The Art of Contentment

True contentment is a thing as active as agriculture. It is the power of getting out of any situation all that there is in it. It is arduous and it is rare ~Gilbert K. Chesterton

I have a confession to make. I am not always happy or pleased with the ebbs and flows of my life. Chances are that like me, you have at one time or another found yourself in a place of discontentment and regret. In this very moment you may be in that place; mired deep in a pool of complaining and self-pity. Happiness and joy exist only on your carefully constructed vision board or in the land of your dreams. You are miserable. You have mastered the art of masking your discontentment, painting elaborate pictures for friends and family. I know. I was there once.  I am now working on mastering a new craft, the art of contentment. Here’s what I have learned so far:

1.     Enjoyment does not have to be purchased.  I have learned to have fun with things that don’t cost a fortune (most are free). Playing board games, reading great books, connecting with friends, going for a run, visiting the museum on free or discounted days are all super enjoyable and require little or no money.

2.     Less is often more. I (like many of you) believed the lie that the more things I owned the happier I would be.  The reality is this:  the more things you own the more you need to keep up with, the more likely you are to have clutter, the more time you spend searching for misplaced things, the more time you spend changing outfits, the more likely you are to accumulate consumer debt, and the less space you have for the things that really matter. Let go of excess.

3.     Gratitude changes perspective. So often we see the glass as half empty instead of half full. When you find yourself whining about your circumstances challenge yourself to express gratitude for just one thing in your life. This will stop the cycle of negativity dead in its tracks and free you to operate from a position of empowerment and strength.

4.     Stop comparing yourself to others. When comparing yourself to others, someone will always be better or ahead. Even without trying we subconsciously do things to “keep up” with others. We upgrade our phones, buy larger houses, pursue higher education, relocate, change jobs, get newer cars etc. because someone else is doing it. Keeping up with the Jones’ or anyone else for that matter is futile and ridiculous. Newsflash: The Jones’ don’t give a crap about you, are probably in debt, or miserable…and even if they are happy, they have found happiness doing what they love. You will not find happiness living their life, but rather by living your own. You are enough. You are worthy.

5.     Contentment is not the enemy of ambition. The notion of contentment has gotten a bad rap. Many people believe (as I once did) that being content means settling for less than you desire. This is wrong. Contentment is recognizing your situation/circumstance and choosing not to allow that situation to determine or disrupt your inner peace and personal worth.

6.     Happiness is daily choice not a future event. One of the most overused and joy stealing phrases is “I’ll be happy when….” Happiness is often expressed as a future event just beyond the horizon, only possible if all other life factors perfectly align. The problem with this sort of thinking is that it robs you of the possibility that today can be great. Newsflash: The horizon is a moving target, an illusion really – no one ever gets there. Learn to celebrate along your journey. Choose joy today. 

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Not that I speak from a want; for I have learned to be content regardless of my circumstances.  I know how to get along with humble means, and I know how to live in prosperity; I have learned the secret of how to live whether I am filled or going hungry, having abundance or suffering need. ~ Bible, Philippians 4:11-12 

Top Ten Toxic Chemicals that may cause Autism and Learning Disabilities

The CDC estimates 1 in 88 children has been identified with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This marks a 78% increase since 2007. While there are  many questions about the causes of autism and other disabilities, most researchers and medical experts believe that a combination of genetic and environmental factors are to blame. Because the prevalence of autism has increased so rapidly, most experts believe that the primary cause/trigger mechanism may be environmental. One reason for this is that genetic/DNA evolution happens over many decades and the rates of autism increase has significantly outpaced any possible rate of broad-based genetic changes. The good news is that environmental factors are in our control. Here is a list of 10 chemicals that you should consider eliminating or reducing:

1. Lead

2. Methylmercury

3. PCBs

4. Organophosphate pesticides

5. Organochlorine pesticides

6. Endocrine disruptors

7. Automotive exhaust

8. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

9. Brominated flame retardants

10. Perfluorinated compounds

Hope this helps. Let's advocate for the elimination/reduction of these chemicals. Your voice matters! 

Sources

 Top ten toxic chemicals suspected to cause autism and learning disabilities: "Mount Sinai Medical Center (2012, April 25). Top ten toxic chemicals suspected to cause autism and learning disabilities. ScienceDaily.

Centers for Disease Control and prevention (2012). Why are Autism Spectrum Disorders Increasing? http://www.cdc.gov/Features/AutismPrevalence/

365 Wellness | Tip # 11 Limit your Alcohol intake

      Excessive drinking will put you on the fast track to premature aging, liver damage, and a host of other serious health conditions. It also impairs your judgment, stability and cognitive ability. Alcohol is also a major contributor to violence, traffic deaths, depression and suicide. Additionally, alcohol provides no nutritional benefits, and is truly the epitome of an empty calorie. At 7 calories per gram, it’s just not worth it. This is a classic case of risks outweighing any possible benefits.  Ideally, you should not drink at all; however, if you choose to drink, anything beyond 1-2 glasses of wine per day is excessive. So what about the benefits of red wine? Get high quality grape juice and you’ll get the benefits without the added risk. Even better, pick up a bottle of resveratrol juice at your local health food store. You’ll be glad you did. 

Stick to Your Meal Plan: A Simple Method

| “To get through the hardest journey we need take only one step at a time, but we must keep on stepping”|

Sticking to a meal plan can be challenging, but it doesn’t have to be. Here are a few tips that I have helped me on my journey. A special shout-out to Leo Babauta for making it easier to share awesomeness! Here goes:

1. Eat real, whole foods you love. Do NOT see this as a sacrifice. If you hate carrots or eggplant but you eat them because they’re somehow “virtuous” or you think that sacrifice is the only way to lose that fat, you’ll fail. You cannot stick to something you hate for very long. Instead, go for healthy foods you actually enjoy eating. For me, this is berries, fruits of all kinds, raw almonds, veggies cooked tastefully in stir-fries or chili or what have you. Your list will be different, and it could take some experimenting with different recipes you find online, in magazines or in cookbooks to find the healthy foods you like best. Main rule of thumb, though: try for real foods, not packaged ones (not even “healthy” convenience foods). In as natural a state as possible — meaning, not processed or extracted, not fried or smothered with cream or sauces.

2. Improve in iterations. Cut back a little at a time. You don’t have to go from Standard American Diet to a diet of Only Raw Carrots in one day (nor should you ever eat only raw carrots, but you know what I mean). Try a meal plan that’s a little better than the diet you’ve been eating for years — perhaps cutting out the liquid calories at first, or adding more fruits or veggies you love. As I said above, cut the calories just a little. This first meal plan doesn’t have to be perfect — just a little better. Then, once you get used to that, make a meal plan that’s a little better yet — maybe a couple hundred calories less, more veggies, less fatty stuff, less snack food, or more real food. With each iteration of your meal plan, get a little better. I’m still getting better at mine.

3. Look ahead for bumps, and plan. We all have those bumps in our routines: an office party, someone’s birthday dinner, going on a date with your honey, taking a trip, being on the road all day and not having access to your usual foods. The key is to think ahead — what’s going on tomorrow? How will I deal with it? Should I pack food, or find out what the menu is at the restaurant so I can pick something healthy, or should I use this as a cheat meal? Thing is, don’t just do cheat meals all the time — then you’re not on a meal plan anymore. More on that below. Again, plan ahead and prepare — as you keep doing this, you’ll get good at packing snacks or meals so you’re covered, no matter what the occasion.

4. Make it public. Use your blog or Twitter/Facebook or a public forum or just email to let people know how your meal plan is going. Or get a partner and report to each other. Making it public or having a partner gives you accountability and motivation, and works like a charm. Don’t skip this step.

5. Cheat, & don’t feel guilty. Guilt often derails people from meal plans — they indulge and then feel like they failed, and so they stop. Don’t fall into this trap. You’re not going to be 100% compliant to any plan — shoot for 90% and be happy if you come close to that. Know that you’ll cheat (I prefer the word splurge) sometimes and make this part of your plan. However, learn to control the cheating: only do it a couple times a week, perhaps, and even then don’t just pig out. Eat reasonable portions of things you’d consider cheating, eat them slowly and enjoy them, and then move on. Get back to your plan. Over the long term, a little cheating won’t stall you, but a lot might.

A few warnings

1. Watch out for sneaky calories. Liquid calories are a good example — sodas, teas, coffees, sports drinks, vitamin waters and more, all contain calories that many people don’t account for, and then wonder why they’re not losing weight. Other examples include salad dressings, sauces, little bites of foods that “don’t count”, smoothies, candies or chips you snack on from the break room, meals that are bigger than you realize. There are many others, of course.

2. Do not make it extreme. This should be clear from the above method, but I have to say it explicitly. People will try any diet if they think it’ll work — the Grapefruit Diet, the Cookie Diet, a liquid diet, a “cleanse” or “detox”, an 800-calorie a day diet, the Cabbage Soup diet, the Lemonade detox. Please don’t do these diets — they’re not healthy and you won’t get good nutrition. Remember: you’re in this for the long term.

3. Don’t starve yourself. A little hunger is OK — I’ve learned that it won’t kill me to go slightly hungry for a couple hours. But if you feel like you’re starving, you might be reducing too drastically. Again, it’s best to reduce portions a little at a time, get used to that amount, and then reduce a little more.

Remember it's the journey that counts! 

365 Wellness | Tip # 10 Mix It Up to Burn More Calories

     It is so easy to get stuck in an exercise rut. You do the same treadmill, elliptical, gym, DVD or outdoor workout without variation several times per week. Let’s be real, you are bored – nearly to death – and so is your body. This lack of variety and sheer stagnation is the reason behind many weight loss plateaus. It is also the reason that many people stop working out. I promise you, changing up your exercise routine is not nearly as difficult as you think.  In fact, it's easy. If you are a treadmill runner/walker, take it to the streets or the trails. Refuse to give up your elliptical?  At least  change the cross-ramp. Tired of the same old DVD, get a new one with a  different workout style. Experiment with fitness classes or functional training workouts. You get the point. Save yourself and your body the workout snooze fest, that’s what sleeping is for.  Flex that creative muscle and mix it up!