Are you the person you want to be?

Are you being the person you want to be? This weekend my friend and I were out having coffee. When one of the most beautiful female I've possibly ever seen ran passed us. We both stopped to stared at her, yes I will admit we turned around and still stared as she effortlessly ran passed us both.

She was wearing a short sport crop top and running shorts and she was tanned, toned and fit in every sense of the word. "Wow" we both exclaimed in unison!

"Now if I had a body like her Id go running every day!" My friend commented I was quick to reply "me too!"

Then it suddenly dawned on me if I did go running everyday I would be far more likely to have a body like that.

Talk about stating the obvious! However this blatantly obvious fact was one that had escaped my brain before. How I'm not sure but hey such is life.

I am not a naturally fit person I have a very limited desire to run other than if someone is chasing me. On top of this I have a massive fear of the gym, I feel shy and body conscious when entering any gym like building! It could be due to being forced to ridiculously revealing gym knickers during secondary school or maybe I'm just a lazy bones! Who knows and it's not relevant today, all that matters is what I do about it.

Do I repeat the patterns of a life time or do I challange them?

after this conversation with my friend I have decided to start moving my body more. I'm a great one to preach about feeling the fear and doing it anyway. Yet when it came to working out I can rationalise to myself why I can't go running, bad for my knees etc

This morning my alarm was set an hour earlier than normal, the birds were chirping and the sun was shining. I really didn't want to get out of bed, however I told myself to just move. Don't think, don't analyse just go before your brain talks you out of it.

Showing up is my new phrase. I need to show up to opportunities, but also I need to show up for myself.

Exercising is now going to be my way of showing my body I love it.

Is there something in your life that you are waiting for?

Oh I'll do that when I'm a stone lighter maybe it's not even related to your weight maybe your putting of going somewhere or something until you have more money have a better job or have a partner.

Don't wait! Life doesn't wait for us sometimes you just have to in the words of Nike "do it"

Do something today that your future self will thank you for!

Self Sabotage and Just Showing up!!

Sometimes all you have to do is show up!  Do you ever self sabotage?

Today I almost did just that!

I was recently offered a my own Radio show on a local radio station (Oystermouth radio)- Yes you've got that right a chance for me to have my own show,I mean how blinking amazing is that? However I spent the whole day trying to think of a way to get out of going to the meeting!

SAY WHAT?!

Yes all day, it was as if fear was being pumped through my body, so I had to have a serious word with myself.

What are you scared of? Is the first question I asked myself.

Well firstly I am what is known as technologically challenged, I set alarms off in shops, get electric shocks of thing and generally anything electric goes a bit crazy around me.

Shes electric has a whole different meaning where I am concerned.So I was worried I wouldn't be able to work the computers.

However that was just the superficial worries, I guess my biggest concern if I am being totally honest is what will people think? I mean who exactly do I think I am to have a radio show?

I guess this is just my crazy ego trying to trip me up and me trying to self sabotage myself!

I'm a qualified nutritionist I help people feed their minds, nourish their bodies and fuel their souls............day in day out -that's who I am!

After I had this chat with myself examining my fears I realised that this is me being pushed out of my comfort zone and we all know that the zone of growth is where the magic happens right? So I had to suck it up, feel the fear and do it anyway!

Is there something you want to do but stop yourself out of fear of what people may think?

Are you blocking your own success?

Once we have identifies how we get in our own way, we can challenge our view and our perception and put things in place to get out of our own way!

So I sent a text to guys at the Radio show telling them I was feeling really nervous about learning how the equipment worked and my nerves were put at ease and I was told I would have support every step of the way!

There is a Famous poem by Marianne Williamson in which she says ''Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There is nothing enlightening about shrinking so that other people wont feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine.''

It was this that made me realise that I was trying to shrink myself out of fear, fear of what people would say, fear of not being able to use the equipment etc. I realised that I was playing small and me playing small wasnt going to help anyone!

So I got dressed and showed up!

The best part? I had the most amazing time!

So I am please to Announce that Tuesday the 21 of April 2015 at 7pm My first radio show The Food Remedy will be on air!!! Feed your mind, Nourish your body and Fuel your soul.

To listen click here Tuesday 21 of April 2015 at 7 pm UK time!

http://www.oystermouthradio.com/listen-live.html#.VS7kpfnF-48

You can’t eat that you’re a nutritionist!!

You can’t eat that you’re a nutritionist!!

I have a confession, well not really a confession but something that seems to surprise people, I eat chocolate! I love chocolate, I also eat cake, Chinese, pizza and a whole host of other things that are on the whole not particularly nourishing .

I am after all a human, I am by trade a nutritionist and I’ve spent years studying biochemistry, human biology and nutrients, so….. I also know exactly what happens when I eat these foods!

I don’t however eat them every day – anymore! I used to; during my teens and early twenties I had a somewhat distorted view and relationship with food. I read every diet book going, attended any diet group or class I could and generally felt very very confused about what to eat because every diet seemed to have different rules, you can eat fruit in abundance on one yet it was the route of all evil on the next! Oh the confusion, all I wanted was to be slim! Why was it so complicated!

Years of yo-yo dieting and a growing list of health complications (IBS, Polycystic ovarian syndrome, suspected pernicious anaemia, anaemia etc) left me realising I needed to know more about how food was affecting my health - So I did what any normal person would do I retrained as a nutritionist!

What I learnt is that it’s what we eat every day that has the biggest effect on our health not what we do once in a while. I also learnt what certain foods do to the body and was shocked to find that the diets I had been following were likely to be directly responsible for some of the health conditions I was experiencing and completely responsible for the cravings I was having!

It’s been quite some time now that I qualified and I’m please to say that my relationship with food is now one of a healthy nature, I no longer eat chocolate for breakfast (Eater Sunday was different ok?!) or starve myself, but I so still eat chocolate and processed crap from time to time.

If you have rules and restrictions on the food that you can and cannot eat for anything other than allergies or health conditions in my view you are going into dangerous territory.

Food is fuel, food is nourishment, but food is also a social activity and this doesn’t need to mean that it’s unhealthy. I truly believe that there are times when a packet of crisps is just what is needed, yes of course you could go and have crunchy carrots and hummus or unsalted nuts but please its ok to eat a little what you fancy now and again. Less judgment is needed amongst fellow humans these days, so if you see me munching on crisps of eating chocolates don’t judge come and say Hi I’m happy to share.

My view is food is the remedy not the enemy, we don’t need to fear food, whilst I believe we should pick foods that nourish our body daily its ok to eat foods that nourish your soul every now and again too!

If you are struggling with your diet, or fed up of dieting and want shape up, slim down or just stop feeling crazing around food, I can help you, I offer one to one coaching around mindset, body image and self love aswell as one to one nutrition advice!

For more information please email me on Kirsten@thefoodremedy.co.uk or call me on 07780007361,

Ditch the diet mentality and remember food is a remedy not the enemy.

The Food Remedy - Chickpeas

Chickpeas Chickpeas or garbanzos are delicious and nutritious round bean that is popular in central Asian and Middle Eastern cuisines. It’s also available in a flour and is the main ingredient in hummus.

Cholesterol and a Healthy heart

Chickpeas, are rich in both soluble and insoluble dietary fiber. Soluble fiber forms a gel-like substance in the digestive tract that helps excrete bile, which contains cholesterol, and ships it out of the body. Research suggests that regular intake of Chickpeas can lower LDL (bad) and total cholesterol. They also contain the significant amounts of folate and magnesium. Folate lowers the levels of the amino acid, homocysteine and strengthens the blood vessels. Studies have found chickpeas could lower the risk of heart attack.

Digestive disorders

Research studies have shown that insoluble fiber not only helps to increase stool bulk and prevent constipation, but also helps prevent digestive disorders. Chickpeas contain good amounts of the fibre.

Vegetarian and Vegans

Chickpeas are a good source of vegan protein. However it is considered an ‘incomplete’ protein as it does not contain all the 9 essential amino acids, Chickpeas lack the essential amino acid methionine and whole grains lack lysine. However when vegetarian and vegans combine things like hummus and whole meal pitta bread this produces a complete protein that contains all of the essential amino acids.

Weight Loss

Chickpeas have a low GI value which means the carbohydrate in them is broken down and digested slowly. The low GI and the high fiber content are excellent for weight loss as they keep you full longer and help controlling the appetite.

How to eat them

Chickpeas are delicious addition to salads can be mashed and made into falafels, vegetarian burgers, or blended and made into hummus.

The Food Remedy - Ginger

GINGER 

Scented, strong and spicy, ginger adds a special flavor and zest to dishes from warming teas to cakes right through to stir fries. The health properties of ginger are vast and widely researched.  Ginger is available in various forms including whole fresh roots, dried roots, powdered ginger, crystallised ginger and pickled ginger.  The root, is the part of the plant most widely used in alternative forms of medicine, is rich in volatile oils that contain the active component gingerol.

Ginger has broad-spectrum antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidant, and anti-parasitic properties, to name just several of its more than 40 pharmacological actions

Ginger also contains very potent anti-inflammatory compounds called gingerols. These substances are believed to explain why so many people with osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis experience reductions in their pain levels and improvements in their mobility when they consume ginger regularly as it appears to reduce inflammation in a similar way to aspirin and ibuprofen . Gingerols inhibit the formation of inflammatory cytokines; chemical messengers of the immune system. It is also a valuable source of pain relief for those who suffer from menstrual pain, headaches, and other inflammatory diseases.

Ginger is a thermogenic substance with beneficial impacts on metabolism and fat storage

Ginger contains chromium, magnesium and zinc which can help to improve blood flow and assist in the maintenance of normal blood circulation, as well as help prevent chills, fever, and excessive sweat. As well as encourage increased and prolonged erectile function!

Ginger improves the absorption and stimulation of essential nutrients in the body. It does this by stimulating gastric and pancreatic enzyme secretion.

How to peal ginger.

Hold a piece of ginger root firmly in one hand and the bowl of a metal spoon firmly in the other hand. Scrape the edge of the spoon against the ginger to peel off the skin. Work your way around the ginger root, peeling only as much as you think you will use.

Always store ginger with the peel on as it lasts longer.