Lee’s Insights

This is written by my good friend Cheryl Lyon,  Cheryl is a certified professional life coach, meditation leader, and author of the “At Home Retreat Kit.”  Visit Cheryl at http://www.wingedlifecoaching.com and http://athomeretreatkit.com.

This time of year, I’m always a bit jealous of the school kids.

Not only have they had the luxury of a summer off, they now have
the opportunity for a “fresh start” - an opportunity to leave the
mistakes of last year behind and excel in a new way. New teachers,
new subjects, a new chance to reinvent themselves - to be someone
different than they were last year.

Maybe to be a better athlete or a better student, maybe just to get
along with people better.  New pencils and fresh pads of paper and
new school clothes symbolize and emphasize the sense of a new
beginning, a fresh start.

I’ve been in the same job for 20 years now, and while my job
responsiblities have grown with my knowledge and experience, and
while I (mostly) enjoy my work, I do miss that opportunity for a
fresh start.  So I’ve been thinking of ways that I CAN give myself
a fresh start.

Here are my “top 10″ ideas - I’d love to hear yours.

#10 - Clean out my “backpack.” Clear off my desk and start over -
throw out anything I no longer need and file the rest.  This
may take a few hours, but if I work at it 15 minutes a day or so,
I’ll have it done in a week or two.

#9 - Learn something new - something not directly related to what I
NEED to know. Learn just for the fun of it.

#8 - Take an art class - maybe start playing the piano again, or
start a new quilting project - or both. Maybe take an actual class,
maybe just set aside some time to work on my own.

#7 - Don’t skip gym - incorporate more physical activity into my
day to keep my body fit and support my mind and spirit.

#6 - Take breaks.  Kids get breaks between classes to clear their
heads before they move on to the next thing.  I am both more
efficient and more effective if I do the same.  Just a few moments
can make a big difference.

#5 - Plan on a semester basis.  Look at my schedule and obligations
for the rest of the year and see what I need to start working on
now so I don’t need to cram at the end of the term.

#4 - Take recess every day.  Get outside if possible, even if it’s
only for a 5 minute walk around the block.

#3 - Have a healthy “school lunch.”  Whether I “bring” or “buy,”
make an effort to include a balance of protein, carbs, and fruits
and vegetables.  And a glass of skim milk wouldn’t hurt either!

#2 - Relax and regroup “after school.” Take 10 minutes to relax
before racing off into my evening obligations.

And (drum roll, please), the #1 way I can live like a school kid -
PLAY.  Keep my sense of humor and enjoy the fun (and funny) little
moments that come my way. Take life seriously, but live it lightly.
Remember that God will take care of things - if I let Him.

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One of the fun parts of my Gluten Free lifestyle has been creating great holiday menus - I usually find recipes from other GF sites or just convert the ones I find on traditional recipe sites like Epicurious.com and then mix and match with my old faithfuls.  My Mother is coming over for Sunday brunch so it will be my Mom, my husband, Scott , my 15 year old son, Brian, and me - small group.  I want to do something a little festive because it’s Mother’s Day, but also don’t want to be slaving away all morning because, well, it’s Mother’s Day.   Here’s what I came up with - I think a happy medium:

• Scrambled Eggs with Smoked Salmon & Lemon Cream
• Choice of Blueberry or Banana Pancakes w/ Assorted Syrups and Preserves
• Nitrite and Nitrate-Free Applewood Smoked Bacon from Wegman’s
• Lee’s Ambrosia Salad
• Assortment of GF & Non GF Toast and Muffins
• Mimosas & Coffee

Scrambled Eggs with Smoked Salmon & Lemon Cream (Epicurious, Bon Appetit 2/2009)

Ingredients:  This recipe serves 2, I will double it.

• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 3/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon (packed) finely grated lemon peel
• 1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon butter (I’ll substitute Virgin Coconut Oil)
• 1 large green onion, thinly sliced
• 2 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon -preferably Alaskan salmon

Preparation

Mix sour cream, fresh lemon juice, finely grated lemon peel, and chopped fresh thyme in small bowl. Season lemon cream to taste with salt and pepper.

Whisk eggs in medium bowl to blend; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Melt butter (coconut oil) in medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add thinly sliced green onion and sauté 1 minute. Add eggs; cook until almost set, stirring often, about 1 minute. Divide scrambled eggs between plates. Top scrambled eggs with thinly sliced smoked salmon; drizzle with lemon cream and serve.

Choice of  Blueberry or Banana Pancakes

I use Pamela’s GF Baking & Pancake mix - as far as I’m concerned it’s the best GF Pancake mix on the market.  I will make 2 separate batches according to the instructions on the back of the package (each batch makes approximately 6 medium sized pancakes) - to one batch, I’ll add chopped banana and to the other I’ll add 1 pint of fresh organic blueberries - note when the blueberry pancakes are cooking the berries will burst which makes for an ultra delicious but also a bit of a soggier pancake, so I usually add a little less water to the blueberry batch.   I’ll serve with a variety of syrups, preserves and confectioners sugar - I love finding neat organic home made syrups and preserves at local health food stores or outdoor farmer’s markets.

Lee’s Ambrosia Salad

Ingredients

• 1 c. Fresh organic pineapple, drained & cut into chunks
• 1 c. Fresh organic Red Delicious (or any other firm, sweet apple) cut into chunks - I leave the skin on for better health
• 1 can mandarin orange segments, drained- reserve a few tablespoons of the juice
• 2 bananas cut into 1/2 inch slices
• 1/2 c. walnuts, chopped and toasted
• Shredded organic coconut (no sugar added is best, but either will work)
• 1/2 c. sour cream
• small marshmallows (optional)

Preparation

In a nice serving bowl, toss gently to combine  the fruit, nuts and shredded coconut.   In a separate bowl, add the sour cream and reserved mandarin orange juice, whisk to combine well.  This should be a little thick.  Gently fold the sour cream mixture into the fruit - the sauce will thin when the salad sits.  I like less sauce on my salad - if you like more, just add more sour cream. Add marshmallow, if you like them - we don’t.

I think this will make for a yummy and fun morning - the plan is to stay in our jammies, eat and then curl up on the couch and floor and watch movies until it’s time for me to go to yogar at 4:00!  Perfect Mother’s Day, if you ask me! 

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I was diagnosed with Gluten Intolerance almost 8 years ago …  I can’t believe it’s been that long - time has flown by.   Sometimes I think back to who I was PD (Pre Diagnosis) and I almost can’t even identify with that person; always sick, always tired, moody, depressed … ugh!  I am one of the lucky ones who has managed to wade my way through this lifestyle with relative ease - I  feel good most of the time, in fact, I feel great most of the time and I am incredibly grateful for that!   That being said, I had pretty much come to the conclusion that there were a lot of things I would just never eat again  - topping the list, Pizza!

About a year ago I saw a GF pizza at Wegmans - can’t remember the brand.  I bought it, made it, ate the whole thing.  It was just OK - weird crust, no toppings, just cheese and sauce.  Never bought it again…  never even bought GF crust to make my own at home,  I basically just wrote the whole pizza thing off.

Until I heard about Z Pizza!  Here’s how it happened: My GF friend, Tina, says - “Hey, before our next GF meeting let’s meet at Z Pizza for dinner, they have amazing pizza with any toppings you want on it and it’s really good!”  I agreed, knowing full well that it wouldn’t be good and they wouldn’t have anything else for me to eat there, either.  I was WRONG!!

Tip: Be sure to call first and ask if they have the GF crust in stock - another friend of mine was despondent when she got there after craving  pizza all week, only to find they were out.

Let me just say that they have a list of about 16 pizzas on the menu.  Here are a few: the Mexican (homemade salsa, avocado, tomato, red onions & sour cream), the Casablanca (homemade roasted garlic sauce, ricotta, mushrooms, artichoke hearts and parmesan) and the Californian (organic tomato sauce, mozzarella, mushrooms, red onions, bell pepper & zucchini) and the list goes on, that doesn’t include the standard pepperoni, cheese, meat lovers, etc.  If none of those appeal to you, no problem just create your own combination from the extensive list of toppings.   I must say it was tough to choose what to get - after so much deprivation I wanted it all!  I chose organic tomato sauce, caramalized onions (delicious!!),  mushrooms, fresh mozzarella and basil.  All I can say is YUM!  It was delicious and an almost transcendental experience  - not sure it was better than sex, but almost!  If they served gluten free beer, my experience would have been complete!

In addition to fabulous gluten free pizza, they have a bunch of really great gluten free salads to choose from,  as well as non GF sandwiches and pastas, too (I can’t vouch for the non GF stuff, though). They combine select ingredients using award-winning skim mozzarella from Wisconsin, certified organic tomato sauce, MSG-free pepperoni, additive-free sausage, and fresh produce. and so far the service has been pretty good, too!  This is definitely a place to take the family.   On a scale of 1 - 10, I give it a solid 8 (points deducted only because they don’t serve beer!)

Check them out!!  Z Pizza!

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I’m having a wonderful Sunday afternoon.  It’s raining outside, so my plan to get out and weed the beds kind of went out the window.  I decided to take advantage of the day and just sit and catch up on personal “stuff” like thank people for the #FollowFridays, download the podcasts I want to listen to this week on the way to and from work and catch up on some personal e-mails.   I suddenly remembered that I had a box of  gluten-free graham crackers that had been given to me by the owner of the health food store I frequent – Healthy by Nature in Leesburg, Virginia.  Usually the gluten free version of things that we remember fondly from our youth somehow always seem to fall short.  Not this time!  I went to the pantry, tried one and Wow – it was really good!  The texture is a little different from the traditional, but the flavor was fabulous with just a hint of molasses.  I immediately made myself a lovely cup of Tazo Chai tea with a teaspoon of organic raw cane sugar and a just a splash of lactose free milk and along with that ate the ultra yummy graham crackers.   What a lovely experience – I just had to share!!!

For really good graham crackers that will probably live up to their name, check out S’moreables by Kinnikinnik and if you live in the Loudoun County VA area, check out Healthy by Nature on East Market Street and ask for Bobbi!

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This blog and these posts are me just sharing what I learn as I learn it … I’m not an “expert”,  I’m a coach who’s on a spiritual path to wellness just like a lot of people.  I’m constantly reading, doing research, soul searching, learning from others and I feel called to share what I learn with my readers.

Feeling well was something that eluded me for years before I found out about my gluten allergy.  I just assumed how I felt was just how I was - some people feel well and happy and others don’t and I was one of the unlucky ones.  One day I set the intention (without knowing that’s what I was doing) to feel better, I was tired of being tired, depressed and sick all of the time, the crazy thing is that  just setting that intention set some amazing wheels in motion.  From that moment on my life was never the same!  I have since discovered that I can and do feel well most of the time, I discovered my passions for matters of  health and wellness, spirituality, coaching and healing.  The changes are too numerous to list here, but my point is that by just setting the intention to make life different, by taking personal RESPONSIBILITY for my well-being, I discovered joy and purpose.  It’s my prayer & intention that you are able to do the same thing - I’ve listed below a very short list of easy things you can do right now to set the wheels in your life in motion.

5 Things You Can Do Right Now to Feel Better Right Now!!

1.  Make a decision to feel better:  Set your intention right now.  How tired are you of being tired?  Take 5 minutes and write in your journal or on any piece of paper what your life would look like if you felt great.  Be descriptive, what would you do? Where would you go? Who would you be with? What would you wear? How happy would you feel?  When you put a goal or an intention on paper, the rate of success skyrockets.  When you put an intention or a goal on paper the Law of Attraction kicks into overdrive!  Now, watch for the opportunities to arrive.  Maybe a new doctor who understands your problem, maybe an article about your symptoms, maybe a new supplement … a new breakthrough.  Anything is possible.  Set the intention now!

2.  Practice Gratitude:  All I can say about this is just try it!  At the end of the day, write at least 5 things you are grateful for that day, they can be small things or big things, no matter how bad or tired you feel.  This will change your life - it changed mine!  This exercise gets you to notice all of the little things, all of the little blessings … you have to pay attention  because you’re going to need to remember them later!  Skeptical or just not in the mood?  Do it anyway -  try it for just for a week and see what happens.  When we don’t feel well we tend to focus on just that, we forget to notice just how blessed we really are.  When we feel gratitude our perspective begins to change and you will feel better  right away, I  promise!

3.  Cut out just one of these things  - starchy carbs, sugar, caffeine or alcohol:  This is a small step  - make it a bigger step with bigger rewards by choosing only one to ingest per day.  I know they’re good, but they are  poison to your system - your body is a healing machine, it can and will begin to heal itself with the proper nutrition going into it.  Starchy carbs, sugar, caffeine & alcohol make your body work too hard to counteract them which takes  precious energy away from it’s ability to heal.  Cut one or two out and not only will you feel better physically, but you’ll feel “healthier” mentally.  More on this in a future post.

4. Get enough clean filtered water every day:  Aim for 64 oz. per day, more if you exercise or  live in a dry climate.  Did you know that even mild dehydration can cause depression, fatigue, headaches, loss of alertness, insomnia, hunger pangs, dry scaly skin, constipation, joint discomfort and as I discovered, restless leg syndrome? Our bodies are made up of approximately 60% water, we need water to function.  With enough water our bodies can help prevent cancer and the risk of  chronic disease, maintain a healthy body weight, prevent urinary infections, fight constipation and the list goes on.  Drink enough so that you rarely feel thirsty and your urine runs clear or only slightly yellow.  Try it - you will feel better!

5.  Take time for stillness:  Call it what you want - meditation, prayer, introspection, quiet time … it doesn’t matter.  Do this all at once or in short moments, but aim for at least 30 minutes a day.  Tune out the left brain chatter (like you can tune out a child or the television),  don’t try to stop thinking just tune it out -  sit still, eyes closed and breath.  Focus on your breath or think about things your are grateful for or think of a beautiful place, flower or piece of art - maybe light a scented candle… whatever you have to do to keep your mind still,  just for a few moments.  Get in touch with the peace inside yourself - just sit and be still and you’ll find that peace IS in there.  The more time you take to tune into it the better you will feel.  This is something I am still working on, but when I take time for stillness, even if only for a few moments, the rewards are huge!   Do this and you will feel better!

These are only 5 easy-to-do-right-now steps you can take to begin to dip your toe into better health and wellness.  Stay tuned  - there are more to come!!

My coaching challenge:  Pick one of these or all 5 and try to incorporate them into your day - then come back and tell me how you feel!

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I’m excited about finally entering this post and here’s why:

I’ve been writing to this blog for the past couple of years  - writing about my insights into personal growth and spirituality, but there was always something missing.  I was diagnosed with a gluten allergy almost 8 years ago (I can’t believe it’s been that long!)  At the time of the diagnosis I was actually relieved, within a matter of weeks I no longer felt so fatigued that I had to take a nap every night after work, I no longer felt depressed for no reason, I no longer carried 10 lbs of weight around my waist and more importantly I could go on dates, on hikes and on weekend trips without fear of bathroom emergencies or being doubled over in pain - to say nothing of the fact that in the process of eliminating all of the other possibilities, during a colonoscopy,  we discovered and removed pre-cancerous polyps in my colon (these can take 10 years to turn into full blown cancer), which might not sound like a big deal, but I was 37 at the time and the protocol for routine colonoscopy for women is age 50 … so as far as I’m concerned my gluten allergy probably saved my life!   So all in all, at the time of the diagnosis I was a happy camper.

Until I had to figure out what to eat and what not to eat!  This was almost 8 years ago, there weren’t as many options then as there are now and it was hard and I was all on my own.   I had to throw out all of the staples I had in my pantry and buy all over again.  I got on line and researched products, recipes, how to read ingredient labels, which additives are GF and which aren’t  - didn’t know that soy sauce was a no-no,  and so was blue cheese dressing.  I printed and carried around a 10 page printed list of ingredients and products that were approved as well as the ones that were not approved.   I’ve learned a lot and I’m still learning …

Which brings me back to what was missing on this blog.  I recently cofounded a local support group for people in our area dealing with gluten issues and part of my goal has been to start a GF blog or website - to create one central place where people like me can go and get some good solid information on how to easily make the transition into the GF lifestyle.  I’ve been agonizing about how to go about this and just recently I decided that I don’t need a NEW blog, I can just add on to this blog …  it’s all part of the same thing, my passion is helping people heal (mostly women) themselves physically through nutrition, emotionally through personal growth and spirituality.  So here it is, my first post in my newly redesigned same old blog!  I’m not sure how it’s going to evolve, but it will - so keep checking in!

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Wow! It’s already the 11th of January -time flies… the older I get the more meaningful that phrase becomes. Being the goal setter and planner that I am, I usually come bounding into the new year with Ultimate Scenarios and lists in hand -bring it on! This year is different… in fact, the reason I haven’t posted until today is because for the first time in many years I really wasn’t sure what the goals were going to be. I couldn’t wrap my brain around what it was I wanted to have accomplished by the end of this year, so I decided to just let it go and see what happened.

The phrase that kept (and keeps) popping into my head is “slow and easy”. I realize that I need to take 2008 on in a deliberate way but also in a slow and easy way - more time thinking and planning,  more time relaxing with family and friends, more time just being in the moment. Don’t get me wrong -I’ve got a lot to do, but I’m just not going to go at it full steam ahead like I usually do. So here’s some of what’s on my list:

• Finish my book
• Get this blog really going -I have so many ideas for it!
• Get a consistent meditation practice going -learn to just sit still!!!!
• Refinish the trunk (yep, on the list again this year!)
• Mastermind with others
• Go on a cruise with my son (my husband hates cruises)
• Go on a romantic vacation with my husband -just us!
• Take my coaching practice to the next level (that’s always on the list)

Let me wrap this up by saying that I know, and I mean I really, really know, that this is going to be a great year for me and a lot of other people. In fact, I believe that whoever lays down the groundwork for their own personal success this year, whatever that is, will reap the rewards one hundred fold -this is a year of prosperity. Watch and see!

If you need help wrapping your brain around your Ultimate Scenario for 2008 -you can’t quite figure out what you can commit to, contact me at coaching@leevangiezen.com - I’ll be happy to coach you through it!

To your health, wellness and personal success!

Happy New Year!

Lee

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I’m happy to share this video I stumbled upon on You Tube, directed by coreylarson -only 17 years old from what I gathered. Great job!

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I just had lunch today with my friend, Alan Eisenberg -we caught up on a number of issues and just generally reconnected. I was very excited to see we are both really focusing on moving forward in our individual areas of passion. Our lunch was an unexpected source of renewed energy. I recommend you make the time to have lunch with a good friend this week -it’s good for the soul!

Anyway, Alan has a great blog on the subject of bullying from an adult perspective. He is generous with his sharing of very personal first-hand experiences and is successfully building community awareness through his blog, by networking with others with the same mission as well as working on his documentary (contributions are welcome!). Read his story and about his efforts at: http://bullyinglte.wordpress.com/

My Coaching challenge: Have you overcome a challenge that you faced as a child -or as an adult? Think about starting a blog -others can always benefit from your experience and you’ll be amazed at the the healing you’ll experience when you really “know” that you aren’t the only one that went through it. Go to www.wordpress.com to start your blog today! Oh… and schedule lunch with a good friend today!

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Studies have shown that even 15 minutes a day of quiet meditation can have amazing benefits -decrease in anxiety and depression, increase in energy, increase in mental acuity, and the list goes on.

I recently decided to make having a consistent meditation practice top on my list of personal priorities and I can’t believe the resources that have suddenly presented themselves. Among my favorites is the book “Wherever You Go, There You Are - Mindfulness Meditation in Every Day Life” by Jon Kabat-Zinn. In his book, Kabat-Zinn explains the principles of Mindfulness in meditation in easy to understand language. In addition to explaining the basics, where to meditate, how to get ready, how to sit, etc., he gives some examples of wonderful simple self-guided meditations. One of my favorites is Mountain Meditation -this is a perfect meditation for people who feel pulled in many different directions, people who are impacted by other people’s moods and demands and anyone who is generally feeling stressed and out of control.

Picture a majestic mountain, any mountain that you can clearly visualize -the more detailed the visualization the better. The mountain is standing tall and strong, it has been there for thousands of years. All around the mountain the weather changes from beautiful sunny skies to hurricane force winds to snow and ice, but the mountain always stands firm -the activity just whirls around the mountain but does not affect it day to day. Now, sit quietly and focus on your breath going in and out -relax and breath… as the thoughts come in and out of your mind, picture yourself as the mountain -sit up tall and strong like a mountain, firmly grounded to the earth -let the thoughts and the stress and anxiety whirl around you without affecting you, the thoughts of people and situations that are pressuring you are just thoughts and you are a mountain, sitting strong. You are who you are, who you have always been, regardless of the “weather” happening around you. Sit with that feeling of power and majesty, breath in and out slowly and relax for as long as you feel comfortable doing so.

This meditation practiced for only a few minutes a day will do wonders for your self confidence and strength. You will begin to understand that the issues that come up are just part of life, they are normal, but you don’t have to let them affect you. You can remain calm, strong and tall -who you are can remain constant.

My coaching challenge: Get Jon Kabat-Zinn’s book. Read it and pick a meditation you think will work for you and practice it for just 5 minutes a day. I promise you will see results!

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