C: For Women Only

The men should read as well. So we all know that our bodies go through drastic changes every month. Each month we complain, we wonder, and we feel fat. But then we feel great, we feel thin, we feel strong....hold up!! How can this happen in one month and then happen over and over and over again?! Let's not call it the 'time of month', let's not call it 'flow', let's not even call it 'I'm just bitchy'! Stop making excuses for your menstrual cycle for the benefit of everyone else (ie. MEN). Let's breakdown the actual process so that you can be better prepared for workouts, for relationships, and for life!

Before we take notes...let's quickly talk about Periods. When I was 13, my dad told me that having a period is what makes women the most special thing on the planet because it signals the fact that women can give life. He explained my cycle from a scientific level. There was no giggling, no embarrassment, just a matter of fact conversation about my body. I have done the same with my daughter. Since then, I have been very aware and have always kept a weekly schedule but as I have met more and more female friends, I realized that not everyone this 'talk'. Self magazine breaks it down like my dad did, so many years ago.

According to the September 2011 issue of Self magazine under the article, "Feel Well Every Week', if you have more information about what is going on biologically, you can make better decisions for your body logically. Make sense? Okay...get your calendar out and let's begin.

Week 1-YOU HAVE YOUR PERIOD. This means that Estrogen and progesterone levels are low. Low levels of estrogen can cause depression, irritability, and even OCD. Estrogen's partner in crime, Progesterone can do wonders when trying to get preggers...they work together to help 'signal in the sperm'...I often think of little guys with glow sticks motioning a huge airplane. Anyway, I digress. If progesterone levels are low, it can cause sodium retention, cramping, diarreha. So what do you need to do during this time? My advice, take it easy!! Perhaps you switch up your workout to include more stretching. Low estrogen can also cause your temperature to rise so try just sleeping with a sheet instead of a comforter. Also, turn off the laptop and silence the cell a few hours before going to bed...this week you need your rest!

Week 2-You'll be feeling great because your body is preparing to ovulate. You've made it through the cramps and sleepless nights so this week, tackle projects and keep your house in order. Estrogen and Testosterone levels are pretty high so put on that mascara and show off that toned bod!! Use the extra energy to really push through your workouts. If you normally do a set of 30, try sets of 35..your body will thank you on that days that you don't feel all that energized.

Week 3-So this week the egg is released and is on its way down the fallopian tube towards the uterus. Some women say that it is during THIS time when they feel the most irritable...why? Well...we are animals. Women are biologically designed to produce so when your body releases that unfertilized egg, it is pissed and makes you suffer for it. You may even feel a little down. To help with symptoms, up your calcium levels. Yes, there is milk (but milk is for baby cows). Why not use some alternatives like collard greens, soymilk, black-eyed peas, tofu, oj, molasses, baked beans, kale, cabbage, oranges, almonds, broccoli. So load up on a stir fry and add lots of broccoli...:)

Week 4-So now that your body is pissed from not getting fertilized your estrogen and progesterone levels will drop (see week 1). While more stable in week 1 (actually during your period), the week before can be hell. Find some quiet space to just be. If you feel irritated, take a walk, take a breath...pre-menstrual symptoms are no joke and can lead to confusion, mis-interpretation, and irrational thinking. Don't respond to emails or text messages right away. Do not react to perceived 'tones' or 'attitudes' and try not to be too impulsive. Keeping a record of this week will really help. Bump up your banana and broccoli intake to help with the increased amount of salt your body is holding onto. Drink plenty of water and tea to help ease anxiety. These are real feelings you feel but your mind may be blowing them out of proportion so this may be a good time to get to that nature walk path you've been meaning to do, this time, go alone.

I hope this helps. Tuning into your body is so important. Instead of beating yourself up for not working out, go with the flow. Listen to what your body needs and just go with it without the guilt.

Namaste

C:Patience

I came across this passage the other day and thought I would share:

Vitarka vicara ananda asmitarupta anugamat samprajnata -- In order to reach a state of complete understanding, we must go through a process that progresses from a superficial understanding to increasingly greater refinement and subtlety of comprehension, until our understanding becomes fully integrated and total.

Namaste

C: EAT MORE!

I love this youtube channel. Not that I am selling her books or ideas but she is onto something. I've been eating clean for the past month and I have never felt so good.

http://youtu.be/2yP_g-koLO0

C: My Forgotten Snack

I used to LOVE popcorn! I used to love popcorn so much that when we would go to my dad's for the weekend, I remember my step mother slapping my hand out of the bowl. I used to wish I had my own bowl. I am a product of the 80's, remember when you could eat bags and bags of the stuff and seemingly feel full and not gain any weight. Well, the microwave crap is for the birds. My tongue would feel itchy and I used to feel this dried, disgusting feeling in my throat after throwing back a bag (or 2). So when I was at a recent wine event and gourmet popcorn was being passed around, I couldn't resist. The host for the evening is from London and partial to finger foods paired with fabulous wines. She wants you to enjoy the wine but not feel too full off of the food being served with the wine. So then how do you keep folks from getting drunk?! She picked the perfect solution...popcorn. She makes a huge homemade batch and then sprinkles them with her favorite toppings. There were little cups dusted with feta, some sprinkled with stevia (for that kettle corn affect), and some even dusted with chocolate and chilli powder for the red wines. It was absolutely de-lish!! And with the individual cups, you could down the entire thing or eat daintily while sipping your wine. I decided on the stevia blend and paired it with an iced cold riesling which, by the way, went along excellent with the cheese puffs she was serving (recipe to follow in another blog).

Here's how to make homemade popcorn (perfect every time!)
Put a deep pot on to medium-high heat
Pour about 3 tbsp of oil (I prefer vegetable)
Pour 1/2 cup of popcorn kernels into pot
Put lid on
You'll hear popping in about 5 mins, give the pot with lid on, 1 hard shake after the popping slows.
Remove from heat, distribute into equal bowls (sprinkle with your toppings as you desire)

C: Anxiety

Over the past couple of weeks I have felt an overwhelming anxiety that is so crippling, I can't even leave the house. This weekend 'IT' finally came to a head and I figured out why I was feeling this way. Let me go back in space a bit to help you understand. Q and I started this blog as a way to encourage each other and share information that we have found. We received so many individual messages describing how our notes helped people that we knew we were onto something big. We are still onto something big because we get it. We get that this is a journey and a huge change and within that journey, you are forced to deal with issues you don't or haven't wanted to deal with. fAat yoGa has really taken on a life of itself with meeting people, spreading the word about our journey, and even profitable. For me though, what has happened is that something so precious and infantile in my life, has become so overwhelming. I now have deadlines and am responsible to people. The problem...I'm still in the middle of my journey...it is almost like a conflict of interest. I workout and stay healthy because I want to, but the minute someone says I have to get something done, I shy away from that piece of it. I want this in my own time and my own space. It has actually caused me to stop seeing my personal trainer as well...it became all too much, too fast.

You see, what I realized is that if everything I do relates to a business of FY, then where does that leave my personal life? Where does that leave me time to work on or grow the things I love? I am looking at a pile of loose beads right at this very moment. What started out as a very clean and fun idea to help people focus on their yoga practice, has become a deadline and a project that 'hopefully people will buy'. When I get an idea in my head, I am all for it. Then it passes, I put the stuff away and move onto another project. I may or may not come back to it but knowing that folks are depending on me for the 'hobby' makes me not want to do that hobby, does this make sense?

As with anything in life. Achieving life goals has to be on your own terms and your own timeline. Pushing to do an event or be at a certain weight by a certain time just does not motivate people, why? Because everyone needs their own time to process and go through their own journey.

I am so incredibly proud of what we have accomplished as individuals and as a team. I know that this is not the end of FY because this blog has gotten me to where I am now, however, this is the space in which I will remain. I will continue to blog about my experience and share what I am learning along the way, but that is where it will end and Cara, the person who is exploring this vast world, will begin. I need to separate the 2 in order to stay on this path of fitness. Here's to finding my fit!

C: Reasons to Get Moving

What are your reasons to get moving these days? Have you thought about them? Before you start listing 'I need to get in shape for my reunion' or 'I would really like to wear a bikini', let's start with the first reason; you need to get moving for YOU. So many times we put our loved ones, work, kids, magazine articles, and even guilt first before we put ourselves first. How can you achieve all that you would like to achieve if you don't put yourself first?

Believe me, I've heard the excuses...'well, she cries in the 2 hour childcare while I workout'...'well, my husband feels like we aren't spending time together'...'I'll miss my favorite show'. I HAVE HEARD THEM ALL and the answer to me is, 'then you really do not want to get fit'. In order to get fit you HAVE to put YOU first. Simple, plain, the end. Realize that you will feel better, you will look better, and most importantly, you WILL actually have the energy to get to all of those who depend on you, and guess what, you'll do it with a better attitude. So...start small (walk 15mins at a brisk pace every morning), create doable goals (Include veggies in every meal), and commit to the process (Instead of running away from stress, work through it with exercise)...YOU WILL SEE RESULTS!

“Every human being is the author of his own health or disease.” - Buddha

C: Where Does The Time Go?!

Well...it constantly changes, of course!! It is amazing how life changes and how bodies and minds change along with it. When I first started this journey, I really depended on this blog as my escape but now that 7 months have gone by, it feels like a long lost friend. So what has been happening with me? Well...I'm still working out, eating right and living life. Once I dealt with the WHYs of food obsession, I cleared the way for new adventures and hobbies to occupy that space. I am now obsessed with jewelry and jewelry making, knitting (yes, even in Florida), travel, I've really gotten back into reading, and just taking time to redefine who I am. The food has become such a small factor in my life, the food is now for life energy. What have you discovered about yourself now that you have put down the fork? Isn't life full of amazing things?!