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Chosen to represent New Jersey at the Summit!
“Let your food be your medicine.” Hippocrates
I’m sure you have been hearing the term “gluten-free” more than ever lately. You may or may not know that gluten is wheat, an ingredient that is in more of our foods that you can imagine.
After a recent bout with feeling extra tired, extra hungry and unusually bloated, I decided to take a look at my diet and determine what may be causing it. After some research, especially reading excerpts from Dr. Davis’s best seller “Wheat Belly,” I decided to challenge myself with a gluten-free diet for 3 weeks. Yes, this girl who grew up eating Cuban bread daily was going to give up wheat…luckily I learned that didn’t mean giving up bread altogether.
According to Dr. Davis, wheat’s effects range from increase appetite and belly bloat to celiac disease and neurological disorders. And two different clients (man and woman) mentioned that they were gluten-free and had lost a considerable amount of weight, had gained a lot of energy and were sleeping better. That was enough for me to give it a try.
So, here we are 3 weeks later. Going out to eat was definitely a challenge since most places don’t offer gluten-free bread or wraps. And did you know soy sauce has gluten…? Luckily, you can still eat rice, potatoes and corn products. Plus, Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s have a lot of gluten-free products that happen to taste really great, too. Many of which are also dairy-free.
As for the results, my belly bloat is gone. I’m less tired and definitely feel less hungry throughout the day. I also lost 2 pounds. That’s enough benefit for me to maintain the change in my everyday diet.
You may or may not want to try it, but I wanted to give you some food for thought 😉
Namaste,
Brenda
GGY
If you have any ideas for blogs or any wellness questions you’d like me to explore, email me at Brenda.blanco1@gmail.com.
One of the most common questions I get from students is “How do you meditate?” There is a lot of misconception about what meditation is. Often, people think meditation has something to do with being enlightened or going off to a magical place in your mind…
Plain and simple. Meditation is about being present. Here. Now. It’s the practice of sitting still and being in the present moment. It’s challenging because your monkey mind wants to race about, worrying about what happened yesterday and what we have to do later. The more you can practice quieting your mind, the happier and healthier your mind and body will be.
I know that can sound daunting so here are a few simple meditation techniques you can try.
For all of these, start out slow, put a 2-minute or 5-minute timer on your phone and work your way up to 10 to 15 minutes after weeks or months of practice. It’s best to practice first thing in the morning, but anytime is better than none.
Method 1: Following your breath
There is nothing more present than your breath. You can’t breath in the past or future, only now J
Step 1. Sit in a comfortable seated position with your back straight, chest open, hands rested on either knee.
Step 2. Begin to take deep inhales in and out through your nose.
Step 3. Watch your breath rise and fall.
Method 2: Feeling Breath and Heartbeat
Step 1. Sit in a comfortable seated position with your back straight, chest open, left hand over your heart center and right hand over your belly.
Step 2. Begin to take deep inhales in and out through your nose.
Step 3. Feel your breath rise and fall.
Step 4. Feel for your heartbeat.
Method 3: Candle Light Gaze
Best method if you are more visual.
Step 1. Place a candle 3 feet in front of you, at eye level.
Step 2. Concentrate your gaze on the flame, capture the image, then close your eyes.
Step 3. Clearly see the candle image in your mind with eyes closed.
Step 4. When the image fades from your mind, open your eyes again and repeat.
Remember the secret to meditation, is the secret to perfecting any skill. Practice. Practice. Practice.
If your mind runs amok during your first few trys, it’s ok. It will get easier. You will train the monkey mind in time.
Namaste,
Brenda
GGY 🙂
Email me your blog suggestions or wellness questions you’d like answered to brenda.blanco1@gmail.com.
