THE MISSING LINK IN OUR HEALTH CONVERSATION

"THE MIND AND BODY ARE LIKE PARALLEL UNIVERSES"

DEEPAK CHOPRA

There is sure a lot of holiday hoopla in the air.  How are you holding up?


Honestly, for me the holiday season used to come with a hefty dose of stress and a whole lot of pressure in trying to make things picture perfect. I aspired to cook the perfect meals, host the ideal dinner parties, buy the right gifts all the while still providing a magical holiday for my kids – it was a tad overwhelming.  

The past few years I have been trying something different. For exampe, this past holiday weekend I chose to lay super low: to rest, to nourish, to hang with friends and family, to get outside, to avoid full contact shopping and to get plenty of downtime as the holiday season begins. {BTW it was heavenly}

As I am sure many of you have experienced, food can be a BIG challenge for many of us during the holiday season. The parties, the family dinners, the travel, and the celebratory feasts have become such a big part of the celebrations. While I love to share food and celebrate around the a festive table with loved ones, I also know it is something we can sculpt to match what it is we are wanting for ourselves on a larger scale. 

 

MY MOTTO THIS YEAR:  
SIMPLE IS THE NEW SMART

... Simple traditions
... Simple (and tasty) whole food meals
... Simple gatherings
... Simple purchases


Amidst it all, we can learn to listen to our bodies and our intuitions and see what feels right. Yes, it takes a little bit of time, gentleness, practice and patience, and is very worth the effort.


So, I wanted to share with you some pretty cool {cutting edge} science today. This research will really help you enhance knowing what your body needs and wants, how you can better listen to your body, heighten your inner awareness and make YOU the priority this holiday season.

 

WHAT IS INTEROCEPTION?

Interoceptive awareness means developing an attentiveness in relation to the sensations arising within our bodies. These bodily signals are worthy of our attention because it is the brain's interpretation of them that determines how we are feeling both mentally and physically. By becoming more aware of these inner sensations, we are able to influence how these signals are interpreted by the body and the actions that would follow.

In 1906, the Nobel laureate Charles Scott Sherrington, introduced three terms into medical parlance: “proprioception”, “exteroception”, and “interoception”. Of the three, perhaps proprioception, which is basically the awareness of one’s body in relation to external objects, is the most familiar. (Proprioception is why we don’t constantly walk into walls or get into car accidents.) Exteroception refers to awareness of any stimuli coming at us from the outside (sights, sounds, smells etc.). Interoception is our awareness of what is going on within the boundary of our own skin; it is intra-organismic awareness. (Emerson, 2015)

Interoception, defined here as the sense of the physiological condition of the body, is an information pathway used to interpret one’s body from within. Interoception is the process of receiving, accessing and appraising our internal bodily signals. The anatomical pathways for interoception are well-specified, detailing the connections between sensory receptors, spinal cord, brainstem, and brain (Craig, 2002).  

Interoception evokes the quality of the relationship between our mind and body.

Interoception remains poorly understood within modern science, but recent research is insightful, and provides the missing link to healing our relationship to food and our bodies.

How a lack of interception can manifest in multifaceted...

Maybe your hunger cues are shut down.  Maybe you don't experience accurate interpretations of hot or cold.  Maybe it is hard for you to read our body's satiation cues. Maybe you are not in touch with your deeper currents of emotion and sensation that could be providing valuable information about a situation or circumstance.

Poor interoceptive awareness is often cited as a key quality of eating disorders, yet the precise nature of the deficits and their relationship to eating pathology remains unclear.

Research suggests that our greatest moments of personal fulfillment and pleasure are times we spend fully involved and engaged in a situation with our whole selves: be it a physical activity, a sensory experience, or intimacy with another person. If we are disconnected, we are depriving ourselves of some of the greatest sources of happiness.

While the research on how to heal our interoceptive awareness is still new, there are many studies, and anecdotes that are leading us in a positive direction with what we can do to make these big shifts.

HOW CAN YOU HEAL YOUR INTEROCEPTIVE AWARENESS?

While Interoceptive awareness means developing a curiosity towards the sensations arising within the body, we can say YES to empowering yourself along the way.  Learning to trust your body, and heighten your inner awareness makes navigating life {and food} much more graceful.

Want to trailblaze your own inner path towards interoceptive awareness?  Try these body centered practices that have been part of the Boulder Nutrition methodology for years {and that really work}.

Bring a lot of love, healing, and patience to your relationship to your body:

If you are like most of us, you have probably had times in your journey of life where your body felt like the enemy.  I get it.  It have been there too.  Feeling disconnected, angry at, checked out, turned off, disgusted by and even in conflict with our bodies is a pretty common phenomenon.

You may have experienced this if you struggled with a big health issue, if you have suffered with an eating disorder, if you have chronic stomach aches, or body pain. The truth is, discovering how your body is your biggest ally is like discovering the holy grail.

While releasing the negative emotions and associations with your body is a windy road (with possibly a few bumps along the way), as you watch yourself heal, feel stronger, more intuitive, and more connected to yourself, it won't be long until you find the process inspiring and even enchanting.

My recommendation:  Slow and steady.  All things come in due time and when creating these new neuro and sensory pathways (literally) we are going to have to be patient.   Celebrate your little victories.  Track the positive changes.  Coddle the process in a gentle and loving bubble and you will start to fall in love with the journey.

Create an embodiment practice:

There are many simple mind-body practices that support body awareness, emotional wellbeing, and physical vitality – all leading to improved interception and body awareness.  

Embodiment, as it turns out, is vital to our health and well-being. It may also be a doorway into higher consciousness through a healthly  interoceptive experience.

According to a recent study (Biological Psychiatry, 2016) connecting to the sensations in your body during an embodiment practice such as yoga, offers a powerful gateway to connecting with the junction point between mind and body.  Dr David Creswell’s new study indicates, practicing mindfulness meditation may also increase functional connectivity, or communication, between this ruminating and negative part of the brain, and the part responsible for executive control. 

Embodiment practices increase interception, something many of us have experienced in our personal journeys, but that is now being scientifically validated, and encouraged.

Try the four part check in:

I love to teach the 4 part check in on my retreats and to my women's groups.  I use this almost every day as a platform to check in with myself and see what I can do to take care of myself each day. I learned this through some of the teachings of Deepak Chopra (quoted above) and they have proven to be priceless in my process.

To start, find a quiet place where there is some solace and serenity.  If this means a quiet place in your house, closing the door to your office or pulling over on the way to work at a near by park. You will have a deeper experience where there is some personal peace, and you only need a few minutes. {yes, I have hid in the bathroom from my kids when I needed a moment of peace}

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Part One:   How are you feeling in your body?  Describe only the physical sensations, the quality of what is arising on a physical level:  temperature, hunger, tightness, tingly, heavy, achy, the taste on your tongue, the growling in your belly, the tension in your shoulders.  Stay with the physical sensations.  

 

question:  what does your body need to be nourished

Part Two:  How are you feeling in your emotions? Describe emotions that are arising in the present moment.  More than one?  That's just fine. Emotions can often arise simultaneously.  Describe them (on paper or in your mind)  

 

Question:  What does your heart nEed to be fed with support and joy?

Part Three:  What is the quality of your thoughts?  Most of us have good days and tough days when it comes to our monkey-mind thoughts. Some days our thoughts are supportive and kind, and other days we are are own worst critic.  

 

 

question:  What does your mind need to be free, clear, supportive and kind?

Part Four:  We each have a connection to our higher self, our intuition, and our souls.  There are many names for this aspect of the self, so feel free to insert yours in this process.  Personally, I love this part, as it really challenges some of the more automatic, negative, destructive self talk.

 

question:  What does your soul need to be at peace?

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Consider Forest Bathing:

Have you heard of Forest Bathing?  This innovative nature based technique comes from Japan where the research on time in nature (especially for residents of large cities) has a measurable impact on stress levels, happiness, and quality of life.

Forest Bathing was developed in Japan during the 1980s (known as shin-rin yoku) and has become a cornerstone of preventive health care and healing in Japanese medicine.  

Forest bathing literally translates into "taking in the forest".  You don't have to hike, but rather you can literally bask in the natural environment and soak up the atmosphere.

The research on Forest Bathing is mind-blowing and this is a great way to enhance a mind-body connection while also diminishing stress, slowing down, and being in nature.

Go to a forest. Walk Slowly.  Breathe.  Open all of your senses.

• Boost immune  function
• Decrease blood pressure
• Lower stress
• Improve outlook on life
• Increase your ability to focus
• Increase your energy level
• Improve your sleep patterns
• Create a clearer intuition
• Increase your flow of energy
• Increased life force
• Increase overall sense of peace and happiness

Slow down and give yourself down time daily:

Our culture moves so fast.  It is so common to be going from the time we wake up in the morning to the time we fall into bed at the end of the day.

While I know it is hard to prioritize down time and time to move slower amidst our full to-do lists, parenting duties, job requirements and fast paced everything, I really highly recommend you do.

Just that little bit of down time each day (electronic free) will do wonders for you body, mind and soul while also creating the space to enhance your interoceptive awareness.  

When we are distracted by the endless busyness, it is terribly hard to create a heighten inner awareness, especially if this is a big area of struggle.

The best news with all of this is that we CAN heal our interoceptive awareness with implementing just a few of these small changes. I hope your health and healing journey is enhanced by knowing that you too can increase, improve and heal your mind-body connection no matter where you are starting from.  May your journey be insightful, graceful and rich honoring all the wise and dynamic parts of YOU.

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Spoiler Alert: The new Yoga of Eating SOULFOOD SESSIONS are just around the corner. BIte size nuggets of wisdom from this year's 2018 guest teachers from The Yoga Of Eating online course and community.  I can't tell you how excited I am to share some brilliant insights from some of the country's most innovative health and wellness experts.  

P.S.  The Yoga of Eating 2018 is opening for registration soon.  I am over the moon with excitement about our new content, our 2018 guest teachers, and I can hardly wait to shower you with  so much support coming. Stay Tuned...
 

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Hello. I am Sue Van Raes, a Nutritional Therapist, Food Psychology Specialist, Nature Lover, and Author.  My mission is to help heal the feminine through food, mind-body connection and pleasure.  You can find out more about me and my work in the world HERE

TAKE A FALL STROLL WITH ME

"FALL IN LOVE WITH TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF"

 

The trees on my neighborhood street are utterly glowing with the reds and oranges of fall. I often find myself staring out the window or walking through the neighborhood, watching the leaves fall one by one.  

 

Nature's glow is similar to the inner glow that I feel at this time of year. The warming colors of orange, gold and crimson feel somewhat therapeutic.

 

For me, it's the little moments of presence and gratitude that makes the season of Fall so majestic. 



So today, in the spirit of the changing seasons and the majesty of watching nature let go, I thought we could take a little stroll together through the fall leaves, looking at some of the important qualities of the changing season that can lend themselves to our strength, vitality and nourishment.  



In this week's episode of SATIATE {my new podcast}, you will find some supportive and inspiring tips to bring with you as you stroll through the fall leaves towards your health and happiness:
 

• Learn the energetic qualities of Fall

• Listen to some recommendations around how to best nourish yourself at this time of year.

• Deepen you understanding of Fall's complimentary organ: how to take the best care for immunity, strength and optimal health.

• Check out some of my favorite self-care and nourishment practices for this season.

AND/OR

Interested in more?  Our upcoming retreat, EAT. BREATHE. NOURISH. in Nosara, Costa Rica (November 8-15th) is a deep dive into the wisdom of our bodies, our authentic relationships to food, health, happiness, and how to fine-tune this relationship with baby steps, practice, gentleness and growth. We have a few spots left.  View all the details HERE.


I hope these reflections help you on your quest, and if you have any comments, thoughts, questions, or anything to add, feel free to reply.  I love hearing from you. 

THE WHY'S AND HOW'S TO *AUTHENTIC EATING*

"THE AUTHENTIC SELF IS THE SOUL MADE VISIBLE"

SARAH BREATHNACH

For me, fall is a beckoning to nourish, tend to myself, turn inward, and let go. Following the currents of nature in all her forms has always been one of my most supportive guidance systems.


The seasons and cyclical rhythms of nature help me in governing how I move through my life, my eating, and my daily practice. Nothing feels more wise, whole and informative to me.  
 

Shifting our relationship to food and our bodies is a windy road, one where we can find ourselves lost, with no cell phone reception.


There were many times in my life when I was very confused about my eating.


One that stands out was circa 2001. Ironically, I was immersed in my masters program, studying nutrition – a typical time to get confused. The majority of my studies took place during what I referred to as my nap time empire, back in the day when naps still existed in my house.


I remember a very specific moment while sitting at my desk, Ari tucked away for a nap and Elijah down the street at pre-school: As I eagerly leafed through yet another nutrition book on my required reading list, I noticed that this very book contradicted the previous one.  


After sitting in this new confusion for a while, thinking to myself: "Which one am I going to pick? What will I suggest to my soon to be clients? How do I stand by one way, when there are so many?"


Weeks passed while I was stuck on this crux and it meant everything to me. Eventually, a truth struck me in one grand AHA moment:  "I don't have to choose.  Everyone has their own needs, wants and desires. There is no one way. My job is to support folks to find their way."


I know it may sound overly simplified now and I will admit those were some very sleep deprived days for me, but today I continually see this epidemic happening all around me.  


I sit in my office day after day with folks who are utterly confused. Many are choosing an eating style based on what their spouse, best friend, favorite magazine or yoga teacher is talking about. 

Yes, sometimes it works... but sometimes it really doesn't.  

Eating and nourishing ourselves has become one of the most complicated and confusing things we do in today's world – especially when we add in our busy, fast-paced lifestyles and the one way is the way approach that so much of the modern media is implying. 


Often we are left with guilt or hunger or exhaustion or just plain hopelessness.


I am sure, if you are like most of us, you have tried a few different things in your foodie life, as have I.  


So today, I thought we could shed some light on things that I find to be helpful in this conversation.


Here is a glance at some of the realizations I have had along the way, through my own insight, but also through observing hundreds of eaters with every kind of history under the sun, in my private practice, Boulder Nutrition.

These touchstones are reminders here because they are setting the table for our personal artistry of living (and eating) a soulful and pleasurable life, with our authenticity forging a new path.

 

Implementing authentic eating as practice is a healing tool for our health, our body image and our pleasure possibilities.

Living this way may look very different for each of us, as we are each totally unique and individuated in our expression of authenticity in our lives and in our eating. There is no exact formula for this genuine expression, but rather a gentle honoring in how it manifests and is embodied in each of us.  We may have to clear some cultural and social beliefs about how we think we should be, to then make space for how we truly are – with our authenticity and primal wisdom leading the way.

Soulful Superfood #1:

The Why's

When we flow with our natural rhythm, we create personal freedom.

 

The more we feel into the elemental cycles around us, present for all life forms on the planet, the more we can ride the waves and rhythms in ourselves. This knowing is embedded in our true nature, our cellular DNA and our innate animal wisdom.

Our authentic rhythms are like a current of knowledge that is already within us. We can tap in at any time.  When we allow ourselves to flow with our natural currents, we begin to see our rhythms as a gift, as spiritual freedom and as our truest nature.

For example, as women, our female cycles are our road map to our own empowerment and to the sacred feminine. Each of the four seasons is reflected in the bodily cycles (moon cycle) we experience each month. By tuning into our cycles of body and earth, we are able to watch the shape shifting of our energy, our sensuality, our cravings, and our pleasures and tend to them with care and devotion.

Within our primal and animal feminine intelligence, when we return with reverence to the natural cycles of body and earth as our primary guidance system, over time we can soothe and remedy our lives – including our moon cycle and our monthly hormonal balance our eating, and our personal care.

We don't have to pick one eating style or commit to one way. We can flow, groove and evolve our eating to match the other aspects of our lives.  Our eating can become fluid, freeing, and attuned with our bodies, minds and souls.

As we become more balanced and authentic in our eating, our renewed relationship to food and our bodies will cultivate a higher inner awareness.  We will begin to trust our (wise) cravings and make choices that are strengthening, comforting and health promoting.

Soulful Superfood #2:

The How's

I know this approach works for me personally because it feels like a great big exhale in my body.

 

As I mentioned, we all have to find our way.  I can only truly speak from my own personal experience on this one, even though I have heard many many testimonials from my clients and my online community.  

So when we talk about how this has worked for me, it feels like it is not even a choice at this point. My emotions surely play a big role in my appetite, my blood sugar screams loudly when not attended to, my hormones have some pretty specific requests and my creativity and inspiration in creating food, eating food, sharing food, and teaching about food are being downloaded on a daily basis.  

So, when I sit and breakdown how to practice authentic eating step by step, here is what comes:

Find a method that supports your mind-body connection

One of the most valuable tools we can hone as an eater is our mind-body connection. Building this connection is a healing tool for both our body confidence and our creating interoceptive awareness.  Our mind-body connection increases both our sensitivity to sensorial experiences in the body as well as the perception of these signals.  

There are many ways to fine-tune our mind-body connections.  Here are a few of my favorite:

• Incorporate downtime for reflection and rest (electronic free) each day.
• Spend some time in nature each week.
• Practice an awareness art such as yoga, meditation, reflective journalling, tai chi, or forest bathing,
• Create a consistent morning ritual, intention practice or gratitude practice. (even if you only have 5 min)

HONOR YOUR PHYSICAL HUNGER

There is a big difference between our physical hunger and our emotional hunger.  Our emotions don't have a stomach, so they can never be truly hungry or truly be satiated.  When we take a moment to check in with our body's physical hunger cues we often get a more authentic answer.  This takes a little practice.  

Stop.  Pause. Take a deep breath.  Place your hand on your stomach.  

Ask the question:  "What are you hungry for?"

If the answer has nothing to do with food (i.e.  you need a hug, a good cry, or a nap) give yourself permission to listen.

 

Slow down + LEARN WHAT FEELING SATIATED MEANS FOR YOU

Feeling full vs feeling satiated are two very different things.  In fact, the most common reason for overeating is due to not being satiated.  When were are eating out of balance for our unique bodies and our unique metabolisms, it is very hard to feel satiated.  

Satiation occurs when we are meeting our physical needs for protein, fat, and carbs, as well as taking the time and space to eat slowly and mindfully.  

{A recent study showed when eating in front of the TV, humans are known to eat up to 50% more food per meal. }

We can't navigate our hunger and satiation cues when we are distracted, checked out, or rushed.

Satiation can also mean personal fulfillment.  When we are more satiated in our daily lives, our relationships, our jobs, and our free time, we will find a more easeful relationship with our eating.

 

learn your Metabolic Type

How you feel after a cup of really strong coffee, or a sugary treat may be very different than me. How you feel after a grass fed piece of steak or a yummy bowl of vegan lentil soup might be very different than your sister.

We all have such unique body chemistries, sensitivities, likes or dislikes, histories, hormonal balances/imbalances and metabolisms that with any investigation it would only make sense that food will react in our bodies in different ways.

We can fine-tune our diets to match our unique bodies, our goals for our health, and how we want to optimize our personal metabolism and energy. 

Metabolic typing is the very complete and science based system that I use to learn how to customize nutritional needs for the individual.  This information gives us a "recipe" for how to fuel our unique body chemistries – to feel more satiated, energized, and nourished.

RESPECT YOUR BODY

Food is often used as a way to punish or reward ourselves (or both).  We tell ourselves we "deserve" it, when in reality the act of binging on potato chips leaves us feeling worse than when we started.  We find ourselves eating our emotions, stuffing our feelings with food, or numbing ourselves and our suffering with sugar.  

Respecting out bodies with our eating involves feeding ourselves in a way that leaves us energized, uplifted, inspired, satiated, and loved.  

TAP INTO THE CYCLES OF NATURE

The cycles of nature act as a wonderful backdrop for eating.  Each season is fresh with it's customized goodies, it's flavors, and it's energetics.  Within the seasons, nature goes through everything on the spectrum – from full bloom to death and decay. These are the pulsations of life.

According to Traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine, each season comes with a unique energetic quality, nourishment, complimentary organ, emotion and action. Synchronizing with each season’s expression is like medicine for the body, mind and soul.  

Your authenticity lies in your primal animal being which is and always has been nature.  

practice: The way out is always in

Take inventory and care of your inner landscape. Rather than avoiding a situation, a feeling, or a truth (which often turns into acting out in our eating) allow the space, time, and reality of the situation to move through you completely. The uncomfortable feelings will pass. Strong feelings are intimidating and even scary at times, but they also have a habit of sticking around until we face them.

We are a culture that often looks outside of ourselves for the answers. While I am a firm believer in getting the support I need, I have also found that even asking two different friends, therapists, or sisters for the same advice can lead with two very different suggestions (even opposites). Include asking yourself for advice. You know the answers. Only you know what is best for you and what aligns with you.

Soulful Superfood #3:

Reflections from the Yoga of Eating Retreat

Here is a beautiful interpretation of how our authentic eating and living can really impact our health and overall life experience through the eyes of one of our Yoga of Eating retreaters. This (spontaneous) share is so beautiful and appreciated.

"On our retreat, women come from all over the country, varying in age by about 40 years. Everyone had unique reasons for coming, but despite all our different backgrounds and current life affairs, we all had some a similar goal. We all wanted to find a way to relax and find balance in our relationship with food and our bodies, by allowing ourselves this time away from everything else.

It’s sad to recognize that most of us feel pretty inadequate much of the time. There are so many demands that just pile up and up and up….it’s quite easy to feel overwhelmed and a bit lost. The thing that really hit me during our talks was that we are all dealing with this same, deep burden in different ways. For some of us it’s eating disorders, for others, it’s over-working to the point of depression and exhaustion. Some of us might be able to function in the day-to-day just fine, but there is a lingering feeling that something is missing.

Taking a deeper look at our authentic feelings and how they relate to our eating patterns is totally eye-opening. We might choose to stuff ourselves with food due to a struggle with communication, by using our mouths to push everything down, instead of getting feelings out. We may use food as a shield, to hide from the world under extra weight. We may crave certain types of foods for comfort or as a distraction because we don’t know how to sit with an uncomfortable emotion.

The great news is that acknowledging these unhealthy habits is the first step towards turning them around. Being in a group of women sharing their hearts like this really makes you realize you’re not alone – we all have our shit. We all have issues. It’s how you decide to handle them that matters and nothing is set in stone.

At one point during the weekend Sue brought up the idea of flavors and how they relate to feelings or emotions. For example, spicy foods can evoke warmth and passion, and we often turn to sweet foods for comfort and love. This hit me like a lightning bolt. I realized that some days I feel like I’m giving the world 110%, I’m trying my very best to be loving and kind, but I don’t feel like the world is giving that back to me. Days like this really stress me out and get me down, and I find myself looking for comfort in sweets.

Don’t get me wrong, I have a sweet tooth in general and I don’t need to feel a bit blue to get a hankering. But, after really thinking about this concept for a while it makes sense that those cravings become much stronger on the days I’m in need of a little extra comfort.

Ailsa Cowell

Food to Feel Good

 

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Join us for our next immersion illuminating the self-care, yogic, and food-centric aspects of the feminine

WE ARE HITTIN' THE ROAD...

"GO WHERE YOU FEEL THE MOST ALIVE" 


 

I grew up road tripping in a Country Squire Ford Station Wagon.



My father, still king of the road at almost 80 years old, loved going on family adventures on the open Canandian roads.  My parents would put down the back seats, fill the 'very back' of the wagon with pillows and blankets and off we would drive, with Willie Nelson playing on the 8-track. (I know, I just dated myself)



I used to love my turn in the front seat, with the best view of the Canadian Rocky Mountains and the freedom and adventure I felt as I stared (for hours) at the open road ahead.




When I look back now, especially at photos like the one I shared above (obviously I am the one on the left), I see where I still carry this early part of childhood in my DNA.  




Travelling, adventuring, and exploring many parts of the world (not limited to road trips) is still a big part of my life and my passion.  




So when the inspiration came to take Boulder Nutrition on the road, it felt like a resounding YES and perfect timing!!!  




A lot of things have changed in my life over the past few years:
 

• Elijah, my older son moved out on his own.
• My business has become almost 50% online and still growing.
• I have begun leading retreats SOLO most of the time, which was a new and scary endeavor.
• I have been able to, and loved to travel both with my amazing partner and often times, all of our kids.
• My Boulder Nutrition Retreat schedule is full of exciting upcoming trips to beautiful places.
• I feel ready and thrilled to spread Boulder Nutrition love to a further reach.

My life is always my teacher and the biggest inspiration for my writing and my work. 
 

Traveling and teaching on a larger scale has been a big dream of mine for many years.  So, I have been planning some travel and adventure while I share my work around the country (and world) and I am thrilled that Ari (my son) will be joining me most of the time. While I couldn't be more excited about the 'open road', I am also intent on savoring these last couple of years with him still at home–my high schooler who loves to road trip with me.



Soooooo, I wanted to let you know we will be heading out on the road (or occasionally by plane) to share my work and my message with as many folks as I can and to share some great adventures together. I will still be working in my beloved North Boulder office most weeks, but fitting in our travel schedule on weekends with the occasional longer stints.
 

Will I see you?  
 

Check out locations and dates below and let's talk about meeting up.  If your home town is not on the list, feel free to join me on one of the amazing Boulder Nutrition Retreats coming up – I would love to hang with you!!

Want to see what we are up to?  You can check us out on instagram for daily stories and updates (along with lots of free resources and recipes):

 

 

Click the icon below to follow our road trip on Instagram here:

Be sure to peruse all the details for this fall's exciting Boulder Nutrition Road Trip and Retreat schedule (local and international options available).  



PS. If you want to host me in your town, let me know!!

Take a well deserved break, share in the sisterhood, thrive through the practices of yoga, meditation, inspired living, experiential cooking, personal transformation, healing foods and self-care.

**Limited space in each workshop and retreat. Be sure to message me if you are interested. Spaces sold on a first come first serve basis.

 

" When going away is the first step towards coming home..."

 

TRUTH TALKS :: SESSION 4

TRUTH TALKS :: SESSION 4 :: PHATPHOBIA

 

 

 HANGRY:

A STATE OF ANGER CAUSE BY A LACK OF FOOD; HUNGER CAUSING A NEGATIVE CHANGE IN EMOTIONAL STATE
 

 

Boulder Flashback ?



OMG!  When I first moved to Boulder in 1995 (Goss Street to be exact) the fat free movement was in full tilt.  While I was already a foodie at heart, my cash flow was a little sparse.  




Multiple times per week, I would slip on my very worn out Birkenstocks and saunter a few blocks over to the formerly known Crystal Market on East Pearl St. to fill up my trusty back pack (yup, no car) with all of the least expensive vegetarian eats I could get my hands on.  




At that time, there was a pretty big global notion that fat made you fat(ALL kinds of fat that is– including nuts, avocado, egg yolks and coconut oil) along with a whole array of other terrible health problems. So, some of my favorite "healthy" go-to's were canned fat free lentil soup (organic of course), Annie's fat free mac and cheese (definelty NO butter), canned Bearitos fat free black beans (for dank burritos), and a host of fresh veggies which I would mix in for extra veggie love.  




Time passed, Jerry Garcia died (just months after I arrived), my only form of transportation (my bike) was stolen off my porch, and I fell in love with Boulder.  




While my love affair with Boulder grew (into what I would eventually call home), I grew more and more tired, depleted, weak and HANGRY. My ability to handle my life diminished. Eventually, a new friend I had made told me about the Naturopathic doctor she was working for and made me an appointment.




Everything changed...




After one look at me, a few tests, and what I consider to be a very important turning point in my health, my career and my life, I was prescribed a high fat (and protein) diet.  Not only a little, but an RX of high amounts at every single meal.  I was so desperate. I was so drained. I would have done almost anything to feel like myself again.




It worked.  It honestly it seemed like I "found myself".




{... Some of us go to India, and me – the Naturopath}

 


The only way I had been able to sustain this fat free vegetarian lifestyle was through sheer will power and restriction.




Once I began to listen to my body, my intuition and my true cravings, I had no choice but to surrender the fat free movement forever.  




Reflecting on this journey fired me up about sharing what I now know and teach about food, fat, and some other things...

 

---

*WELCOME TO THE TRUTH TALK SESSIONS*

We will debunk some common health myths, reframe our health and healing and find our way back home to ourselves. TRUTH TALKS are little nuggets of  truth for you to chew on. Together, we will take a deeper look at some of our personal beliefs and some automatic ways we tend to orient around our health.   For the next few weeks,  join me in a little immersion into some of the ways we can reframe our health and reclaim our power.

(and your suggestions and requests are welcome)

I have a few more truths (science based) for you to nosh on today...

{If you missed the previous TRUTH TALKS feel free to catch up anytime HERE...}


 

---

 

TRUTH TALKS :: SESSION 4 :: PHATPHOBIA

1. DOES FAT MAKE ME FAT?  If there is one thing I could change in the nutrition world it is that the food group "fat" and the body weight "fat" share the same word.  It is confusing.  Of course, we would naturally conclude that one is directly related to the other. Every day in my office I find myself debunking the myth of "fat makes us fat".  Yes, there are good fats and bad fats (see below) but in the category of good healthy natural fats, there is no correlation with body weight (or other health issues).  

P.S. If you like to geek out with science like me, check this out: Since the 1980's when the fat free movement was at it's highest, there have been many, many studies proving that not only is this notion not true, the data was falsified, and supported by some pretty suspicious participants. The Journal of the American Medical Association printed a comment about the new recommendations:  “tacitly acknowledging the lack of convincing evidence to recommend low-fat, high-carbohydrate diets for the general public in the prevention or treatment of any major health outcome, including heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, or obesity.”  Read the full New York Times Article Here.
 
TRUTH:  You can befriend fat. Not only is fat an essential nutrient for hundreds of biochemical processes in the human body, but is also a critical food group to stabilize our blood sugar and keep us in the targeted "fat burning zone".  To put it simply, fat is essential to burn body fat.

 

2.  GOOD FAT, BAD FAT?  Yes, there are both.  I know this may seem obvious, but there still seems to lie some confusion for many of us.  Here is how I define it:  Natural fat (i.e. fat found in nature) is good.  Processed fat (hydrogentated oils), GMO oils, trans-fats, and any other man made or altered fats we should avoid. Our bodies simply do not have the correct biochemistry to break them down.  On the other hand, fats found in nature, including pure saturated fats (organic meat, coconut oil, chocolate, butter), poly-unsaturated (omega-3 and omega-6), mono-unsaturated fats (avocado, olive oil, and most nuts) are wonderful to eat an array of to feed various systems in our bodies including our hormones, our brain chemistry, our skin health, and our heart health. 

TRUTH:  Eat natural fats.  Don't be shy about it. You will be more satiated throughout the day and your blood sugar will thank you. Listen to your body.  When we eat good fat, our body tells us when we have had enough (not quite the same with french fries).  With each of our unique metabolisms, activity level and biochemistry, listening to our satiation cues is the best option for eating good fat. If you are craving it, you most likely need it.

 

3. HELP, MY CHOLESTEROL!  If you are like most folks I know, I am sure you have thought about this. "What about my cholesterol?"  You may come from a family history of high cholesterol, you may just be weary of all the things that could go wrong down the road and want to be smart.  Either way, I think you will find these (science based) facts enlightening.  There are many kinds of cholesterol.  Good and bad.  When we get it checked, we want higher HDL and lower LDL.  

Here are the goods: The main culprit of high cholesterol comes from excess sugar and refined fats (gasp!).  When we have an excess of sugar in our blood, a lot of it is stored in the liver where our own bodies convert it into bad cholesterol.  Why?  Well, we are not designed to eat that much refined sugar or high glycemic sugars (mainly from processed foods).  We have adapted a response to deal with and store this excess sugar which leads to high cholesterol, plaque in our arteries, triple by-passes etc.  


TRUTH:  In actuality, we need dietary fat (including saturated fat) to break down bad cholesterol.  Your heart will be fine.  Your cholesterol will likely go down.  Focus on avoiding the sugar instead of the natural fats.  According to Dr. Diana Schwartzbein, M.D. (one of my primary teachers) eating (natural) fat and cholesterol prevents heart attacks by lowering insulin levels and switching off the internal production of cholesterol.

When you eat better you feel better.  "HANGRY" is a choice you don't have to make.

TRUTH TALKS ~ SESSION 1

TRUTH TALKS ~ SESSION 1

" THREE THINGS CANNOT BE LONG HIDDEN:
THE SUN, THE MOON AND THE TRUTH "

BUDDHA

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of sitting in a beautiful circle of women dedicated to improving their relationship to food and their bodies.



As with most circles of women I have sat in, there was a lot to talk about. Each woman had a chance to share some of her struggles, tell her personal truths, and shed some of her unwanted beliefs about food, health, and body image.



As I listened, shared, and witnessed this circle, I realized that wrapped up in our conversation is a whole lot of talking about what we think we 'should be doing'. Ironically, many of these 'shoulds' contradict each other.



I noticed that many of us had gotten so far from what feels good in our bodies, and replaced our innate intuitive wisdom with many of the most common health myths or 'shoulds'.



We (as a culture) frequently hand over our power to what online health trends and media are telling us to do rather than trusting ourselves and our own unique needs.




We are all looking for answers ...




... Answers about how to feel good in our bodies.
... Answers on what is the best thing to have for lunch.
... Answers on how to overcome our cravings.
... Answers on how to be our best selves.  



It can feel complicated.  It can be confusing.  But most of all...it is completely unique and individual.  




I wanted to share with you today a new summer series I created to help with some of this confusion...



 

*WELCOME TO THE TRUTH TALK SESSIONS*

For the next few weeks, join me in a little immersion into some of the ways we can reframe our health and reclaim our power. Together, we will take a deeper look at some of our personal beliefs and some automatic ways we tend to orient around our health.  Truth talks are little nuggets of truth for you tochew on. We will debunk some common health myths and find our way back home to ourselves.


 

TRUTH TALKS ~ SESSION 1:

1.  DON'T GET TO BOXY:  Out there in the world of health, there are quite a few boxes in which you could try to fit. While many of them contain some wisdom, many oppose the others and are just simply too boxy for most of us. One observation I have made about human consciousness is that we like defining ourselves by our boxes. We like being part of something. We like declaring these personal flavors on social media. We like to be known for our chosen box. This seems especially true with the type of EATER we are: Vegetarian, paleo, low carb, gluten free, vegan, ... and even purist, cleanser, or perfectionist.  

TRUTH:  You don't have to pick a box. You don't have to stay in only one box. YOU are not your box (P.S. I know how funny that sounds, but decided to keep it to make you all smile a bit)





2.  YOU ARE NOT DIRTY:  While there are so many great reasons for cleansing, resetting, turning over a new leaf, and giving your body some serious food love, you are not dirty.  Our bodies naturally cleanse themselves regularly and there are some nice little treats we can give ourselves to up the anti a little here and there, if we care to.  While the incredibly trendy cleansing practices can be helpful, be careful not to go overboard.

TRUTH:  Cleanse for the love of it, not because you are dirty.  Cleanse for self-care not for punishment or because you hate your body.  
Cleanse for health, not because your feel icky or disgusted with yourself. Most of all, if you decide to cleanse, cleanse with care.





3.  GLUTEN IS NOT THE ENEMY:  While it is very true that many folks have a hard time digesting gliadin (the gluten protein) and gluten in large amounts is surely inflammatory, a little bit of gluten here and there is not worth hating yourself over. While celiac is totally real (I once met a man who projectile vomited within moments of gluten hitting his tongue) most of us are NOT celiac. Food allergies are a big issue in today's world, but gluten is not the only allergen to consider. I see blood test results every week that show many other foods as the culprits of digestive issues, skin issues, fatigue, brain fog, depression and many other symptoms.

TRUTH:  If you are not celiac or do not notice negative symptoms directly related to eating gluten, a little dose of gluten once in a while won't hurt. 





4.  THERE IS MORE TO HEALTH THAN GREEN JUICE: The green juice trend is rampant here in Boulder. While I am a big fan of a little green juice, green juice is NOT the key to our health or our happiness. Some people find it too bitter. Others, find it too expensive. For many of us, it's just not on our radar.  As you have probably noticed, our culture tends to take things to the extreme. Too much green juice can be hard on our digestion because it is missing all the fiber. In large quantities, green juice can also interact negatively with thyroid issues. While I love me some green juice, it is not the cure all for our health.

TRUTH:   Our health has many, many more important components than green juice:  How we think about ourselves, how we move our body each day, how we sit down and eat our meals, the intention we put into our food and our health, as well as how we sleep each night, and how we relate to others, are much more important aspects on which to focus.  Have a little green juice...or not.  





5.  SELF-LOVE IS NOT A SWITCH:  We hear about self-love everywhere.  We are often simply told to love ourselves more as if it were an on-off switch. While I believe in the practice of self-love immensely, it is a spectrum, a practice, and a life-long journey that is often incredibly complex and messy. Finding acceptance and compassion for ourselves is easy on some days, and almost impossible on others.

TRUTH: Self-love is not a constant, but rather a practice and a fluid expression of ourselves. True self-love is the practice of loving ourselves when we are not doing well, when we trash our clean eating program, or when we binge on potato chips. True self-love is the practice of loving ourselves through a broken heart, exhaustion, or when we miss our daily workout. True self-love is the practice of loving compassion through a hard transition, a change, or even a total failure.  So...be gentle with yourself.  Somedays will be easier than others to LOVE yourself. It's human, it's real.  

Have some thoughts or insights about these truths?  Have some requests for next week? Please comment below.  I love hearing from you!!


With love and peace...

I HAVE NEVER TOLD YOU THIS BEFORE...

" YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A GREAT START, BUT YOU HAVE TO START TO BE GREAT"

ZIG ZIGLAR

 

Not all that long ago, I used to dread mornings.  



It's true...  



A little flashback:  My first child (who is now 20 years old) did not sleep through the night for almost 4 years, just in time for his younger brother to be born. Tack on a couple more years for my second child, and that equals almost 6 years of sleep deprivation.


 

I used to wake up feeling worse than tired. Many, many mornings were wrought with feeling foggy, depleted, depressed, hopeless and I was not sure how I was going to keep going.  A bowl of instant oatmeal or a banana used to be all I could muster up for breakfast, if anything at all.




On my recent trip to visit family and new babies, I was reminded just how hard mornings (and lack of sleep) can be.




While I have many fond memories of babies and toddlers, I also remember the desperation, overwhelm, and exhaustion like it was yesterday.




I am sure if I knew then what I know now, things (maybe) could have been different, but the truth is, I didn't.  I did the best I could at the time for both me and my sleep challenged babies.




Starting off the day feeling this way for so long really impacted my appreciation for sleep and morning rituals.




As my kids grew older, I was able to reclaim my mornings.  I loved to wake up before my children (because they finally slept) to take some alone time for myself.  From there, this gradually grew into my morning rituals, morning practice, and my making time to take care of ME.  




There are many ways to reclaim, revolutionize and power up our mornings. Quiet time to ourselves, yoga, mediation, long walks in nature, journaling, gratitude practices, and setting an intention for the day, just to name a few.  




One VERY important part for me is fueling my body well in the morning. When I do this, I have the energy and balance to handle the busyness of day-to-day living in this often chaotic world.  

SO TODAY I HAVE A GENTLE REMINDER FOR YOU ...

OUR 7 DAY GREEN SMOOTHIE CHALLENGE IS STARTING TUESDAY AND I WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO BE THERE.
 

New exciting blends + delicious simple green smoothies to revitalize your mornings just in time for summer.

HERE IS WHAT YOU WILL GET:

• 7 days of green smoothie RECIPES delivered to your INBOX each morning.
• A week long GROCERY LIST to match up with all the green smoothie recipes
• A loving supportive community to BLEND right along side you.
• Lots of resources, gentle coaching, and loving support.

SPRING SYNERGY

SPRING SYNERGY

The cycles of the seasons harmonize us with the rhythms of nature, reminding us that we are nature. Within these, nature goes through everything on the spectrum – from full bloom to death and decay.

The more we feel into the elemental cycles around us, present for all life forms on the planet, the more we can ride the waves and rhythms in ourselves. This knowing is embedded in our true nature, our cellular DNA and our innate animal wisdom.

Spring synergy is intuitive when we listen.  Often, in our bustling culture and our busy day-to-day lives we tend to miss these intuitive cues in and around ourselves, but it is never too late to return to the most natural part of our existence.  Following the innate rhythms of the seasons informs our body’s wisdom, our emotional intelligence, and our manifestation of our health and vitality in the world around us.

According to Traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine, each season comes with a unique energetic quality, nourishment, dominant organ,emotion and action. Synchronizing with each season’s expression is like medicine for the body, mind and soul.

Let’s take a stroll through the earthly cycle dedicated to SPRING and begin to understand and how spring reflects around us and within us.

SPRING

Spring is the most healing, creative, and vital season of the year.

As we emerge from the winter months, we often feel the urge to cleanse our lives, our bodies, and our beings for an energized renewal.

Blooming into spring’s brilliance is a synergy of some important aspects of life.  During spring, ruled by the wood element, our energy and vitality heighten, we wake up from winter’s rest to energize our life force, creativity, and zeal. We clear and cleanse the sacred spaces of our bodies, minds and homes to find a fresh rebirth for ourselves to gain a renewed momentum.

Spring points us to where we can clean out and cleanse what is not serving us in our lives.

 

 

 

Energy: Awaken

Spring is the time to renew the pleasures that our physical bodies are designed to feel.  Transforming from the quieter more inward season of winter into spring, we may feel a little tired, a little sluggish, and even a little resistant to turning towards the bright new energy of this season. When senses wake up with the beauty of nature blooming all around us, we heighten the pleasure in our bodies and hearts.  Spring is abounding with passion, excitement, inspiration and love.

Nourish: Cleanse

As the leafy bitter greens sprout and emerge in our gardens, and the dandelions fill our yards, try finding some ways to cleanse your body and mind with some of spring’s treasures.

At this time of year, we are designed to eat lighter and leafier greens, – spring’s medicinal liver cleansing foods (such as dandelions) that are in full abundance.  The flavor of spring is bitter, which in turn supports the liver in cleansing and strengthening.  Walking through the farmers’ market I love to gather bright green baby arugula, an array of sprouts for my spring salads and colorful tulips to beautify my home and office.

     

Consider:

o   Eating lighter and more bitter foods

o   Growing your own fresh salad spring garden

o   Sprouting seeds such as alfalfa, broccoli, or sunflower in your kitchen with a sprouting jar.

o   Roasting radishes, asparagus, artichokes and spring onions to support your liver and uplift your spirit.

o   Brewing up some dandelion or nettles’ tea to cleanse your body and support any spring allergies or hay fever.

 

Organ and Emotion: Liver, Anger and Hope

After a long winter’s rest, a time most of us eat heavier foods and perform less physical activity, our bodies often become more sedentary and our livers more stagnant.  The dominant organ of spring is the liver, housing the emotions of anger and resistance.

As we begin to attune to spring, we naturally support the liver in cleansing, and releasing the anger and resistance that winter has accumulated.  Once our energy begins to flow more freely, and our bodies and minds become clear and free, we are most often left with the inspiration of hope and renewal for what is ahead.  The blooming flowers and new greenery inspire a renewed attitude and passion.

 

Action: Frolic

One of the most effective ways to energize our lives in the spring is through daily movement. Practices such as yoga, hiking, and dance can help to awaken the spring within us. Enliven your spirit and uplift your moxie with some inspired movement of your own.

I love to take late afternoon walks in the beautiful spring air, sauntering along the creek path near my house where I can behold the array of flowers and trees blooming. Remembering to feel good in our bodies through movement we can savor the sensuality of spring. Enjoying our bodies and the heightened senses that come with spring is one of the most potent ways to elevate our sensuality and pleasure.

Spring is an exciting time to start anew, plant our seeds of intention and watch, tend, and nurture them as the season unfolds.

 

3 WAYS TO CONNECT WITH YOUR FEMININE RHYTHM

"THE RHYTHM OF THE BODY, THE MELODY OF THE MIND & THE HARMONY OF THE SOUL CREATE THE SYMPHONY OF LIFE "
BKS Iyengar

My phone rang last Friday morning as I was sitting at my desk.  I saw it was one of my close girlfriends calling, so I quickly picked it up. 



She asked how I was doing and how my day was going, like any friend would but there was an obvious tentativeness in her voice.  “I am doing just fine today.” I said, “But how are you?” I asked.  “You sound a little off.” 



Before she could finish her exhale, I could hear her voice shimmer and tears begin to fall.  “What’s going on?” I asked.  Her gentle tears quickly turned into a deep cry.

She went on to explain to me that she was having her menstrual cycle.  She had entertained a few meals of popcorn and chocolate (I know that one).  She was emotional, exhausted, and finding it hard to keep on going at her normal pace. 

“Have you been busy?” I asked.  She responded with an exaggerated “YES!”

Now, I have known this particular friend for many, many years, and we have shared some similar patterns and healing processes.  We have been of great support for each other, reminding the other to slow down, take time for ourselves, and prioritize our self-care. 

 

Like many of us, she has a very full schedule, an active social life, a demanding career, and she has been trained to keep on going. 

“Have you taken any downtime for yourself?” I asked.  She predictably said “No”.  “Hmm” I said.  “Is there any way you could take a little time this weekend to rest, restore, reflect, and honor the quiet darkness of your menstrual cycle?” 



Within just a few moments, her sigh of relief told me maybe we were on the right track.  “Of course. How could I have forgotten?” she said. Within moments, she cleared some time in her schedule for an afternoon nap, some time to journal and rest and some time to just be.  As soon as she granted herself permission, she sounded relieved.

This week there was a brilliant full moon rising over the Boulder sky.  I have a monthly ritual of celebrating the full moon with a few of my close friends.  We have discovered that our favorite way to celebrate is to find magnificent spots amidst the Boulder foothills to watch her rise.  

 


This week the pink moon, the full moon of April, was stunning

The full moon reminds me to simply pause, and connect back in to the beauty of nature, the feminine, the ebb and flow of life, the moments of wonder around us and within us.

There are many ways to touch in with our feminine nature – creative, unique, personal, subtle and universal.  

I wanted share these reminders for you here, because they are setting the table for you to unveil your deepest feminine longings, the strongest parts of yourself and your artistry of living a soulful, pleasurable, sensual life with your feminine forging a new way.  

Our feminine rhythms and cycles are like the stepping-stones between the worldly aspects of ourselves, and the deep wisdom of the feminine that live in each of us – always.  Ironically, most of us have been taught to ignore, override, and push through these natural rhythms.

What is your female wisdom asking of you?

I put together just a few anchors for you this week – some soft and gentle reminders to let your feminine guide you home.  



When we gift ourselves this depth and connection, everything else in our lives begins to flow more smoothly.  We know when to rest, we know what to eat, we know what to do to care for our unique selves, and we know when to expand.  When we trust our intuition and female wisdom, we know how to nourish our bodies, minds, and souls.  

1.  Seasonal Synergy

The cycles of the season are a profound way to synch up with the rhythms of nature, remembering that we ARE nature. Each season has it’s own energetic flow, it’s own seasonal eating alignment, it’s own quality and its own vibration.

 

Nature goes through everything on the spectrum from full bloom, to death and decay.  

The more we feel into this innate cycle around us, present for all life form on the planet, the more we can ride the waves and rhythms in ourselves. This knowing is embedded in our cells, our DNA and our innate animal wisdom.

The seasonal synergy is intuitive when we listen.  Often, in our bustling culture and our busy day-to-day lives we tend to miss these intuitive cues in ourselves.  Synching up with the season is medicine for the body, mind and soul.

Each season comes with its own unique quality and energy.  

Winter: a time to pull inward, rebuild and restore.  We hibernate to rejuvenate our bodies and souls.

Spring: a time to cleanse, clear, and open and wake up our senses. 

Summer: the most expansive and heart centered celebration of life, play, and pleasure

Autumn: the season of letting go, composting the old and creating new rich and fertile ground to turn inward and tend to.

Each season reminds us of how to best take care of ourselves, feed ourselves, and nourish our hearts and minds.

2.  Full Moon Majesty

In many cultures from all around the world, the sun represents the masculine and the moon, the feminine. 

These two complimentary energies affect all of life on earth, including us humans. The masculine develops an outward expression of strength and power as the feminine reveals flexibility and grace in her natural physical display.  We are always dancing between the two.

Our feminine cycles are like the stepping-stones between the worldly aspects of ourselves, and the deep wisdom of the feminine that lives in each of us – always.  Ironically, most of us have been taught to ignore, override, and push through these cycles.

We have been taught that these feminine cycles might slow us down, make us more emotional, more chaotic, extremely tired and even a little crazy and chaotic if we surrender to them.  Most of us have had a shameful relationship to our feminine cycles passed down to us from many generations and the lineage of women that have come before us.  If not, we are considered a rarity in this day and age.

If you disconnect from your feminine cycles, you disconnect from your bodies wisdom.

Our female cycles are our road map to our own empowerment and the sacred feminine.  The cycles of feminine offer us the energetics to synchronize the larger forces at play around us and within us.  They illuminate our sensuality, our sexuality, and our pleasure potential – which are always shape shifting within the rhythms of our cycles. 

We rest and restore during our menstrual cycle to then energize and expand during ovulation.

Can you give yourself permission to slow down for a few days a month?  

*** If you don't have a cycle, or your cycle is a challenge (for various reasons) try slowing down on the new moon, going into the darkness within and expanding, opening and celebrating during the full moon.

Our moon (menstrual) cycle is our female compass, leading the way and forging the path for us to walk with grace.  Our moon cycle is the most basic and earthly cycle we have.  Our moon cycle is like a small microcosm for the changing seasons, the flowing tides, the waxing and waning moon, and the sacredness of the feminine in all her radiance.

3.  Practice Radical Self-Care

It may sound simple, but many of us find ourselves at the bottom of our own priority list.  Can you treat your inner GODDESS like a queen?  

Sip some passion flower tea, run a warm aroma therapy bath, loose yourself in your favorite novel, take long walks amidst the spring cherry blossoms, or take a long over due goddess nap!

Self-Care comes in many variations and forms – we each have our go-to's.  The common denominator is that we strive to deepen the nourishment for our whole selves – daily.

Just like the rhythms of nature and the feminine, the different aspects of how we incorporate self-care into our routine changes.  With a little practice, we listen, we flow and we learn to follow out intuition for our self-care regiments.

Self-care makes us better people.  

You know it, and I know it.  When we operate from a place of our 'cup runneth over,' we have so much more to give back.  

Think about those days when you can hardly muster making dinner, calling your friend back, or running that extra errand.  Most of us don't feel like our best selves in those moments.  


One important self-care secret is to implement simple and short and do-able self-care steps every day.  Give yourself a little bit of extra love and attention.  It's the little steps consistently that make all the difference.

A FEW THINGS YOU MIGHT WANT TO KNOW ABOUT TOXICITY

"ENERGY FLOWS WHERE ATTENTION GOES"

 

Imagine with me for a moment:  
 

• What if your habit of rolling over and hitting snooze every morning was replaced with a bright eyed and bushy tailed start to the day?

• What if instead, the sluggish feeling that follows you around all day was replaced wtihinspiration and fervor?

• What if your oh-so-common brain fog could shift into mental clarity and a laser beam focus?

• What if your achy joints and inflammation could subside, so you could fully embrace the beauty of spring all around you with more outdoor time, exercise, and freedom to persue your dreams?

What I am going to share with you today comes from what I have personally learned about my energy and vitality through my own experimentation and deep inquiry.  I will also share what has impacted my daily rhythm, my food choices, my sleep patterns, my libido, my cravings and even my internal dialog and self-talk.



I have learned what works for me.  I have learned what is sustainable for me in the world today.  I have learned about health, combined with a deep priority for pleasure, that doesn't feel restrictive or depriving. I have learned to be fluid, feminine and intuitive as things are always changing and I have learned that we each have our own unique recipe for feeling our best.



I have put the past 15+ years of my work into discovering this for myself and today I want to share a couple of these specific nuggets with you – my favorite ones for spring. 



The truths toxicity are real, important and impactful, while also being be daunting, fearful, and overwhelming. Don't worry, I have some answers for you....



These truths have supported me greatly in my own journey with health and high energy living and I want the same to be available for you.  



1.  Toxicity is one of the primary blocks to your metabolism working at it's best. A high toxic load will literally slow down your cellular metabolism of energy. You will feel more sluggish, lethargic, tired, and depleted.


2.  Toxicity can literally impede, inhibit or block the efficient functioning of our cells, tissues, organs, systems and biochemical processes. This could lead to the slow onset of degenerative disease that gets harder and harder to reverse over time. Toxicity makes the body's natural ability to heal and find equilibrium more and more compromised.


3.  Toxicity creates and/or exacerbates inflammation in our bodies.  Many of us in the world today are struggling with inflammation in relationship to various health issues. Inflammation is a big problem, and the root of most health issues. Inflammation is only made worse with some of our daily exposures to toxicity.


4.  When our toxic load is high, accumulated or frequent, it prevents us from burning and releasing fat.  All those attempts you may have made were not futile on your part, you were not at a plateau, or doing things 'wrong'. Your body just cannot lose weight effectively with toxicity in the way.


We all are exposed to high amounts of toxicity in the world today – its unavoidable. Toxicity is prevalent in our food, our water and our air. While we can surely minimize our exposure with clean, healthy living, the reality is toxicity needs a bit more assertion than that for us to feel our best.


I've been busily working on some solutions for you and I have put together some very useful, practical and work-able practices for you to explore .
  

 

What do you seek to shed this spring to “lighten” up and access your inner freedom, energy and brilliance?

 .

7 REASONS TO DRINK BONE BROTH + MY FAVORITE RECIPE

The aroma from my crockpot fills the house each Sunday afternoon. Something about my house smelling like home cooked soup takes me back to my childhood. As I wipe down the counters and pour another cup of tea, I carefully lift the lid (again) to have yet another little taste. 


Like many of you, I am a creature of habit. 


I like my daily/weekly rhythm. I enjoy cooking my favorite meals regularly,  hikei my favorite trails in Boulder County often, Jason and I have our favorite restaurants around town, and I try to keep up with my most effective and nourishing self-care practices each week. 



While trying new things is also part of my adventurous personality, I do it in smaller increments these days so I don't throw myself too far off from what I know works and feels good. 



This past year, I have added a weekly broth making routine.  Each Sunday morning I get my trusty crockpot going with some delicious broth ingredients. Sometimes I make an alkalizing veggie broth (more to come on that one) and often times slow cooked bone broth.  I drink it regularly throughout the week and I have noticed some key benefits which I want to share with you today. 



Last week I posted the photo above on my Instagram page. I was pleasantly surprised to find more likes and comments than usual.  Many folks requested the recipe, many folks wanted to know more about bone broth, so as promised, here you are:
 

 

7 REASONS TO DRINK BONE BROTH + MY FAVORITE RECIPE

 

While you may have heard a lot about bone broth, tasted it at a local health food store, or from your grandmothers soup pot, you may not realize that not only is it super simple to make, but it is also a medicinal nourishing tonic that can make a really big impact on your health. 

Bone broth is becoming so popular amidst recent health and wellness trends for a few very important reasons.

1.  METABOLIC SUPPORT

Bone broth is chock full of gelatin.  There have been many studies on the health benefits of gelatin throughout history showing it's healing power for ailments from ulcers, to diabetes to tuberculosis. In the case of your metabolism, a regular dose of gelatin in your diet, especially from homemade bone broth, has been shown to be extremely satiating and metabolically stimulating, as well as decreasing the need for overall protein and fat in the rest of our diets by up to 50%.  Metabolically speaking, bone broth keeps your blood sugar stable and keeps you in the fat burning zone.  

2.  DIGESTION

One of the most effective and healing ingredients in bone broth are the amino acids – glutamine and proline. If you suffer from food allergies, leaky gut syndrome, autoimmune symptoms, or IBS, bone broth is for you.  Glutamine is one of my favorite supplements for healing digestion, digestive inflammation while rebuilding and strengthening the digestive wall (which gets thinned during digestive illness).  A regular dose of bone broth will do wonders for your digestion.

3. JOINT HEALTH

Bone broth is also full of glucosamine and chondroitin.  Both of these nutrients are specifically helpful for joint pain, inflammation, arthritis symptoms, and mobility.

4.  IMMUNITY

Bone broth is a mineral superfood!  Your immune system functions on minerals.  All of the bone broth minerals specifically feed your immune system for a stronger healthier you.  Who knew our grandmothers' chicken soup really was a cure all!

5.  SKIN REPAIR AND HEALTH

One of the main ingredients found in bone broth is collagen. The main nutrient we need for healthy skin, hair and nails is collagen. Collagen helps to maintain the skin's natural elasticity (good bye wrinkles) while promoting smooth and supple skin.

6.  PROTEIN AND FAT NUTRITION

Bone broth is full of assimilatable natural protein and fat.  Glycine, found in the protein of bone broth, stabilizes your blood sugar, boosts energy production, increases satiation and builds muscle mass.  

7.  DETOXIFICATION AND CLEANSING

While most of us could use a little liver love in the world today, bone broth is an easy tonic to include in your daily regiment to support your liver and kidneys in a gentle yet effective cleansing.  The high amounts of glycine in bone broth are incredibly effective in aiding the body in its natural ability to detoxify regularly.

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There are many, many ways to cook bone broth.  Some are plain and simple, while others get more creative and complex.  This favorite of mine is somewhere right in the middle. This one is simple, yet full of some of my favorite spices and flavors.  Try it as a soup, sauce for your favorite stir-fry, or a warming beverage right out of your favorite mug.

Questions, comments, requests, recipes?  Please tell me all about them in the comments below.  If you know someone who would benefit from this information please feel free to share it with them using the  button below.

MEET YOUR METABOLISM: 5 LAWS THAT WILL TRANSFORM YOUR SPRING

HOW'S YOUR MARCH MOJO?

Tired? Sluggish? Moody? Frumpy? Out of balance?

So often we are told that feeling exhausted, grumpy, sleep deprived, unsexy and stressed out is a normal condition for the modern woman. Even more often, we are told that the new normal can be found in coping with our symptoms via caffeine, anti-depressants, hormones, diets and sleep medications.

Spring is a time when many of us get excited.  After the long winter months, it is so inspiring to look forward to blooming flowers, warmer weather and longer days. 

We turn to light with zest and renewal.

Having the energy and vitality to enjoy all of these upcoming seasonal flavors is something most of us yearn for. 

The truth is, spring does come with a renewed vigor, but many of us find ourselves too out of balance to enjoy it.

Meet your metabolism:  The source of your energy, vitality and health.

So today, I want to talk to you a little about your metabolism. If you are still reading, this may sound like a BIG relief to you. The underlying causes we are speaking of here are are deeply embedded in your cellular systems, your autonomic nervous system and exactly how you are feeding your unique metabolism each day. 

There are some important metabolic laws I want to share with you, so you can get your MOJO back on track this spring + a special offering I have ready for you below...

5 METABOLIC LAWS THAT WILL TRANSFORM YOUR SPRING

 

1.  THE LAW OF INDIVIDUALITY

"One man's medicine is another man's poison" ~Wolcott

Over many thousands of years, the evolution of people in various parts of the world has developed very specific nutritional needs based on many important factors and variables: climate, genetic lineage, environmental stressors and daily life rhythms.  These tell tail pieces of information are needed to understand the differences across the human race between energy, vitality, and metabolic support.

What works for some of us may not work for others.  The one way approach to health and healing doesn't work.

Discovering your unique metabolic needs is the miracle of your MOJO.

2.  THE LAW OF BALANCE

"Life is a balance of letting go and holding on"   ~Rumi

Creating balance in our bodies, our blood sugar and our daily lives is a relief to our metabolic output.  In fact, with the right ratios of macro-nutrients on our plates we can see not only a deep biochemical balancing of our blood sugar, but also a fueling and even kick start to our metabolism.  This cannot happen if our blood sugar is on a roller coaster. 

There are many ways to balance our blood sugar (each of us with a little different formula) but a few worth mentioning here so you have something with which to start:

• Eat a balance of protein, fat, and whole carbohydrates at each meal.
• Avoid high glycemic foods, especially by themselves.
• Eat a significant amount of good fats each day:  such as coconut oil, organic dairy, nuts, seeds, olive oil, avocado and butter which will keep your blood sugar balanced, your body satiated longer, and your energy more even and consistent.

 

3.  THE LAW OF SATIATION

"Healthy is an outfit that looks different on everybody."

What do you crave? 

You will know you are on track when you are satiated, and your cravings no longer are getting the best of you.  Even if you are known to emotionally eat, stress eat, or boredom eat – you will notice a significant improvement with these habits when you are metabolically tuned into your unique needs around food.

Carbohydrate quality is a big culprit in how our cravings unfold. The more processed, usually the more of a blood sugar imbalance. If we can eat carbohydrates in their whole form (such as brown rice, sweet potato, steel cut oats, quinoa, or a tart apple) with fats and proteins, we will find these whole carbohydrates are much more gentle on our blood sugar and our cravings begin to melt away.

When we wait too long between meals, we are taking an insulin risk that usually ends up in us getting too hungry, and making a choice that is more impulsive.

Planning on little dense snack bites more regularly will keep you satiated and satisfied and free yourself of those crazy cravings. Eating regularly throughout the day creates a healthy metabolism, and happier hormones (AKA Insulin).

4.  THE LAW OF METABOLIC HEALING

"A healthy outside starts from the inside."

When we continue to focus on weight loss, rather than healing, we keep ourselves stuck.  Even if we fight it, the truth is that our bodies need a strong metabolism to loose weight, feel energized, and be strong. 

Getting healthy to loose weight works much more effectively than loosing weight to get healthy.

We need strong and healthy metabolisms to loose the weight we desire, to boost our energy, curb our cravings, feel strong and balanced, and to come back to our vitality and true health.

Each of us comes to the table with a different history.  How much healing do we need for our metabolisms to be strong?  What is our story around stress, sleep, eating, mood, cravings, and blood sugar? 

You may be in this transition for a period of time, while your metabolism is healing to then enable you to thrive. 

There are 4 main stages that metabolic healing goes through:

1. Where you are starting from:  your current metabolism
2. Your healing phase:  replenishing your body through food, restoration, hormone balancing and rebuilding your energy and vitality.
3. Fat-burning and the metabolic makeover phase:  You begin to notice changes in your mood, energy, cravings, body composition, and sleep.
4. A healed state:  You achieve balance in your hormones.  This may translate into weight loss, improved brain chemistry, more satiation, improved sex drive, better night's sleep, more focus and clarity, and of course, the feeling of balance.

5.  THE LAW OF SUSTAINABILITY

"Sustainability's goal is to create possibilities, not to limit options."
 

Many of us start on a health and healing journey relying on our will power to keep us on track.  What most of us do not realize is that our will power is inconsistent.  This variable of how we move through our day changes based on a few key ingredients:  stress, sleep quality, and blood sugar.

In their recent report What You Need To Know About Willpower: The Psychological Science of Self-control, the American Psychological Association states “A growing body of research shows that resisting repeated temptations takes a mental toll. Some experts liken willpower to a muscle that can get fatigued from overuse.”

To create a sustainable path to health and healing, we must turn towards something a bit more reliable.  Habit forming and automatic behaviors are what I am referring to.  While most of us can find time to take a shower or brush our teeth each day, this is because these acts of self-care have become automatic.

When a behavior becomes automatic we are not relying on the irregularity of our willpower.  This is true with eating, exercising, meditation, sleep routines, and even our internal dialogue.

Consider picking a few new behaviors to work with around habit forming and automatic behaviors.  Start slow and build your momentum strong and steady.

 

I would love to hear your comments and questions below. 
Here's to your health and vitality this spring.

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THE METABOLIC MASTERY IMMERSION

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Do you ever feel confused about what to eat?

The challenges happening in the world of food, body and health are overwhelming for many of us.  The endless search for the one right way to eat, and fuel our bodies makes sense amid the jungle of confusion. 

When I read the latest and greatest diet books or health trends it seems that each of these approaches also often comes with the need to feel like their way is the way.  

I disagree...there is a different way.

THERE IS YOUR WAY...

WE BEGIN MARCH 22ND, 2017
 

It is all virtual from your own home and all recorded for your convenience.  This course will revolutionize your eating and ignite your energy and vitality. 

 
I can't wait to have you join...
 

HERE'S TO YOU GETTING YOUR MOJO ON TRACK!

MAKE PEACE WITH YOUR PLATE

I love to indulge on special occasions like many of us do.

Last week was my birthday, and a friend brought me some chocolate cupcakes that sat around for a few days. They were AMAZING.

I was also treated to a few lovely meals at some of Boulder's best restaurants - it was delightful!

I am definitely a foodie at heart and I was upping my pleasure meter all week long - I feel great about it.

The problem most of us struggle with isn't the special occasions, but rather our daily habits often followed by the horrible self-sabotaging + icky thoughts that follow suit.

Anything from that bowl of jolly ranchers that we walk past all day at the office, to too many cookies after dinner, to those extras that we find ourselves munching on when we are a bit tired, overwhelmed, sad or stressed.

These OH so common moments can add up to a lot when we get real with ourselves, and even worse - they often fill our thoughts with guilt and shame for days to come.  Navigating our desires can drive many of us a little crazy at times.

Nothing can match the fiery energy in our bodies that is created by pure desire.  Desire is one of the strongest forces in the universe – food and beyond.  Desire is the pure creativity, drive, passion, and pure life force pulsing through each of us.

While desire can help us stay grounded and focused on where we put our attention, it can also create illusion, lead us astray, and create more emptiness than when we started. Though the promise of fulfilling a desire always promises some kind of delight, it can also complicate and produce other areas of conflict in our lives.

We reach into the cookie jar time and time again, knowing that this temporary gratification will later leave us feeling tired, guilty and off balance.  

We indulge in that shopping spree that is truly not in our budget, to then suffer later with buyer’s remorse and feelings of regret.

We order that extra drink at dinner, and wake up the next morning tired and lethargic.

Desire seems like a good idea, but it also can feel hard to navigate and trust.

There is a different way.

When we align our inner world with our outer world, our inner self with the ways we move through our days, and the feelings we are seeking with how we choose to spend our time and energy, we attune with what I call ouraligned desire.

Aligned desire is an artful expression of who we are, our wholeheartedness, and our unique body-mind connection and purpose with what we are manifesting in the world.  When the inner and outer expressions of ourselves are in balance, we move through life with more ease and satisfaction.

Aligned desire will serve the highest good (for ourselves and others). We have to be discerning and refine ourselves. We have to look closely at our automatic behaviors and habits. We have to develop the capacity and awareness to make conscious choices when a desire arises.

Does a particular desire serve the highest part of ourselves, or are we simply, mindlessly perpetuating some habit that actually shadows our being?

Aligned desire breathes vitality into our own fulfillment from the inside out.  Aligned desire acknowledges and honors the challenges past while energizing us and making us the master of our own destiny.

When used wisely, aligned desire is ‘superfood’ for our souls.

Solstice Session #5: Make Peace with Your Plate

(Join me LIVE)

In this LIVE Solstice Session you will learn the solutions to these common foodie fears:

• Foodie fear#1:  If you listen to your body, she will lead you down the wrong path, your desires are complicated and you cannot trust them.
• Foodie fear #2:  There is so much to do.  You don’t have time for self-care, feeding yourself well, making you your #1, feeding yourself well is impossible.
• Foodie fear #3:  You can’t even remember that last time you were able to love your body, especially around your eating, you feel hopeless.

What are the Solstice Sessions?

This is our last week where I have been sharing with you therich and heartwarming Solstice Sessions. (you can access the previous Solstice Sessions HERE)These are my little whispers of winter’s wisdom, some guidance as we embrace the darkest nights of the year together, and some appetizers from my most complete body of work,THE YOGA OF EATING 2017that begins January 30th.  (registration is open).

Check out the details below.THE YOGA OF EATING 6-month course and community to heal your relationship to food and your body.Webegin January 30th, 2017.

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The Yoga of Eating 2017

THE YOGA OF EATING 2017: the most in-depth and detailed body of work I offer, and a way to work with me personally, while feeling the support of others on a similar path to transform your relationship to food and your body.

Many of you have daydreamed of a life filled with positive thoughts and habits that support your health and your happiness.  If this is the case, THE YOGA OF EATING is just right for you.

This 6-month online course and community is full of incredible resources, potent international guest teachers, deep and reflective monthly content, guided yoga and meditation practices to enhance your inner journey, a beautiful circle of women from many corners of the world, and age-old practices that guide you to deep healing from the inside out.

Make this year the year you can become your own VIP in all things health and happiness.

---

Lululemon + Boulder Nutrition 2017

For the whole month of January, Boulder Nutrition will be partnering withLululemon (we are both Canadian!) to bring you 5 FREE community classes.

Sunday mornings 9:30 am-10:30am Lululemon Store – 29th St Mall Boulder CO All the details HERE

This is a great opportunity to explore your practice in a new way, to check out little tasters from THE YOGA OF EATING 6-month program beginning January 30th, and to deepen into your 2017 dreams and intentions.

AND...

During January, in all 5 classes, we will be hosting a food drive for Harvest of Hope! Bring non perishable food items to class as a donation.

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About Sue Van Raes...

I'm a  Nutritional therapist, food psychology expert and Lifestyle Coach.

My mission is to help heal the feminine through food, mind-body connection and pleasure.Learn more here.

In our work together, we will dive into deep healing for the body and soul, while I offer you practical, potent teachings that will open your heart to trust, your mind to possibility and your body to its organic wisdom.

I am chock full of resources for you, including INSPIRING content and a wide range of support to help you find your way in all things food and body.

Feel free to read more about me and how I can help you HERE

GET COMFORTABLE WITH THE UNCOMFORTABLE

I have been in deep reflection for the past 3 weeks.  Today marks the end of my visioning process that happens yearly for me between the winter solstice and my birthday.  

It feels particularly auspicious to write to you today – a full moon, my 45th birthday, and a time when my gratitude for my readership and for my business is something I feel so deeply.

The past three weeks  for me have included:

• Acknowledging my successes and challenges of 2016
• Visioning and dreaming of what is to come
• Looking at some deeper, inner currents that I would love to explore
• Setting my new goals and intentions for 2017 from the inside out
• Getting very excited about my upcoming projects, retreats, travels, and creativity

It’s a dynamic process that has come with both the groovy feelings of inspiration and success, along with seeing where I still want to make certain changes, break though old patterns, and dig a little deeper to find what’s underneath it all.

We all have habits and patterns that we would like to change.  The New Year often brings these into the light, to shine some awareness on where we would like to make improvements, take better care of ourselves, work smarter not harder, and live healthy vibrant lives.

The problem is, change is incredibly hard.

So often we are fixed upon changing our ways – our eating, our exercise, our spending, our over extending, our people pleasing, and our lives in many ways, big and small.

As we see from the broken New Year's resolution phenomenon, people rarely change these patterns. 

It has been found that only 8% even make it past mid-January with attempting new ways before they give up completely.

This New Year's phenomenon is most often because we are simply looking at the behavior - the behavior that is a reaction or response to something deeper.  Our automatic behaviors are so often coping skills for our old, original, core wounding.

Feeling the pain, sadness, anger, disappointment, let down, abandonment, or inadequacy of our core wounding is often very uncomfortable.

• What is underneath your overeating?
• What is underneath your over spending?
• What is underneath your sugar addiction?
• What is underneath your reclusing?
• What is underneath your drinking too much?
• What is underneath your self-sabotaging?

The New Year comes, and we look at all of these behaviors, and think…something has to change.

The problem is, there is so much underneath  these behaviors that we are most often missing.

When we address the core issue (which takes a little bit of investigating), we are able to begin healing that wound.  These core wounds are usually pretty old, deep, and complex.

Core wounds are almost always a bit tender, raw and uncomfortable and most of us go to extremes to avoid feeling uncomfortable. 

Solstice Session #4: How to Get Comfortable with the Uncomfortable

In today’s Solstice Session you will learn:

• How to identify the core wound that is leading you to these unwanted behaviors
• What to do when you find it (for real)
• How to get really comfortable being uncomfortable
• + Some super specific ways to get support

When the wind was howling through Boulder Sunday night, I restlessly laid in bed, but just could not fall asleep.  I had spent a good part of the day journalling, asking, and inquiring into my own personal blocks.  Not only was I steeped in my own inner dialogue that was revealing some truths about where I get stuck, but my house was literally shaking in the wind.

The whole night felt pretty surreal.

While my sleep was not happening, and my mind was doing a bit of looping around one particular area where I often get stuck, there was something that was also occurring along side what felt was a hard night...

Something I did earlier that day – a question I asked myself, a reflection I had seen, some history of both my adult life and childhood – offered something back to me.

I touched the wound.  The real deep one.  This is often called our sacred wound, or our core wound.  We all have one.  This is the 'thing' we are desperately trying to cover up and cope with through some of our automatic behaviors and habits.  Covering it up may seem to work for a while, but it makes changing those old behaviors and habit almost impossible.

What I want to share with you today is both how I was able to uncover some of this wounding within myself, and then, how to manage it.

In this process, you may see your challenges and your hindrances. Ironically, they will become your portholes into your creating a harmonious and inclusive relationship with yourself. You will get stronger, more embodied, more connected to who you are – and all of this will lead you positively to your own unique breakthrough around what you are wanting to work on this year.

Step One: Identify the Behavior

What is the behavior you are wanting to change?  Have you ever tried to change it before?  Once we identify what we are working on, we can begin the excavation process.

Here are some common behaviors I have seen my clients (and myself) trying to change:

• Over eating
• Eating to fast
• Binging
• Eating too much sugar
• Drinking to much alcohol
• Smoking cigarettes
• Not being prepared
• Being overly busy
• Feeling lazy and unmotivated
• Feeling alone
• Extreme hibernating
• Retail therapy
• Over spending
• Continually being in unhealthy relationships
• Negative body self talk
• Overindulging in any behavior

Step Two:  Look Underneath

What is underneath this behavior?

Take a deep breath.  Give yourself some sacred space.  Feeling our feelings and exploring our inner landscape requires a little time and space.  Try not to rush this.

This is actually not meant to be a 'thinking' exercise, but rather an intuitive exercise in connecting with your deepest self.  Most often, the first thought around what is underneath your behavior (the one you want to change), is the best one to start with.

Feel into your sensory body.  Notice what happens when you explore your sacred wound.  Shortness of breath, tightness, panic, love, compassion, warmth, openness.

Some of us suffer big traumas early in life that change us forever. Some have happy childhoods but are wounded nonetheless. Core wounds tend to be things like a sense of not being enough, being unlovable, not having enough, feeling alone, or unworthy. No matter what your core wound may be, you can guarantee that your wound influences who you are and how you behave.

Step 3:  Allow Yourself to be Uncomfortable

It goes against our human nature – we almost always move away from the uncomfortableness of life.  Many of us have elaborate ways to ensure that we keep anything uncomfortable very far away (such as those annoying habits and behaviors we seem unable to stop)

What I really want you to know is that allowing yourself to feel the uncomfortableness of your sacred wound, is likely the most healing action you can do for yourself.

This is truly the most important of resolutions, intentions, or New Year's goals you could give yourself, while it is also the most effective way to change those old outdated behaviors that continue to haunt you year after year.

When you are safe and snug in your home, you have the space set aside for yourself, and you are ready to really make a shift in a big way this year, dig into your most courageous self, get fearless, stay strong and centered, and give yourself full permission for the next little while to feel into the uncomfortable.

Step 4:  Accept

While it may be hard to be fully free ourselves of our sacred wound forever, we can surely begin to understand how our behaviors can either hinder or support our healing.

Once we are able to recognize where our negative patterns and habits may be originating, we can begin to navigate around them more effectively.

Once we are willing to be uncomfortable and we become more familiar with our sacred wound, we won't need to cover it up so desperately.  Instead, we will be more willing to get to know it – all her peaks and valleys and all her history.  Your sacred wound contains a blueprint of some deepest parts of you.  Can you tend to yourself with gentleness and care?

This process of acceptance will allow you to be at peace with your inner world as you hone your behaviors and habits in your outer world.

Step 5:  Lean In

We thrive with support.  With the right type of support, the rate of acceleration towards our intentions is more than tenfold.

Transformations happen quicker.  Breakthroughs occur more often.  Follow through is fierce and fabulous… and our resistance recedes (phew).  We do well with accountability, conversation, depth with another, sharing, connection, and seeing the commonalities that we all have.

What kind of support do you have?  

If you are looking for support around changing some of your behaviors and habits (especially around your health), looking into your own sacred wound, and making this year a breakthrough year, I have a couple of ways to help.

Click HERE to find out.  Your support system awaits you.

The Yoga of Eating 2017

THE YOGA OF EATING 2017: the most in-depth and detailed body of work I offer, and a way to work with me personally, while feeling the support of others on a similar path to transform your relationship to food and your body.

Many of you have daydreamed of a life filled with positive thoughts and habits that support your health and your happiness.  If that is the case, THE YOGA OF EATING is just right for you.

This 6-month online course and community is full of incredible resources, potent international guest teachers, deep and reflective monthly content, guided yoga and meditation practices to enhance your inner journey, a beautiful circle of women from many corners of the world, and age-old practices that guide you to deep healing from the inside out.

Make this year the year you can become your own VIP in all things health and happiness.

Lululemon + Boulder Nutrition 2017

Want to join me LIVE?

For the whole month of January, Boulder Nutrition will be partnering with Lululemon (we are both Canadian!) to bring you 5 FREE community classes.

Sunday mornings 9:30 am-10:30am Lululemon Store – 29th St Mall Boulder CO All the details HERE

This is a great opportunity to explore your practice in a new way, to check out little tasters from THE YOGA OF EATING 6-month program beginning January 30th, and to deepen into your 2017 dreams and intentions.

AND...

During January, in all 5 classes, we will be hosting a food drive for Harvest of Hope! Bring non perishable food items to class as a donation.

---

About Sue Van Raes...

I'm a  Nutritional therapist, food psychology expert and Lifestyle Coach.

My mission is to help heal the feminine through food, mind-body connection and pleasure. Learn more here.

In our work together, we will dive into deep healing for the body and soul, while I offer you practical, potent teachings that will open your heart to trust, your mind to possibility and your body to its organic wisdom.

I am chock full of resources for you, including INSPIRING content and a wide range of support to help you find your way in all things food and body.

Feel free to read more about me and how I can help you HERE

FEELING FAT AND OTHER HEAVY THOUGHTS

She walked into my office one day (a little flustered I might add) with her bathroom scale in her hand.  "Take it!" she exclaimed.  "If I have to look at this scale one more time, I may literally go crazy."

Tears of sadness began to stream down her cheeks.  I noticed frustration competing for a close second, as she clenched her jaw.

"I have realized that my happiness is co-dependant on this stupid scale!"

...I kept that scale in my office for close to a year.

The New Year is still fresh – a clean slate, a fresh blanket of snow, a new leaf, a new beginning, a reset, a restart.

Hope, optimism, dreams, plans, and goal setting happen with new beginnings. 

Many of us are in the process of contemplating what we want our year to look and feel like.

Research shows that the most common aspects of ourselves that we choose for our New Year's resolutions, goals, and intentions are:

• Weight loss
• Healthier eating
• More exercise
• Stress management
• Better overall health

(i.e. It's my busiest month, and the gym was packed today).

If you have ever made your day dependent on the number on the scale ....

If you have ever walked by the shop window and glanced over to look at your reflection - mortified...

If you have ever pulled out your skinny jeans, tried them on knowing they were going to be too tight, changed into your baggy sweat pants, canceled your plans and binge watched Netflix...

If you have ever examined your naked body in the mirror – looking for love handles, muffin tops, or cellulite...

If you have ever turned down sex because of ANY or ALL of the above...

Then today's Solstice Session is especially for you.  Grab your warm cup of tea, get cozy (it's super snowy here in Colorado) and let's chat...

In Today's Solstice Session you will learn:

• The truth about feelings
• Why adding(+) is better that subtracting (-)
• AAANNDD... little winter FARE to pamper your palate

First of all, you are not alone. “Feeling FAT” is a common thing to say, experience, and hear.

Something I have noticed: It doesn’t matter how big or small a person is, they still may very well experience “Feeling FAT”.

How often does a phrase like this run through your mind?

This “feeling” can leave us overwhelmed and stuck with icky, unlovable, worthless, depressed, unmotivated, thoughts about ourselves.

One big breakthrough I have witnessed is when we realize that “FAT” is not a feeling. If you experience “feeling FAT” then see if you can dig deeper into what is really going on…

What are you really feeling?

• Scared
• Anxious
• Lonely
• Hopeless
• Angry
• Guilty
• Shameful
• Frustrated

When we “feel FAT” we are almost always covering up a true emotion that is more complicated, overwhelming, or uncomfortable.

What can you do?

1. What you are REALLY feeling? Name the feeling. Give yourself space to feel it.
2. Trace the feeling back to the original trigger, incident, or event that may have started the feeling.
3. Work with your thoughts and judgments around experiencing the feeling.
4. Be gentle with yourself. You are a “feeling” being. There is no escaping it. You will continue to experience a wide range of feelings in your life, no matter what. The more comfortable and aware you become with these feelings, the better.
5. Trust that you are stronger than you think, and that with a little practice, you can handle feeling feelings you have.

How does adding and subtracting relate to feeling FAT?

I know this may seem like a strange metaphor, but it is one that I have used for years for my own life as well as in my work.

Think about it for a minute…

Most often when we think of changing something, making an improvement, getting healthier, loving our bodies more, or creating transformation in our lives, we think of what we are doing wrong.

It is easy to bring our critical eye to the moment, compare ourselves to others, and wish we were just more perfect.

Most of us tell ourselves to STOP doing a certain behavior: to STOP eating so much candy, to STOP worrying about things so much, to STOP over eating, over spending, over giving, over extending, and even over judging.

Many years ago, I sat with one of my mentors on a cold and snowy winter day just like today.

She was in her mid-seventies, and steeped with a lifetime of self-study. I was thrilled to hear some of her wisdom.

She spoke this one particular message that has stuck with me for years – and has become integral in my personal and professional work:

“We don’t need to take things away, but rather add the right things and what we don’t need will naturally fall away.”

When we take things away, we naturally feel deprived. We need immense will power (which oscillates from one day to the next) to keep this up.

This could be food, money, a certain behavior, or even a person.

Have you ever tried this?

In my personal experience, and in what I have witnessed in my clients for the past 15 years is that our will power tends to run out, our old patterns creep back in, the pendulum swings from deprivation to indulgence, and we end up right back where we started.

When we add the right things into our lives consistently, they start to become automatic – we start to feel good – and our tired old patterns become more and more illuminated.

The good stuff begins to out weigh the rest, and we are less inclined to regress.

Take it up a notch. What if you added a lot of really good stuff?

Let’s say you are trying to quit eating so much white sugar this year – a very popular New Years resolution.

You start by adding in whole foods, adding in natural and yummy deserts full of the sweet flavor but also full of nutrients, self-love and balance, you add in some green juice here and there, you add in regularly moving your body daily, and also add in more adventures, more connection and more restoration…

Eventually that white sugar starts too taste waaaayyy to sweet.

Your palate becomes more sensitive and those sugary binges start to taste and feel bad to your body. You find yourself more satisfied with a natural sweet flavor, and the sweetness of life you have created all around you.

You may dabble in a bite of sugar here and there, but all the good stuff you are doing minimizes your old desire for so much sugar and YOU tap into a personal power that you thought was almost impossible to cultivate.

What are you going to ADD into 2017?

On that note here is one of my favorite naturally sweet recipes for you today. I hope you enjoy it!

Click Here to Get the Recipe

What are the Solstice Sessions?

For the next few weeks, I will be sharing with you therich and heartwarming Solstice Sessions.  These are my little whispers of winter’s wisdom, some guidance as we embrace the darkest nights of the year, and some appetizers from my most complete body of work, THE YOGA OF EATING 2017that begins this January. (registration is open).  I hope you enjoy some of this content, as much as I love creating it for you.

Check out the details below.  THE YOGA OF EATING 2017: 6-month course and community to heal your relationship to food and your body.  Webegin in January 30th, 2017.

THE YOGA OF EATING 2017

THE YOGA OF EATING 2017: the most in-depth and detailed body of work I offer and a way to work with me personally while feeling the support of others on a similar path to transform your relationship to food and your body.

Many of you have daydreamed of a life filled with positive thoughts and habits that support your health and your happiness.  If that is the case, THE YOGA OF EATING is just right for you.

This 6-month online course and community is full of incredible resources, potent international guest teachers, deep and reflective monthly content, guided yoga and meditation practices to enhance your inner journey, a beautiful circle of women from many corners of the world, and age-old practices that guide us to deep healing from the inside out.

Click here to learn all about The Yoga of Eating 2017

Make this year the year you can become your own VIP in all things health and happiness.

Lululemon + Boulder Nutrition 2017

Want to join me LIVE?

lulu-sue

For the whole month of January, Boulder Nutrition will be partnering with Lululemon (we are both Canadian!) to bring you 5 FREE community classes.

Sunday mornings 9:30 am-10:30am Lululemon Store 29th St. Mall

Boulder CO

This is a great opportunity to explore your practice in a new way, to check out little tasters from THE YOGA OF EATING

6- month program beginning January 30th, and to deepen into your 2017 dreams and intentions.

AND…

During January all 5 classes we will be hosting a food drive for Harvest of Hope! Bring non perishable food items to class as a donation.

About Sue Van Raes…

I’m a  Nutritional therapist, food psychology expert and Lifestyle Coach.

My mission is to help heal the feminine through food, mind-body connection and pleasure. Learn more here.

In our work together, we will dive into deep healing for the body and soul, while I offer you practical, potent teachings that will open your heart to trust, your mind to possibility and your body to its organic wisdom.

I am chock full of resources for you, including INSPIRING content and a wide range of support to help you find your way in all things food and body.

Feel free to read more about me and how I can help you HERE

RESOLUTION TO REVERENCE

“An Intention Sychronistically Organizes Its Own Fulfillment.”  ~  Deepak Chopra

I know this truth:  Our humanness naturally seeks transformation, healing and personal success, even amidst struggle or strife.

How we define these qualities is what makes us dynamic.

After the bustle of the holidays – the familiar over spending, over eating, and endless holiday to-do list – the new year is known to inspire hope, new beginnings, fresh starts, and a letting go of the past (with all its challenges).

To mark this transition, many of us are known to declare the changes we would like to make.

You start off on the right foot each year:  A new gym membership, a grocery cart full of organic produce to finally make those recipes you found on Pinterest, and a money plan that will knock your knee highs off,

but most often something is missing...

If you look back at your past resolutions you may see where they lost steam, where the realities of daily life made them tough to achieve, where your inner resistance took over, where you got stuck, where you self-sabotaged, or even gave up.

I have done this too.

This year, how about shedding your old ways (unless they worked like a charm for you) and try a "set yourself up for success" new beginning.

There is a different way. One that is filled with self respect, gratitude, intention, and potency. One that breathes vitality into your own fulfillment from the inside out, one that acknowledges and honors the challenges past, and one that makes you the master of your own divine destiny.

In Solstice Session #2 you will learn:

• The SCIENCE behind INTENTION (with a bonus podcast)
• How your RESISTANCE can be your biggest teacher.
• A NEW YEARS BONUS: A simple wintery recipe to kick of your 2017

Our culture today is very much dominated by the energy of the masculine. The masculine qualities that we see so prevalently in the world are qualities such as productivity, efficiency, technology, logic, focus and stability.

Most of these qualities dominate our thoughts, our work, and our home life.

We need ALL of them. The masculine qualities have a lot to teach us. And…they tend to work even more effectively in our lives when they are balanced with the feminine.

The feminine is intuitive, fluid, mysterious, receptive, sensual, nurturing, tender, patient, adaptable, and quietly strong.

Each of us has our own personal recipe for the marriage of these two energies – the masculine and feminine. When we find that inner recipe, we tap into a personal power that is ripe for leaning into our dreams, and manifesting our desires.

This year, when contemplating the beginning of a new year, the returning of the light, and the artistry of your vision, consider what it would be like to align your inner world with your outer world.

What if your intentions were infused with intuition, emotion, and wholeheartedness?

What if you took a look at what your really want versus what you think you should want?

What if you considered how you want to feel in your life with the qualities and stepping-stones that would lead you there?

What if you considered your internal goals along side of your external goals?

Could you be a little more gentle, kind, and accepting of who you are and where you are in your life with all your imperfections?

There is no end to the depth and devotion we can have with ourselves. I see it as a life long practice, inquiry, and love affair.

In the podcast below, you will hear about The Yogic Art of Setting Intention and how to embrace the inner and outer, the masculine and feminine, and the gifts from challenges past.

Make Resistance Your Teacher

I have learned a lot about my resistance in the past few years.  The times I would rather not follow through.  The tasks that make me uncomfortable, the ways in which I avoid that one to-do on my list, the automatic excuses I use to avoid pushing myself into something new, and most importantly: what happens when I push through to the other side.

In fact, resistance has become an important teacher for me.

It helps me find my edge.  It offers me a new way.  It shows me where I am limiting myself.

So I befriended resistance.  

So often we repeat our old behaviors because of fear.  We don’t know what is coming, so our minds choose something with which we are already familiar.

Looking our resistance in the eye can give us a chance to inquire into why it is arising.

• Fear of failure
• Vulnerability
• Shame
• Avoiding feelings we would rather not feel
• Engaging in a limiting belief
• Believing the stories that our minds tell us (not good enough, not pretty enough, not smart enough)
• Being uncomfortable with change or something new.

Acknowledging the fear of unfamiliar ways, new beginnings, and the releasing of the old is medicine when looking ahead at a new beginning – such as a new year.  When you loosen your grip on these old ways, a comforting sense of freedom and lightness emerges.  I have found when my resistance arises, simply recognizing her will make the following actions easier.

When you notice your resistance arise, pause, and ask yourself WHY?

On the other side of resistance are qualities such as freedom, expansion, breakthrough, trust, openness, potential, personal power, and love.

The stepping-stones to our dreams begin with slow and steady footholds, inner listening and balance, a strong vision, and daily practice.  Resistance will always show up to challenge our strength and refine our commitment, and when embraced, we will move mountains

BONUS

A WARMING WINTER RECIPE FOR YOU

Miso Ginger Veggie Stew

What are the Solstice Sessions?

For the next few weeks, I will be sharing with you therich and heartwarming Solstice Sessions.  These are my little whispers of winter’s wisdom, some guidance as we embrace the darkest nights of the year, and some appetizers from my most complete body of work, THE YOGA OF EATING 2017that begins this January. (registration is open).  I hope you enjoy some of this content, as much as I love creating it for you.

Check out the details below.  THE YOGA OF EATING 2017: 6-month course and community to heal your relationship to food and your body.  Webegin in January 30th, 2017.

The Yoga of Eating 2017

THE YOGA OF EATING 2017: the most in-depth and detailed body of work I offer and a way to work with me personally while feeling the support of others on a similar path to transform your relationship to food and your body.

Many of you have daydreamed of a life filled with positive thoughts and habits that support your health and your happiness.  If that is the case, THE YOGA OF EATING is just right for you.

This 6-month online course and community is full of incredible resources, potent international guest teachers, deep and reflective monthly content, guided yoga and meditation practices to enhance your inner journey, a beautiful circle of women from many corners of the world, and age-old practices that guide us to deep healing from the inside out.

Click here to learn all about The Yoga of Eating 2017

Make this year the year you can become your own VIP in all things health and happiness.

Lululemon + Boulder Nutrition 2017

Want to join me LIVE?

lulu-sue

For the whole month of January, Boulder Nutrition will be partnering with Lululemon (we are both Canadian!) to bring you 5 FREE community classes.

Sunday mornings 9:30 am-10:30am Lululemon Store 29th St. Mall

Boulder CO

This is a great opportunity to explore your practice in a new way, to check out little tasters from THE YOGA OF EATING

6- month program beginning January 30th, and to deepen into your 2017 dreams and intentions.

AND...

During January all 5 classes we will be hosting a food drive for Harvest of Hope! Bring non perishable food items to class as a donation.

About Sue Van Raes...

I'm a  Nutritional therapist, food psychology expert and Lifestyle Coach.

My mission is to help heal the feminine through food, mind-body connection and pleasure. Learn more here.

In our work together, we will dive into deep healing for the body and soul, while I offer you practical, potent teachings that will open your heart to trust, your mind to possibility and your body to its organic wisdom.

I am chock full of resources for you, including INSPIRING content and a wide range of support to help you find your way in all things food and body.

Feel free to read more about me and how I can help you HERE

A SOLISTICE RITUAL AND RECIPE

 The temperature outside has fluctuated to a chilly low in Colorado this week.  I have often been bundled up with blankets by the fire, drinking hot tea and relaxing.  My brisk wintery walks have been invigorating, and my warm soothing baths have been the perfect anecdote for getting cozy.

The winter is definitely upon us.

Both the winter and summer solstice have been my favorite days since I was just a young child.  In northern Canada, where I grew up in my early years, the solstices (winter and summer) were pretty extreme.

The dark nights of winter were very dark, cold and long, and the light days of summer made the days seem to go on forever.  For me, there was an obvious magic to nature and her cycles, even back then.

So today, on one of my most favorite days of the year, I decided to OPEN registration a little early for THE YOGA OF EATING 2017 as well as bring to you my wintery gift – THE SOLSTICE SESSIONS.

For the next few weeks, I will be sharing with you the FREE rich and heartwarming Solstice Sessions.  These are my little whispers of winter’s wisdom, some guidance as we descend into the darkest nights of the year, and some appetizers from my most complete body of work, THE YOGA OF EATING 2017 that begins this January. (registration is open).  I hope you enjoy some of this free content, as much as I love creating it for you.

Because… what I used to consider a cold, stressful and tender time of year has now become a time I cherish.

When I say descend, what I mean is my descent into my inner world - through all her peaks and valleys – where the darkest nights of the year have become a great teacher and chaperon to my own insight and wisdom.

Some would say this descent has been known throughout time, myth, and story as a descent into the underworld.  Others see it as the most potent nights to pray or connect to our higher selves. Often we hone how to vision with clarity and precision for the upcoming New Year.

The dark nights expand to cultures worldwide with unique and diverse wintery wisdoms and rituals.

In today’s Solstice Session you will learn:

• Learn the biggest challenge women face over the holidays.
• Some short and sweet solstice rituals begin your own dark night descent – embracing winters wisdoms.
• How to restore your life force and your energy with my most favorite winter warming smoothie.

Have you been busy bustling and hustling to get ready for your holidays? Amidst all of the gift buying, holiday parties and decorating things can get pretty zany out there.

The most common complaints we all know during the holidays: tired, drained, doing too much, over extended, and trying to please everyone else.

This is the # 1 challenge women face each holiday season.

The energetics of winter remind us to hunker down, slow down, and restore our prana (life force). We benefit from cooking our food slow and long, finding coziness and warmth together in our families and communities, while warming our hearts with connection to ourselves and others we love. Follow these three R’s for some simple reminders and reflections.

RESTORE

This year, turn over a new “snow flake” and give to yourself first. You will have plenty more to give to those you love when you do.

How you might ask?

That is exactly what Solstice Sessions are for. Little winter wisdoms to inspire you and remind you that you can live as your own VIP.

Try these daily practices to stay centered and calm:

• Create some daily down time – just for you.
• Go bed a little earlier – winter is a time for rest and restoration.
• Reflect with your inner self – journal, meditate, listen inward
• Take warm soothing baths – these will relax you, boost your immune system and help you sleep
• Bundle up and get outside – the crisp winter days bring energy and vitality
• Order your gifts online – avoid those lines and the holiday bustle
• Say NO more often – save your YES's for the important stuff
• Keep things simple in your celebrations – simple is the new smart

RITUALIZE

The winter solstice is the perfect time to begin a reflection practice for the years end. The darkest night in many cultures has symbolized the new year and returning of the light.  Often winter solstice rituals include candle light, fires and warming foods.

Take some time to look back on your year and enjoy contemplating all the things you have been through (easy or tough), and the life lessons learned in the process, the intentions actualized, and finally bridge some ideas as to where you are heading for the new year to come. (more on the years beginning ritual to come soon)

• Release the old with reverence
• Celebrate the small successes and the little things that matter most
• Relish in the magic of synchronicities, the power of intentions and the opportunities that have come your way.
• Let go of judgement and self-criticism (pretty please)
• Most of all…Count your blessings – big and small

Here some ways create a winter solstice ritual moment:

• Light candles or lanterns and savor the darkness as you take some time in silence to hold your year in a magical embrace.
• Release the old with a fire ritual – burning a list of the aspects of your year you would like to release or let go of. Be gentle with yourself. Use a fireplace, a fire pit, or even hold the burning paper and flush it.
• Spend some time writing in your journal reflecting on the past year, who you were when the year began last January, and what you have learned about yourself and life since then.

REPLENISH

Winter eating entails preparing seasonal whole foods that can be stored, canned, or kept for the colder days of winter. Emphasize warming foods that stimulate digestion, circulation, and immunity.  Share food with loved ones, focus on the pleasure of eating and the coming together of love and light.

Here are some good winter foods to explore:

• Warming soups and stews
• Root vegetables
• Beans (especially adzuki and mung beans)
• Miso and seaweed
• Garlic and ginger
• Warming spices like cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg and cloves.

Try this wintery warming smoothie to nourish your body, mind and soul.

smoothie-gingerbread

Recipe by Chef Bailey Ruskus

This is my holiday treat for you this year.  A candlelit path into the darkest nights of the year and some tasters from the The Yoga of Eating 2017Online Course and Community that begins this January – check out all the details below.

The Yoga of Eating 2017: the most in depth and detailed body of work I offer, a way to work with me personally while feeling the support of others on a similar path … to transform your relationship to food and your body.

Many of you have daydreamed of life filled with positive thoughts and habits that support your health and your happiness. If that is the case, The Yoga of Eating is just right for you.

This 6 month online course and community is full of incredible resources, potent international guest teachers, deep and reflective monthly content, guided yoga and meditation practices to enhance your inner journey, a beautiful circle of women from many corners of the world, and age old practices that guide us to deep healing from the inside out.

Click Here to learn all about The Yoga of Eating 2017 … and how this year you can become your own VIP in all things health and happiness.

FROM MY KITCHEN TO YOURS

The fall wind has been stirring up the fallen leaves around my neighborhood this past week. I have been enjoying my brisk and invigorating late afternoon walks amidst the crimson and golden trees.

It is such a beautiful time of year here in Boulder.

Each year, as I say goodbye to my summer adventures and play, I find some solace with the inward pull that fall brings.  One of my favorite parts of this magical season is my natural urge to spend time in my kitchen cooking, creating, and reviving my crockpot.

With the cooler weather creeping in, my favorite fall harvest foods (pumpkins, root veggies, and roasted chillies) and the inspiration to increase my self-care and restoration, I turn to my daily practice of nourishment and self-care rituals.

Life is most often full, and amidst the fullness, the Fall transition is reminding us to slow down.  

This week, I thought I would share with you some of my favorite fall foods and tonics that I have been experimenting with in my kitchen. These are easy, quick, and soothing recipes that I hope you will have fun perusing and experimenting with.

The little things we do for ourselves each day add up.  Everything we do in the name of health, nourishment and self-care – no matter how small – is a win.

I invite you to take some time just for you this weekend. Nourish, rest, reflect and restore.

Keep Reading to (and download) some of my FALL FAVORITES from my kitchen to yours

Alkaline Broth

This is an age old traditional broth recipe rich with tons of antioxidants, trace minerals, and anti-inflammatory qualities.

Download FULL recipe HERE

Golden Milk

This is a super yummy and tasty warming tonic to help you sleep, boost your immune system and decrease any inflammation.

Download FULL recipe HERE

Warm Fall Beat Salad

Warming, soothing, and delicious.

View fullsize

Download FULL Recipe HERE

Pumpkin Spice Paleo Muffins

Hi protein, spicy and tasty little bites of Fall.

Download FULL recipe HERE

Slow Roasted Colorado Lamb

Nothing like slow cooked meals at this time of year.  This is one of my all-time favorites.

Download FULL recipe HERE

About Sue Van Raes...

I'm a Nutritional therapist, food psychology expert and Lifestyle Coach.

My mission is to help heal the feminine through food, mind-body connection and pleasure. Learn more here.

In our work together we will dive into deep healing for the body and soul while I offer you practical, potent teachings that will open your heart to trust, your mind to possibility and your body to its organic wisdom.

I am chock full of resources for you including INSPIRING content and a wide range of support to help you find your way in all things food and body.

Feel free to read more about me and how I can help you HERE

#FOODFOREPLAY

They were 2 and 5 years old. I kissed them each on their rosy cheeks.  As they hopped out of the car, I had a flood of excitement and anxiety wash over me. “I love you mama” they would say as they shut the car door.

The whole weekend was about to be all mine.  What could I possibly do with a whole weekend to myself?  This idea was so open, spacious, free – but somehow wrought with slight panic and fear all at the same time.

At times, this fear would feel slightly paralyzing.  After being solely focused on mothering these two adorable little rascals 24-7, I just wasn’t sure what to do with 'just me' for a whole weekend.

The transition was always tough.  I wanted and needed nothing more than a break and some time for myself, but it took a while for it to settle in and feel okay.

In the beginning, I would head back home, sit, stare, and wait for the uncomfortable to pass.  Sometimes, it would be slow, stagnant and I would wish for it to end.

My emotions felt strong, but my appetite – gone.  Honestly, I could barely muster a bowl of popcorn for dinner.  This post-divorce eating pattern was no bowl of cherries, but rather one that was keeping me tired, depleted, weak, and under-nourished – every other week.

After some serious PTSD, a few dizzy spells, one intense fainting episode, 20 pounds of unhealthy weight loss, and a lot of therapy, I knew something had to change.

I had been reading Bri Maya Twari's book called ThePath of Practice.  In her lineage, cooking and feeding oneself was considered one of the most effective paths to healing.

So... this one particular night instead of falling into an old pattern of barely eating while they were gone, I decided to do something different.

I walked through the Whole Foods store picking out “Sue” food.

This was a new thing, and one that seemed to help this awkward moment of transition.

I could do this!  Dinner for one.

After a few tries, this new ritual settled in a bit and I began to find myself looking forward to it.  A yummy dinner, some beautiful ambiance, soft candle light, a long bubble bath, and time just for me.

My new practice of sensual eating and self-care was working.  The transitions were getting easier, my time alone – more comfortable, and from time to time, I would even invite some friends over to join me.

Sensual eating was saving my soul.

The act of cooking for and feeding myself was soul nourishment – physical healing + self-love.

  Keep reading to learn about #FoodForeplay and find out exactly what I did that created a shift for my health and healing.

• The most essential ways to use sensual eating to heal your relationship to food
• How to begin your #FoodForeplay practice?
• Dinner for one to dinner for two...
• A bonus Aphrodite meditation

Sensual Eating

Bringing heightened senses to your mealtime is the perfect place to start.  Just like sipping a full-bodied glass of red wine, or nibbling a gourmet piece of dark chocolate, all of our senses become part of the experience.

When we fine dine, part of the experience is the beauty of the food and how it is presented, plated and served.  We can too brighten up our daily meals this way with simple attention to color, ambiance, and creative expression.

While we cook, we smell the scents of the spices and nuances of flavors merging with our olfactory sense – our oldest sense.  We also are witness to the sounds of the chopping, sizzling, roasting, and blending.

While we eat, we taste each bite, mindfully noticing the merging of all the flavors and textures.

#FoodForeplay is your own personal practice – your own personal recipe for foodie pleasure.  There is no right or wrong way – simply your way, your palate, your preference.

When we enjoy food this way – in a ritualized, mindful setting – a mind-body healing emerges.  When we tap into our pleasure practices at mealtime, the plated pleasures begin to diffuse into other areas of our lives.  When we nurture our whole beings – including all of the senses – we become more satiated. This satiation is not only about our bellies being full, but rather a holistic experience that involves our body, mind, and soul.

How To Start

I always say start small, one meal at a time.  Make a date with yourself to begin your #FoodForeplay adventures.  Take yourself to the grocery store without a rush or an agenda.  Meander through the aisles looking for food that intrigues you, food that calls to you, or food that looks like it would be fun for you to cook.

This could involve trying something new – like visiting an old family favorite, checking out a alluring sensual fruit, or gathering some prepared food that sparks your interest. This is ALL about you.

One of my favorite things to do is create a plate of delicacies that are similar to what you would find on a charcuterie plate.  Nothing cooked, no recipe to follow, just a delight for the palate – olives, prosciutto, Humboldt Fog (my favorite cheese), flax crackers, humus, and Spanish almonds.

When Dinner for One turns to Dinner for Two

Sensual eating is nothing new.  In fact, food has been a part of foreplay and love making rituals in cultures far and wide since the beginning of time.

Our pleasure starts with us through food, through nature, through laughter, through sensual touch, through scent, and beauty. When we activate our pleasure center, we feel uplifted and we are magnetic to others.

When we know how to receive pleasure, we can better give pleasure. 

There is much exploration for us here: When we invite another into our #FoodForeplay an array of things can happen…

• A sensual meal can simply involve sharing in the invigorating of the senses.
• A sensual meal can activate our inner pleasure palace and connection with our beloved.
• A sensual meal can be the co-creation of both partners – a creative and collaborative spark.
• A sensual meal experience can turn on our erotic, lustful, sensual passion.

Everything cooked for our lover is sensual.  Love and pleasure infused into our cooking are the strongest aphrodisiacs that exist.

As aromas billow from the skillet, and broth bubbles in the soup pot, we linger in the kitchen glancing sweetly into the eyes of each other, with heightened senses, savoring each tantalizing moment.

Women especially, are inclined towards rituals. Lighting candles, arranging beautiful flowers, setting up a sacred space for all of our meal pleasures to take place.  When we slow down and presence ourselves, this #FoodForeplay opportunity can be just the right ingredient to create the erotic and desirous atmosphere to enhance any relationship.

Dinner for 2 can also include cooking together as pieces of lingerie fall to the floor, feeding each other one savory bite at a time, or adding in an array of aphrodisiacs for his and her pleasure to your meal.

You can read my previous article all about the most delicious and delightful aphrodisiacs HERE.

Once your exquisite dinner has been prepared and served, the lingering plated poetry has been relished, the collective artistry can be revealed between two people with a slow, seductive, sensory sensation.

Listen to the Inner Aphrodite Meditation below:

A memoir of the senses

Her breath is like honey spiced with cloves

Her mouth delicious as a ripened mango

To press kisses on her skin is to taste the lotus

The deep cave of her navel hides a store of spices

What pleasure lies beyond, the tongue knows

But cannot speak of it

Kumaradadatta, 12th century

LET GO AND FEEL THE INCREDIBLE LIGHTNESS OF LESS

LET GO AND FEEL THE INCREDIBLE LIGHTNESS OF LESS

This past Saturday morning, I sat up in my adorable little yurt, just as the sun was rising over the Sangre De Cristo mountains.  I reached for my cozy slippers (I had brought them with me) and meandered over to the community kitchen to pour myself some hot tea.

As I walked back, the steam was rising off of my tea cup on this particularly chilly fall mountain morning. I quickly snuggled back into bed, still in full view of the sunrise, to contemplate the day, our retreat schedule and our group intentions.

HONESTLY, I DIDN'T WANT THAT MOMENT TO END.

Last weekend, I took an incredibly beautiful journey through the Colorado mountains, to our Fall Full Moon women’s retreat.

The early morning mountain sunrises were amazing, not to mention the warm soothing hot springs, a brilliant harvest full moon, and delicious fall-inspired food. With a deep inquiry into our personal limiting beliefs and old outdated ways around health and happiness, it was magical.

I feel lucky to have been immersed in feeling the beauty of the seasonal shift. (see photos below)

With the changing golden leaves and the fall afternoon light that seems to hit the aspen trees just right, nature displayed quite a presentation – hello Autumn.

EACH SEASON IS STEEPED WITH ITS OWN ENERGETIC IMPRINT AND GUIDANCE FOR LIVING WISELY FROM THE INSIDE OUT.

As the leaves were falling to the ground in their bright orange and reds, there was an innate sense of letting go that I was able to acknowledge.  The gravity of Autumn is a metaphor for both our relationship to self and our relationship to nature.

Aligning ourselves inside and out with what is occurring around us in nature is a beautiful way to begin the radiant transition into a new season – Autumn.

Autumn is the time of transformation between the growth of summer and the dormancy of winter. Things are winding down, and once the harvest is complete, there is an opportunity to follow the inward flow into self-inquiry and inner listening – ground into the wisdom of the body and mind, compost and let go of what is now longer serving us.

Preparing for a strong and vital experience during the change of seasons can come with many inspirations inner and outer. Often, in the fall we talk of letting go, descending into the underworld, and a pulsation of contraction that guides us to listen deeper.

WHAT CAN YOU LET GO OF THIS FALL?

Letting go can be a little awkward and uncomfortable.  Whether it is letting go of an outdated habit, a tired old negative thought, a bunch of old clothes that are cluttering up your closet, or a limiting belief about yourself, prepare yourself for some feelings.

Nothing supports this better than slowing down and savoring some extra sweet self-care, and the space to be in the peace of nature.

"IF YOU LET GO A LITTLE, YOU WILL HAVE A LITTLE PEACE.  IF YOU LET GO A LOT, YOU WILL HAVE A LOT OF PEACE."

~AJAHN CHAH

Since it is the time of year that the season tells us to let go so I wrote you a few nuggets to help you along.

1. Align with your WHY

What are you up to these days?

What are your priorities in your life?

What are you seeking?

These, and many other questions like these, will help you to reveal the truth of your WHY.

When you are clear with your WHY and the big picture of what you are seeking, you are then able to shed all of those things that do not align with your life.

This could be a habit that doesn't support you, an old pair of jeans that remind you of your past, or even an old pattern you have with eating that feels obsolete.

This could also be something internal, like a thought or an internal dialogue pattern that does not evoke momentum towards your priorities and your WHY.

Once you align with your WHY, and your true vision of heart, it is a lot easier to let go of the things that do not serve you.

You still might notice that letting go conjures up some emotional response for you, a little pulling on your heartstrings, or feeling as though you're not sure who you would be without your old ways.

Most would agree, it is worth a bit of feeling uncomfortable, awkward, or even a little bit vulnerable, so that you can clear away those old templates that no longer serve you.

Recently, for me personally, it seems to be that I am working with my internal thoughts that are keeping me small, as well as the clearing out old belongings that no longer feel energetically aligned – mostly from my closet. Clearing out my old thoughts (at least working on it) and old clutter creates a nice lightness in my body and mind.

Old traits and old treasures carry energy. How we think, how we eat, how we practice our daily self-care, how we dress, how we create a sacred space in our homes and lives, and those with whom we surround ourselves are some good places to start.

2. Release your Resistance

Here’s what I also know about letting go: The most terrifying part is just before you loosen your grip. Once you let go, momentum will take over and you will feel lighter and more free than ever before.

When we hang on, it is our resistance.  Resistance is tricky, sneaky, and loves to keep us stuck.

What we need is to build momentum, and the ease will come.  In the meantime, notice where you are procrastinating, covering up feelings, or numbing yourself.

So often we hang on to something or some of our ways because of fear.  We don’t know what is coming, so our minds choose something with which we are already familiar.

Old, outdated inner and outer qualities can weigh us down. They can make us feel heavy and stuck, lethargic and hopeless, and simply block the full expression of our hearts and our WHY.

Acknowledging the fear of unfamiliar ways, new beginnings, and the releasing of the old is medicine during a letting go process.  If you feel it, you can heal it. When you loosen your grip on these old ways, a comforting sense of freedom and lightness emerges.

3. Transfigure, Transform and Thrive

Just like the leaves falling to the ground composting and fertilizing the earth for next year's bounty and bloom when we let go of things that do not serve us, they too compost into a bigger and brighter space for the new to come in and bloom.

This process of downward decomposition into the earth that we witness both inside and out is one that is familiar to the nature of our bodies since the beginning of time.

So often, we think of ourselves as observers or witnesses to nature's beauty and energetics, when really, we feel the same energetic pulls as all of nature because truthfully, we are nature.

The gravity of fall is a specific type of energy that calls us to let go, release the old and reveal the new bigger and better parts of ourselves.  It is exciting.  A journey into the depths of your soul's intentions and purposeful life.

We are always growing and changing.  Nothing in life stays the same.  Enjoy the process this fall as you synch up with the beauty and sweetness of the season.

Here are some photos from our magical retreat weekend: