cancer, osteoporosis and alzheimers.  Older members of their community lead active & healthy lifestyles and also suffer less depression. After years of research there appears 2 factors behind longevity and good health of elders upon the island: 

1. What they eat (low calories, less fats, more vegetables, fruit, fish and tofu) and 
2. A simple, healthy lifestyle and continuing involvement in their community

Both factors we can learn a great deal from. The food eaten by Okinawan's is a traditional diet of portions of cooked food and fresh fruit. They tend to eat a lot of vegetables: seven portions of vegetables and fruits a day. Also, they consume seven portions of grains/ cereals and two of soy. They also regularly eat fish (and squid/ octopus) and tofu each week and, less frequently, meat and dairy products. 

For exercise, there are no gyms on the islands, these people work and take long walks, dance, cycle, tend their gardens, practice tai chi and martial arts (and that's just those aged over 90!) There is a strong sense of community and mutual support within the Islands too. I totally agree with the two factors and the philosophy for good health for a healthy retirement. 

There is a third factor that I have read about. It seems rather important to me, as a person interested in reducing obesity and in helping others with weight management.  This is the third factor, based on Confucian philosophy, that is widely adopted within the Islands: 

• "Eat until you are 80% full"  

The expression "Hara hachi bun me" (or "hara hachi bu") sometimes mis-spelled "hari hachi bu". Roughly translated the Japanese phrase is “Eat until you are eight parts (out of ten) full” or “belly 80 percent full”.

If, like me, you remember being told to 'finish your plate' before leaving the school/ home dinner table, this may take a little getting used to! Our western habits mean we're trained to over-eat, stretching our stomachs with food, partly because of the ingrained unconscious 'fear' of leaving food on our plate. 

It is believed by eating their diet and stopping eating at 80% full assists in keeping islanders Body Mass Index low. It has been documented to delaying the stomach stretch receptors that help signal feeling full. Perhaps our 'feeling full switch is off' or we confuse the signals of feeling thirsty with hunger. Either way, learning to mentally recognise when we are becoming 80% full, and training ourselves to stop eating, may be useful for losing weight. 

Turning off distractions when you eat, television and computers and smart phones, enables you to concentrate on your food too. Then mind, taste buds and stomach really connect. When you think and feel you are reaching 80% full, push the plate away. Can't do any harm, can it? You might lose a few pounds in the process too.  

See:

http://www.angiegiles.co.uk/
Twitter: angie_therapist
Facebook: Angie Giles Hypnotherapy

Facebook for HypnoShape: HypnoShape weight reduction programme

About the Author: Angie works as a hypnotherapist, counsellor and coach at the Norfolk Clinic Complementary Healthcare Clinic, 38-40 Magdalen Road, Norwich, NR3 4AG. 

Call Angie directly on 07773 610816 or email info@angiegiles.co.uk 
Angie offers a free initial consultation to find out more. 

The see-food diet wins a brain reward every time!

                                     

If chocolate's on the menu, unless I have a great deal of restraint, or a strong awareness of being full, there's a likelihood of me having this reaction (Abby Lee Miller of Lifetime TV's Dance Mom's fame). It's a challenge all humans face around the 'not so good for you' food. We've not evolved quickly enough on from our hunter/gatherer years when food was not freely available, so we seek high density foods, like those high in sugar or high in fat.   

We get a 'reward' and particularly with chocolate, the release of 'feel good' hormones. Our brain seems hardwired to go get that fatty, calorie-loaded food.

It's the same with Ice-cream. The high fat addition to many cheaper value ranges, make people respond just like Abby did in the picture above. 

People 'see food' and start to get a reward in their brains before they even get a dollop of it on their tongue. Advertisers know this. Just seeing an image of chocolate I can honestly 'smell it' and salivate, particularly when I'm hungry. Those pesky advertisers.... 

Back to Abby (above pics) who recently lost a lot of weight after nursing her elderly mother in a hospice. I feel for anyone dealing with someone during late stages of life. Abby was quoted as having tried to get her mom to eat by even taking in her favourite restaurant food. Her mom could not eat it and feeling nauseous much of the time. Seeing this may have prompted a reaction from Abby. Stress can lead to not eating or to over-eating.  Normally a positive response to food from others encourages us to 'go ahead'. Seeing her mom refuse food may have also enabled Abby to put her food brakes on too. This and the recent bad news of having 'diabetes' another reason for her weight loss plan. Either way, I hope Abby fits well into her life. She's a force to be reckoned with and I admire her tenacity. It's one quality needed to overcome a food addiction/ emotional response to food. We all have it, some just need to find what makes them really want to stop over-eating.    

Through HypnoShape ®  I've helped others to find their way forward to seeing food as a fuel and not an emotional need and putting their food brakes on.  A recent testimonial: "I would recommend this programme because it will change the way you think and feel about food" & "My thought process (around food) is much more positive and mindful"

Want to know more about HypnoShape - A 6-session weight reduction programme? Please get in touch.  Email: info@angiegiles.co.uk or via telephone number below. 

Thanks for reading.
Angie

See:

http://www.angiegiles.co.uk/
Twitter: angie_therapist
Facebook: Angie Giles Hypnotherapy

Facebook for HypnoShape: HypnoShape weight reduction programme

About the Author: Angie works as a hypnotherapist, counsellor and coach at the Norfolk Clinic Complementary Healthcare Clinic, 38-40 Magdalen Road, Norwich, NR3 4AG. 

Call Norfolk Clinic reception on 01603 660792 or call Angie directly on 07773 610816. She loves helping people achieve their potential at work, in life and finding greater happiness using a range of therapeutic techniques. 

You are not a tree! Change and move forward

worrying vs control

Worrying about things that are out of your control is mentally draining. What if you focused instead on all the things that really matter to you and that you have some sort of control over? Would you feel more empowered? Would you feel less afraid? Would you feel free to make better choices? If you want to focus on the things that will give you greater freedom to be who you want to be, do get in touch.

See:
angiegiles.co.uk
Twitter: angie_therapist
Facebook: Angie Giles Hypnotherapy

About the Author: Angie works as a hypnotherapist, counsellor and coach at the Norfolk Clinic Complementary Healthcare Clinic, 38-40 Magdalen Road, Norwich, NR3 4AG. 

Call Norfolk Clinic reception on 01603 660792 or call Angie directly on 07773 610816. She loves helping people achieve their potential at work, life and finding greater happiness using a range of therapeutic techniques.

what do you need to do to change?