Permalink to Conversations With Linda – A Testimonial…

Conversations With Linda – A Testimonial…

by lindaliving|on April 30, 2012 |in Food For Thought, Weight Loss |Leave a comment

I met Linda Partida a few years back and we started what would become an on-going conversation about life, food, healing and well-being in general. I wanted to address several issues including extreme fatigue, loss of loved ones in my life, weight issues and just overall not feeling well or myself.

One important thing I wanted her to understand about me was that I had already achieved big weight losses in my life. Always to just gain it ALL right back plus much more. I expressed to her that dieting never seemed to “stick” for me and I had tried everything; from carbs to no-carbs, high-fat, low- fat, Weight Watchers, and fasting, severe exercising –basically everything minus “the surgery.”

So together we began to explore my life and health from a big picture approach and took in all aspects of my life and health for consideration. We examined major life foundation and emotional issues and behaviors I was exhibiting.  The first and number one thing I noticed right away about Linda was that there was absolutely NO-JUDGEMENT on her part, of anything. Things were simply and non-judgmentally listened to, accepted and discussed and none of my thoughts, ideas or feelings were wrong or bad—they just were.

She literally “made room” for me to be me just as I was in the present moment and it was okay and to have and express my very deepest thoughts, sadness, hopes and confessions about my life, body, health and actions.

The other thing I relaxed into with Linda was that there was no sense of urgency on her part, although my situation needed change and we both wanted that for me it was understood that this was a process and we were going to give me the room to do whatever I needed or it took to get me there the RIGHT way. Not trying to “fix” me with pills, pushed upon programs or dieting with results that would not last long term.

It’s an interesting exercise to try and paint a picture of our accumulated work together because it’s been a “road” to say the least. Our goal has been to literally SHIFT my internal motivations and drives in my life vs. putting me on a program or diet of sorts. It has taken a combination of modalities and an accumulation of deep and real conversations and sessions together to achieve this goal.

Having said that, the mere fact that I’ve personally “shifted” mentally to a new place where I actually desire to examine and self-correct my eating habits and portions and my desire to exercise IS the actual result of our work itself.

The change I feel inside of me is REAL and PERMANENT not something any other program can say. The shift toward taking care of me has come in waves and quite surprisingly. One in the form of a personal desire to simply do what I need, like getting myself to the gym and eating better quality of foods, actually WANTING to make better choices for me and being interested in finding out what those are.

It’s so much easier to opt for what my body needs when there is no longer an obsessive drive to overeat or binge on inappropriate foods.

Back when we started working together Linda had once said, “what if you could just simply make a different choice for yourself?” At the time I thought she was crazy…why would I do that?  I was at that point still very controlled by my cravings and desire for comfort from food. I remember replying, “Well that will never happen – it’s not who I am!” Now I can see and feel inside of me what she meant. That’s how I know I’ve changed. I actually want and desire to make the different choices now for my life and I am more in control of my mental decisions around those choices.

Linda also said to me, “I wonder what it would feel like if one could have the effects of weight-loss surgery without actually having the surgery…” We entered into a discussion around what that would be like, feel like, what the internal conversations with oneself would look like. These questions and many others like them are how we’ve made a mental adjustment around life behavior and actually changed habits.

I started to think lately…if I am in control of my behavior and of my mind then why couldn’t I be in control of my decisions around how much, what and how often I eat, live and feel? Why then couldn’t I also master my desires for what I eat, when I eat, how I live my life? This is a breakthrough to be sure.

This has been again, a process, using various modalities and with many incantations along the way.

Each moment of shift has certainly had a new level of change in my life but as of late I’ve seen a more final result and success in terms of my behavior. I’ve gotten to know a new relationship with self, emotions and food. I’ve been experimenting with hunger and fullness in general. I’ve been re-introduced to my own hunger and desire for food and more importantly at each moment why I am eating or more importantly not eating.

Again, for me, the weight-loss is secondary to creating a lasting change inside of me. Anyone can lose weight. This we know. But to keep it off, change a relationship with food for life and uncover one’s self-love and truly wanting to care for ourselves is a monumental internal shift to say the least!

Many thanks to you Linda!

Permalink to Healthy Cooking Tips And Tricks For Busy Families

Healthy Cooking Tips And Tricks For Busy Families

by lindaliving|on August 28, 2011 |in Food For Thought |tagged , , , , , |1 Comment

As summer draws to near to a close, my thoughts turn toward getting my kids ready for the new school year. I love the free flow of summer, always eager for the break in routine that summer brings. By the end of summer I am also just as ready for the return to routine and structure.

As the mother of two boys, autumn also brings on a shortage of discretionary time. Between the pressures of sports, homework, quality time, and bedtime, keeping up with healthy meals can be a challenge. I know first hand what a struggle it is to put (a healthy) dinner on the table night after night. The temptation to do quick-and-not-so-healthy can be hard to resist.

Here are some suggestions, tips and tricks that will help you make the most of your time in the kitchen, save you money, and keep your family at the peak of health.

Suggestion #1 — Start the season off with a clean pantry

Take everything out –and I mean EVERYTHING and clean the space. Paint it, re paper it, or whatever. Make the space look attractive and appealing. Be selective when putting things back. Toss anything that is expired or you would not want to eat. Get rid of items that undermine healthy habits. Stock the shelves with things like beans, tomatoes, whole grains, and canned fish like tuna, salmon, or sardines. Stock the freezer with chicken, ground beef/turkey/buffalo, frozen vegetables and home made soups.

Suggestion #2 — Make your own frozen entrees to freeze for later

You can do this by setting aside a couple of hours one day a week, once a month, or by simply making enough extra to get another meal out of it. Be sure to choose recipes that will freeze well like soups, stews, lasagna, and cooked grains too. (See my recipe for gluten free hi protein lasagna)

Tip #1 — Do some meal planning at the beginning of each week

It does not have to be fancy, just some notes of what is for dinner the different nights. Each morning refer to the list and be sure you have everything you need, or need to defrost.

Trick #1 — How to defrost something in a hurry

The best way is NOT in the microwave. It diminishes the taste and texture, not to mention the healthfulness of your food.

The best way to defrost rice or other whole grains is to put them in a strainer and run them under warm water. It only takes a minute.  For other things fill a large bowl with very warm water. If the item you are defrosting is watertight, submerge it weighted down with a glass jar filled with hot water. If it is watertight, put it in a zip lock with all the air pushed out or in an empty plastic produce bag with the open end above the level of the water. Submerging it will push the air out. Change the water as it cools down. For best results, defrost meat completely before cooking.

 

I wish you a happy, healthy, and stress free back-to-school season—whether you have school aged kids of not!

 

 

Permalink to Overcoming Food Allergies –My Personal Experience

Overcoming Food Allergies –My Personal Experience

by lindaliving|on February 22, 2011 |in Food For Thought |tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , |1 Comment

I recently had the ALCAT Food Intolerance test done and the result was mind blowing. I discovered that perfectly healthy foods, that I thought of as “safe”, were responsible for many of the symptoms I had been experiencing like chronic fatigue, weight gain, skin problems, and trouble concentrating.

Over the last 2 years I had become more tired than usual. It happened gradually so there was no one day that I felt like everything changed or even particularly took notice. Looking back to 2 years ago I see that a lot had changed. I used to workout regularly and enjoy it. Since then I have had to make myself go and it was always a drag. As a result of all of this I rarely did it and gained weight. I used to wake up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, not sleep for 8 hours or more and wake up feeling tired and hung-over –even though I don’t drink. Even the healthiest of meals left me feeling lethargic, unfocused and sometimes even dizzy. I don’t l know why it took me so long to notice, or to think of getting retested for Food Intolerance (a.k.a. food allergies), but it did.

The foods I have eliminated over the past month since getting the results of the test read like most peoples’ “healthy foods” list. They include: apples, onions, garlic, ginger, eggs, lamb, pepper, lemon, and turkey, and more –I won’t list them all.

I had this test done 25 years ago and it dramatically changed my life. I had been dragging around, feeling totally exhausted for more than 2 years before I was tested. It followed a bout of Mononucleosis, which had lasted for an entire year before being diagnosed. I had gone to doctor after doctor looking for answers as to why at the age of 20 all I wanted to do was sleep. The best any of them could do was to tell me I had Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. All that meant was that I was tired all the time and they couldn’t figure out why. My mom finally took me to a Holistic doctor in the city, who my uncle, a doctor, called a quack.

Among the many tests he did, was the ALCAT Food Intolerance test. This is a blood test that looks at the immune response of live blood cells to different antigens. The result was that I was “allergic” to things I was eating every day. They included: corn, tomato, potato, bakers yeast, and shrimp. I stopped eating them immediately, and within 1 week was feeling dramatically better. After 6 months I had lost 20 lbs and was back to my energetic old self. I was also able to start putting those foods back into my diet on a rotational basis (not more than once every 4th day). Keeping to that rotation I was able to enjoy all of those foods and feel fine.

So, this “quack” cured me in 1 week where all the different doctors had failed. The cure was giving me the vital piece of information I was lacking; that there were a few foods I was better off not eating. It was that simple.

And now, one month after my re-test, since removing the newly discovered offenders from my diet, I feel significantly better. My energy is coming back and I have lost 5lbs already. I don’t have the new regimen completely down to a science yet, but it gets easier every day. I have been here before and I know the benefits of abstinence strongly outweigh the inconvenience of avoiding foods I enjoy.

I should note too that the foods that were troublesome for me 25 years ago no longer showed up as being problematic. I am sure if I had been retested earlier they would have come up as “safe”. This is because our bodies change throughout our lifetimes. We can become over sensitized to things with which we are in constant contact. Frequently it is a bout of illness or extreme stress that precipitates food intolerance.  Additionally certain cosmetics, sucralose (Splenda), and amalgam filling have an effect on the mechanism behind it. Continual exposure to problematic foods does not give the body a chance to break the inflammatory cycle and heal.

Permalink to Food Allergies and Intolerance

Food Allergies and Intolerance

by lindaliving|on January 10, 2011 |in Food For Thought |tagged , , , , , , , , , |1 Comment
In order to help you kick off your best year ever, I have decided to spotlight food Sensitivities, and Intolerance. 

Did you know over 80% of the population experiences food sensitivities at some level and they don’t even know it! True allergies are very different than sensitivities and intolerance –only 5-7% of the population suffers from true allergies. Still, food intolerance can wreck havoc on your health, energy and block fitness goals.

Symptoms can include:

  • Chronic fatigue/low energy
  • Migraines
  • Obesity
  • Difficulty losing weight
  • Persistent cravings
  • Aching joints
  • Skin disorders
  • Digestive disorders
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Mood disorders
  • And many more…

Food sensitivities have been in the media headlines a lot lately and many folks have even tried elimination of the usual suspects like wheat/gluten and dairy… But what happens when the culprit is something you would never suspect –like lettuce, almonds, carrots and celery… What happens when the foods you think of as “safe” are really the root cause of your most troubling symptoms?

I had this test done 25 years ago and it changed my life! I went from being constantly exhausted (for 2 solid years) back to being my old energetic self with in a week of eliminating the 4 offending foods I was eating every day.

Because I am so excited and proud to now offer this vital screening I want as many people as possible to benefit from it. So for the remainder of January ONLY I am offering the tests AT MY COST!!!!!! (40% below list price.) You may even qualify for more savings since many insurance carriers will cover the bulk of the cost.

Contact me and I will help you pick the best test and follow up protocol for you.

 
Permalink to Some Interesting Sugar Statistics…

Some Interesting Sugar Statistics…

by lindaliving|on July 21, 2010 |in Food For Thought |tagged , , , , |Leave a comment

Did you know….

• The average American drinks more than 60 gallons of soft drinks each year.
• One soda per day increases your risk of diabetes by 85 percent.
• The average American consumes anywhere between 150 to 170 pounds of simple sugars, also known as refined sugars, per year.
• Soda drinkers have higher cancer risk. The federal limit for benzene in drinking water is 5 parts per billion (ppb), researchers have found benzene levels as high as 79 ppb in some soft drinks, and of the 100 brands tested, most had at least some detectable level of benzene present.
• Soda has been shown to cause DNA damage.
• Sodium benzoate, a common preservative found in many soft drinks, has the ability to switch off vital parts of your DNA. This could eventually lead to diseases such as cirrhosis of the liver and Parkinson’s.
• Phosphoric Acid: Which can interfere with the body’s ability to use calcium, may lead to osteoporosis or softening of the teeth and bones.
• Aspartame: This chemical is used as a sugar substitute in diet soda. There are over 92 different health side effects associated with aspartame consumption including brain tumors, birth defects, diabetes, emotional disorders and epilepsy/seizures

Bottom line: There is absolutely NO REASON kids should ever drink soda…. Knowing this, I don’t know why ANYONE would want to consume soda!!!

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