Zain Jamal Helps Us Beat Food-Related Stress with Mindfulness & Vitamin Water

#BeatStress November continues with a post for lovely Zain Jamal. She's a yoga guru who knows how to find balance in all that she does - and trust me - she's a busy lady. Don't miss her exclusive mindfulness video and her vitamin water recipe below. Take it away Zain...

Alarm clock.  Shower. Feed the kids. Pack the lunches. Breakfast. Oh, I forgot to send that email! Better hurry I only have an hour to train before I have to get back to work. Lunch meeting. Conference call. Clean snack? Check! I’ll eat it while I’m picking up the groceries.  Honey, of course I’ll get the dry-cleaning, no problem.  Mom, can Katie stay for dinner?! Meatless Monday it is! Ok family fed, dishes done. I can finally relax with a little movie and well maybe a few of those chocolate things because I feel like I haven’t eaten all day. Just a few though.  Movie is over.  Bag is empty.  Yikes! What happened? 

Sound familiar?  

Now take a deep breath and exhale.  Feel better?  The practice of mindfulness is as simple as taking one conscious breath.

Through practicing the Eat-Clean Diet lifestyle I’m sure that you have come across the concept of ‘mindfulness.’  I first heard this term several years ago when I was working towards recovery from an eating disorder, and, although I understood the theory, the idea of locating this illusive ‘present moment’ seemed hypocritical.  I mean, if I was not present, where was I?  

Life in today’s society is incredibly hectic.  Between work, family obligations, social obligations, living a Clean, fit lifestyle and focusing on personal goals, constant thoughts about what happened or what is about to happen in an hour, in a day, next week, become our natural state.  The issue with this is that we find ourselves in a perpetual state of motion, rather than in stillness, and hence rob ourselves of the precious present moment.  In doing so, we find ourselves eating but never quite feeling satisfied or training but not fully experiencing results.  Not to mention, this constant motion causes an extreme amount of stress on the body keeping the sympathetic nervous system on autopilot, which leads to cortisol release, weight gain, water retention, hormonal and digestive issues.

Incorporating mindfulness changed my life and was the key to my recovery and weight loss, which you can read more about in Oxygen magazine’s special issue of Off The Couch 2012.

After years of suffering with an eating disorder, I no longer understood where my boundaries were when it came to feeling hungry or full - the lines were completely blurred.  I would often find myself zoning out during meals and not fully concentrating on each and every bite or on the experience as a whole.  In fact, many times I couldn’t even remember if I had even had a meal!  Practicing mindfulness helped me to re-learn these basic and critical bodily impulses.

Prior to engaging in mindful living, when I was eating, I would be thinking of the next thing I had to do.  I would be working on the computer, chatting on the phone or watching a movie but never really fully focusing on the sacred act of eating my meal.  As a result, I would get to the end of my meals never feeling fully satisfied or satiated.  In turn, there was a greater dissonance in my mind/body/spirit connection.

This would also lead to a pattern of snacking, binging and emotional eating.  I was never really ‘hungry’ during these binging sessions but simply wanted to feel ‘full’.  I later understood that this lack of satiety or fullness was directly connected to a lack of full presence during each moment. 

For those of you who follow me on my blog Eve Post Apple, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest or on my website, you will know that chilling out is a big part of my fit lifestyle and provides the balance for the intensity necessary to not just manage life’s obligations but to enjoy them.

This video explains some of the ways that I practice mindfulness in my life when it comes to conscious breathing, eating, and grounding myself.  I encourage you to try at least one of these tips today when you first wake up, at your next meal or during a stressful moment and just notice how you feel.  

Curt's Clean Bill of Health & Clean Nachos

For a lot of men (and ladies too), kicking back and watching the game is an excellent way to chill out. Curt Suda, today's guest blogger, shares his approach to Clean Nachos for game day, and how family health scares got his head in the Eating Clean game. Sound like someone in your life? Don't forget to share his story. 

Curt on his Eating Clean journey...

My adventure with Eating Clean began with my wife who suffers from an inflammatory bowel disease.
After years of trying different medications and steroids, she decided to try a holistic approach and sought out the advice of a respected “alternative” doctor. After a few tests my wife was put on a very restrictive, anti-fungal diet to try to get her “gut” back in check. Since this was a major change for her, I decided to be as supportive as possible and followed the same diet.  This meant drinking coffee black (no dairy), eating fresh vegetables, no snacks of any kind, no alcohol and little to no grains. We quickly found that a great side effect of this new way of eating was weight loss. I thought, “This isn’t too shabby and it’s not that hard.” I was glad I was doing this with her.

To be honest, I wasn’t very healthy at the time either. My doctor had told me that my blood was thick like jelly because I was so unhealthy. I weighed over 300lbs. and I had developed sleep apnea. I was inactive and I ate every kind of chip, pie, cake and fast food out there.

After seeing the initial positive results of a Clean and holistic approach to my wife’s disease, I wanted to learn more about Eating Clean. I decided to do some further research and purchased Tosca Reno’s book The Eat Clean Diet Recharged. I knew I could do this with a few additional changes and really help us to live even healthier lives. I started eating primarily Clean and healthy foods and incorporated a regular workout routine that is a mix of weights and cardio. I have dropped over 30lbs, no longer have high cholesterol or high blood pressure, and all of my lab results are perfect and within range.  I no longer need to take medications to keep my health in check and I don’t have to wear a mask to keep me breathing while I sleep. Why I didn’t do this earlier, I don’t know, but I’m grateful that I did. I just turned 40 and I’m in the best shape of my life. There is no doubt in my mind that the Clean foods I’m eating are a huge reason why.

Have I had some hiccups along the way? Absolutely! It doesn’t destroy me and I get right back on track with no issues in a few days. I’m a father of three girls under the age of 10, I work full time, I exercise regularly and I still get the yard work done! I do 90% of the food shopping, so it’s not a hard thing to undertake. It starts with a little research, a shopping list and a trip to the store.

I have included one of my favorite recipes for this time of year, FOOTBALL Season! I love nachos when I watch my team play on game day and this is what I came up with as that perfect game day snack!

Suda’s Touchdown Nachos
Makes 2-4 servings

Yoga with Trish Stratus

Our guest blogger today is Trish Stratus. You may recognize her from her many Oxygen covers over the year, but now Trish has taken things in a new direction with Stratusphere Yoga studio located just outside of Toronto. She shares with us her personal experience with yoga and how it helped her step into a whole new world. Don't miss her moves below...

Yoga: It's Not All Lotus Flowers & Buddhas
Here are some things I love about my yoga practice: I love the rhythm of connecting my breath with my movement. I love that there is no right or wrong - every pose, no matter what variation you do, will still give you the same benefits. I love the yoga booty that comes with a regular practice. But the most valuable part of my yoga practice are those precious minutes where you get to spend some one-on-one time with the most important person in your life... YOU.

You know how it is... we never give ourselves permission to disconnect. I always say going to yoga class is like putting up my out-of-office email reply: "TRISH IS NOT AVAILABLE. SHE HAS STEPPED ONTO HER MAT AND IS CURRENTLY CONNECTING WITH HERSELF AND ALL THAT IS IMPORTANT TO HER. PLEASE TRY BACK IN 90 MINUTES WHEN SHE HAS RESET, IS MORE BALANCED AND FOCUSED, AND THUS WILL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO TACKLE ANYTHING YOU HAVE TO THROW AT HER. NAMASTE”.

I know the mental image of a professional wrestler probably doesn’t immediately conjure up images of lotus flowers and buddhas – and I must admit, it did take me awhile to unleash my inner zen. See, I was one of those people who thought “yoga’s not for me and it’s not a real workout.” Then I hit my first class and… it was really hard! This, as a pro athlete, was a tough pill to swallow. Usually, I score pretty high in the athletic department, so when the end of the class came and I could barely manage a chaturanga, my ego was slightly bruised. And, yes, I too secretly wondered what the heck a chaturanga was… turns out it’s just a yoga-push up. Clearly, my Sanskrit was a little rusty.

When I finally checked my ego at the door, it was a little easier to keep coming back to class. Plus, I couldn’t deny how great my body was feeling, and I was starting to rock those chaturangas. And the pleasant side-effect? Suddenly my crazy wrestling life no longer seemed so crazy. I was on the road traveling 300 days a year, being thrown around the ring four nights a week. When I started practicing yoga regularly my crazy schedule suddenly seemed more manageable, the body slams didn’t hurt as much, and I got less irked when the toilet seat was left up. I liked what yoga was doing to my body, but I loved what it was doing to my life.

Eight years later, I know that yoga will always be a part of my life. Whether I’m doing a strenuous 90 minute class, or taking a 5-minute breather to reflect, my “yoga practice” is whatever I need it to be. So go ahead… unleash your inner zen.

Check out these Stratusphere Yoga poses to help you get your zen on while you get your sweat on – the signature system I developed integrates strength training moves into a yoga flow to give you the best of both worlds.

Beat Stress November

Our monthly themes continue with the latest topic - Beat Stress!

This topic couldn't be any more timely!

At this point in the game we've all settled into a new school year and made it through the transition from summer to fall. More recently, we've also experienced a string of traumatic weather on the East and West coasts of both the US and Canada with earthquakes on one side and Sandy on the other. With the holidays lurking just around the corner it's time for us to take a few deep breaths and manage the stressors that can be so damaging to our health.

We've got an incredible line up of guest bloggers including yoga gurus Trish Stratus & Zain Jamal,  Best Ever You's Elizabeth Hamilton, and more more more.

We're also hosting a great contest this month - Your Mantra. Create your own power mantra and enter to win a signed Eat-Clean Diet prize pack.

Better yet, cozy up on the couch with a bowl of Vegetarian Chili and follow along on Facebook and Twitter with #beatstress.

Let's get zen!

REMEMBERING

Planting mums and daffodils for Robert.

This past Sunday I was invited to the church where we held the service for Robert and incidentally also where we held Braden's funeral service a year ago.  My sister Martina and I attended the celebration of Mass on Sunday, October 28 to remember Robert and others who had passed in recent months.  Later there was an opportunity to pray for Robert at the cemetery.  I was glad for my sister's support during the Mass because I had thought I would be able to manage but until Robert's name was mentioned I was fine.  Just hearing his name sent me sobbing remembering what I had lost.  Yet I want so much to honour him in all I do so I knew it was right to feel both the pain and the happiness.  Yes, happiness.  I have so much to be grateful for don't I?  Robert taught me so much, gave me so much, helped me grow so much … I can't imagine my life any other way.  I can grieve and be grateful at the same time.  Being in the church at the very place where we celebrated Robert 6 months ago made me connect once again to the weight of that day.

After Mass, my sister and I stepped into rubber boots (Wellies as Robert would have called them) and bore the brunt of rain and cold to plant mums and daffodils at Robert's grave in Greenwood Cemetery in Georgetown.  The headstone had just been installed.  It is an imposing piece of pink granite, Bob's favourite, mined from the Canadian Shield.  The deep burgundy mums we planted looked fine against the rough pink stone and I know the bright yellow daffodils will stand beautifully tall in the spring sun next year just as the daffodils on the hill at our home will look next April.  Martina and I planted similar flowers at Braden's grave.  Father and son united under the heavens.

When we finished planting both of us were completely soaked and covered in mud but we are glad to have taken care of our men and memories as we had.  I take Robert with me everywhere I go because I am a better person for having him in my life.  There are many days that I feel it is impossible to bear his loss but there are many more that are filled with hope, his lasting gift to me.  Robert, I am grateful to you.

Love and gratitude,
Tosca

Oxygen Winners!

Thanks to everyone for sharing your wonderful Clean O' Ween ideas! I hope you all made it through the day successfully, whether that was indulging in a sweet treat or trying out an alternative option.

I am happy to announce our latest winners:

1. Bikini Mimi
2. Amanda
3. Marie-Stephanie Proulx
4. Vicki
5. Grether

Please contact rcorradetti@rkpubs.com with your full shipping information. Thank you.

Thunder Bay is No Sleeping Giant

Keeping it lively in Thunder Bay!
Photo Credit: Matt Goertz

The only previous experience I had with Thunder Bay, Ontario was sending my daughter Kiersten out there for tree planting.  This is a job many summer students enjoy doing because they are outdoors and they make good money.  I was headed to this northern Ontario city to conduct a seminar.  My sister, Martina, accompanied me on the journey.  As we flew over Lake Superior in the early morning we could see a monstrous lake - Lake Superior is the biggest freshwater lake in the world containing 20% of the worlds' fresh water supply - we could see the lights of the city sparkling below us and a massive land mass jutting out into the water, something we would later learn was called The Sleeping Giant.

On the ground we were met by Sharla Brown from Keynote Events and her helper Tammy.  Sharla is the feisty gal who coordinated the entire event.  From the moment I met her I knew we were in good hands because she had every detail well organized and I never had a question about where I was to be or when.  Throughout the book signing at Janzen's Pharmacy, the dinner at Five Forks and the seminar held at the Victoria Inn, I met the wonderful people of Thunder Bay.  There were many heart warming stories from women and men who had endured much yet found their way to health and wellness with the help of Eating Clean.

Brenda Adams of Janzen's

It was my pleasure to meet Brenda Adams, owner of Janzen's Pharmacy and sponsor of the event, and her team, all of whom were smiling no matter what.  Thank you for hosting such a wonderful event, bringing awareness to health and wellness to so many in the gateway to the North.

Michelle Hamilton and her son John. 

I also met Michelle Hamilton and her husband Pete and their son John.  What a story!  Perhaps I will have Michelle guest blog for us so she can share her powerful story about courage and perseverance.  The main piece of this story is that she and I endured similar heartaches regarding our sons.  Braden Kennedy, Robert's son and my stepson, sustained global head injuries when he was hit by a car.  He passed in 2011.  Michelle's son John sadly also sustained brain injuries 3 years ago.  Although I knew the story, I had not met John until the weekend in Thunder Bay.  He made my day with his smiles and gentle nature.  The good word is he is making a slow recovery.  Thank goodness for small miracles.

The event itself was filled with laughter, tears, emotions of all ranges and silliness too.  We enjoyed working my favourite body part - the glutes - as well as the lower abs.  We made yummy Lifestyle Bars and led the way for more health and wellness in Thunder Bay.

Thank you Thunder Bay!

Hope to see you at one of my events.
Tosca