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Pay Attention To The Ordinary

I’ve been pursuing coach training as a way to help clients with some of the things that they bump up against when they embark on changing habits and improving their health.

Things like:

-Sabotaging behaviour

-Resistance to doing the things they know make them feel better

-Nasty self-talk and buying into their stories.
For example; ‘I can only be happy once I’m a size 12, 10, 8…’’ ‘, ‘It will only work if it’s punishing and restrictive and hard” or another great one ‘’Who am I to do nice things for myself…’’

 

 

During my training, we were warned against doing something called stealth coaching.

This is basically unsolicited coaching and it mostly happens with close friends and family, in other words; coaching on the sly.

Apparently I’ve been doing it a little 🙈

 

 

A few Fridays ago, on a walk with my kids, we were chatting about our week.

After going on about the week’s trials and tribulations, Kiki asked me a great coach-like question.

‘’How can you make next week better?’’

Stealth coaching payback.

 

 

Here’s what I came up with:

 

Could I practice falling in love with what I already have right now?

My family, my friends, my changing 50-something year old body exactly the way it is…

Could I slow down and savour my delicious food, really listen to the person talking to me, watch the sunset right to the end…?

I have to confess, I’ve had to come back to it many times.

It’s so easy to get caught up in the vortex of incessant thoughts. I go days where I get sucked into my drama and my stories.

My monkey brain seems programmed to be restless, wanting the next thing, challenge, goal, pleasure, more, more, more…

Is the purpose of life really to get more-of? All of this was inspired by THIS GREAT BOOK.

New mantra: Let me remember to pay attention to the ordinary, not just the extraordinary.

What are you taking for granted?

Share this with someone you love that deserves a little peace.

Cheers,

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Client Highlight; Meet Julie

 

 

Meet Julie,

Julie is a beautiful young client that works as a professional cook.

Her main reason for reaching out to me was for weight loss.

She had noticed, however, that the weight game played heavily on her mental health and she wanted a more holistic and balanced approach that focused on overall health, rather than just the number on a scale.

Julie had already done some work in this department and she was better equipped with mindfulness and stress management tools than most people twice her age.

She struggled with fairly regular headaches that cleared up almost immediately once she increased her water intake.

She was also catching frequent lung infections and was not awakening rested.

 

 

Julie started on the Metabolic Balance program.

2 weeks in; she was down 17 lbs She felt great and was grateful for supportive family and friends during the initial reset period.

1 month in; she had shed 22 lbs. At this appointment I encouraged Julie to get curious and to make connections between clean eating, her stress, mood and focus.

We discussed the gut-brain connection and the importance of a healthy gut and probiotic and prebiotic foods when addressing emotional or stress disorders.

Julie noticed that her mental health suffered when she stopped eating as clean. She noticed more fogginess, worse mood and more feelings of insecurity and doubting herself.

4 months in and Julie was within 3 lbs of her goal weight and had lost a total of 35 lbs.

She is catching less infections and has been awakening rested.

Julie is rocking this experimentation stage.

She’s making the important connections and recognises how her stress can derail her.

She is remembering to use her amazing stress management skills when she notices that she’s slipped into stress eating or snacking.

Julie’s talents as a cook are also a bonus. She knows how important it is, for long-term sustainability, to make her healthy food taste good.

Moral of the story: There are no miracle cures or programs. But, sustainable change is always possible especially for folks like Julie that are ready to show up and play the long game.

 

Let’s get clear on what Metabolic Balance IS and IS NOT.

It is/does:
✅A diet and lifestyle program
✅A program that naturally helps lower inflammation in the body
✅A program that naturally helps balance hormones – particularly insulin
✅Provide a template and a reliable tool to manage health and weight
✅Involves an initial, short ‘strict’ phase that enables you to detoxify, alkalinize and reset

It is NOT
🚫A miracle cure
🚫A diet
🚫A fix-all-cure all
🚫A rigid or restrictive way of eating
🚫An all or nothing approach to food

Here are a few words from Julie:

Q.:What has been the biggest takeaway from doing this work?

A.:My biggest takeaway would be that Metabolic Balance isn’t just about losing weight but more about clean and healthy eating and as well about how comfortable you are in all of this and all the challenges you are willing to face. Metabolic Balance is all based on you, Kim will be there with you every step of the way, you are not alone in this.

Q.:What has been most surprising?

A.: The most surprising part of Metabolic Balance is how much society has over blown portions. I’m surprised at how satisfied I am with smaller portions.

Q.:Would you recommend the program and working with Kim?

A.: Yes!!! Absolutely!! I can’t recommend Kim enough, and I have loved working with her. She has helped me so much it’s unbelievable.
Congratulations Julie for showing up, doing the work and for being such an inspiration 💜

Kim,

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The Lessons From 2023

I hope you managed to carve out a little time for yourself over the holidays to reflect, rest and recharge your batteries.

I did.

Here’s what I came up with:

Going slow helps me go faster

For years, I’ve had this belief that if I wasn’t busy, I wasn’t worthy. I wore busy as a badge of honour.

What I was mostly doing was spinning my wheels.

Overwhelm, stress and anxiety used to send me into a tailspin of activity.

I’ve been trying to change those old patterns; slow down and get more quiet when those feelings come up.

”Being brings balance to doing” Richard Strozzi-Heckler

It’s a work in progress, but I’m almost positive that I’ve been getting more done by doing less. Go figure.

 

Boundaries

A boundary that I tried to stick to in 2023 was around social media and screen time.

My rule is no screens before sun.

Getting daylight (especially that light around sunrise and sunset) is really good for my sleep and overall wellbeing.

Reducing scrolling time is good for my focus.

Getting to bed earlier (turning off Netflix) is also good for me.

 

If my food is my fuel, then exercise is my joint lube

Yoga and more recently Pilates have been the final pieces to my inflammation puzzle. Shout out to my amazing teachers; Elizabeth and Amy.

Regular, targeted movement combined with the right foods, help me stay pain-free.

I wish I’d known this when I was thirty.

 

Comparison is the thief of joy

I like podcasts and follow different inspiring people.

But consuming too much, even if it’s positive, educational and transformational, can have a negative influence on my peace.

When I start shoulding on myself, and comparing myself… it never ends well.

My path, my speed, my journey.

 

 

Give up controlling

When I feel the urge to get in and fix someone else (usually my husband – bless his heart).

It’s a sure sign that I need to turn the focus back to myself and deal with my own shit.

I can’t control others – everyone has their own path.

I’m in charge of me and that’s it.

 

 

I’ve packaged these up and presented them as though it’s been a linear process.

It hasn’t been. I’ve been working on some of these things for years now.

It’s messy and it will never be perfect.

My message for you is that slipping up, forgetting, falling back into old patterns WILL happen.

They’re only mistakes if you don’t harvest the learning.

 

What did 2023 teach you?

If you’re frustrated about some aspect of your health or weight, don’t stop trying!

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The Hammer Brigade

I was at a gathering the other day and the conversation inevitably turned to the benefits of food and diet.

I didn’t initiate the convo – it follows me around – I swear.

One of the beautiful gals that was there, that also happens to struggle with her weight, said in an exasperated and joking way;

”O.K. so you (pointing to me) stand on this side of me, and you (referring to the gal that started the conversation) get on the other side, and maybe if you both HAMMER it into my head, then maybe it’ll finally sink in.”

That comment, made as an offhand joke, is representative of a common delusion.

Let me explain.

A theme I see with clients, is this weird belief that if they punish themselves enough, with violent self-talk – hammer themselves enough – the universe will reward them with slim thighs, and all will be well.

It’s as if suffering and repenting will somehow make up for their food transgressions and then they’ll finally be over it. They’ll be fixed.

I even see clients that resist making their food taste good because they believe that success can only come from making themselves miserable and depriving themselves.

Ahhhh. Not true.

There’s a big difference between using processed, junk food to numb yourself, and honoring yourself and your body by making your healthy, wholesome food taste delicious.

Are you part of the hammer brigade?

If so, let me ask:

How has it been working for you?

Pay attention the next time that you feel like going on a binge.

If you’re doing it to numb yourself – then you likely have enough pain in your life.

How can adding to that pain ever help?

The solution will always be with less hammering and more gentling ❤️

Reach out  if you’re ready for sustainable change.

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Enzymes Baby

Its all about enzymes!

Enzymes are organic compounds that I like to call our body’s spark plugs.

Enzymes help us digest our food and fight off disease.

Our immune system relies on enzymes to function.

Enzymes can, and do become depleted.

In fact, when we’re deficient in enzymes to help break down our food, our body can actually rob the immune system of enzymes to aid in the digestive process.

That means that eating enzyme-depleted food puts a huge burden on our digestive organs and it can lead to a weakened immune system and allergies.

Some of the symptoms of enzyme deficiency are gas, bloating, indigestion, constipation, diarrhea, allergies, catching everything that goes by…

How are enzymes destroyed?

Cooking, heat treating, pasteurization, milling, refining, canning, irradiation, adding chemicals such as preservatives, flavoring agents, artificial colors, pesticides, herbicides… all severely deplete or inhibit enzyme activity.

For example, seeds that have been cooked or boiled will never sprout. That’s because the enzymes have been destroyed.

The solution:

1) Chew your food.
We naturally have enzymes present in our saliva. Careful chewing makes good use of these enzymes and helps lighten the load on digestion.

2) Incorporate a little more raw food
Make sure you have a little bit of raw with every meal. I’m not saying that you need to eat salad all day every day. Just consider a small raw garnish, side salad, or have a piece of (alive) fresh fruit instead of that (dead) cookie.

3) Incorporate fermented foods
Fermentation is a natural method of preservation that brings along a lot of enzymes,

Kefir, a fermented milk, is considered to be one of the richest sources of enzymes.

Some other examples of fermented foods are good quality yogurt, sauerkraut, raw apple cider vinegar, kimchi, miso, kombucha…

4) Get more sprouts into your diet
A little goes a long way. Throw some sprouts into your salads, on sandwiches or into smoothies

5) Select raw, unpasteurized honey

6) Select raw unpasteurized dairy whenever possible
Many clients that cannot tolerate conventional cow dairy, do fine with cow cheese that is made with raw milk.

7) Consider supplementing with plant enzymes if you struggle with digestion.
You’ll want to look for ingredients such as protease, amylase and lipase on the ingredient list. Your local health food store will be able to help you.

There are no magic bullets or quick fixes when it comes to healthy weight management or prevention. It’s all of the little changes that add up.

Reach out  if you’re ready to take the reins.

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The Valley Of Dissapointment

Have you ever started something, not gotten results right away and then quit?

If you answered yes, you’re not alone.

The truth is that with any new endeavor, there is almost always a lag period where it feels like the effort you’re putting in isn’t equivalent to what you’re getting in return.

Meet the valley of disappointment.

This is why change is hard.

It isn’t because your new healthy habits aren’t paying off.

Its because many of us aren’t sticking with them long enough.

The efforts aren’t being wasted – they’re just being stored. It WILL pay off. If you just stick with it.

 

I was interviewed by a podcaster that discusses entrepreneurship and business.

When she asked me what I was most proud of in relation to my business. My answer was that I was proud to have stuck with it.

There were many, many times when the payback felt much less than the amount of energy going in.

The valley of disappointment applies in many different realms.

 

One of the key advantages of having a coach is to help you navigate the inevitable slumps.

Eating healthier and prioritizing yourself will always pay off.

Reach out if any of this resonates.

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Ebb And Flow

I know about all of the stuff.

The smoothies, the sprouting, the fermenting, the bone broth, the meditating, the exercise, the journaling…

Do I do all of the stuff all of the time?

No.

I’m learning about gentleness and choosing to do what feels light.

So, I’m not making my own ferments right now. I can purchase delicious, readymade ones until the urge strikes to make some of my own.

I’m not into green smoothies these days. I’ve been trying to incorporate more leafy greens into my meals, which just feels easier right now.

My daily meditation has been out the window for a few months. I’ve replaced it by a conscious nature walk around my pasture…

 

I know that I WILL do the things again. These are all important tools in my tool belt.

If I start berating and ‘shoulding’ myself to do it all perfectly, (I should meditate, I should get back into making daily smoothies…) it just builds up a bunch of resistance, I get overwhelmed and I shut down.

I can’t – and don’t want to – do it all.

 

What do you berate yourself about most?

 

What if you let up on the ‘shoulding’ for a week?

My experience is that when I honor myself, the good habits come back much sooner without the push-back.

Life is about ebb and flow.

 

What do you really need right now?

 

Is it rest? Maybe the gym can wait until you’ve recharged.

Is it more play? Maybe it isn’t the right time to tackle that big serious project.

Is it more introspection, more time alone, more self acceptance, less outside noise…?

If it feels light – it’s right.

If it feels heavy or hard, it’s likely not the right time – even if the thing makes sense on a cognitive level.

 

Any sustainable, healthy weight loss program will involve working with the flow and tuning in to what you really need right now.

Weight loss and healthy weight maintenance isn’t about doing it all or doing things perfectly.

It’s about showing yourself some grace and self-kindness and going with the flow.

 

ox

Kim

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Are You A Winner Or A Loser?

The biggest difference between winners and losers is that when successful people fall of the wagon, they bounce back quickly.

No matter how diligent you are with a new habit; life will always throw you a curve ball.

It’s not a question of if it’s going to happen, it’s a question of when.

 

 

An all or nothing attitude is a big pitfall when trying to maintain a new healthy weight.

Anyone can show up and do perfectly for short periods of time. That’s called a diet.

It’s your ability to stick with it (or some version of it) and bounce back quickly, that will get you sustainable change.

 

This is where you will have to take a hard look at your story about yourself.

Making new habits stick will require an identity shift.

Do you consider yourself a food junkie, someone that never succeeds at losing weight, an emotional eater…?

If you don’t change how you identify with yourself, it’s going to be really hard to get habits to stick.

Your habits are how you show up or embody your identity.

Do you want to become someone that easily manages their weight?

You will need to start showing up as that kind of person.

Every time you pack your lunch instead of going to the drive-thru.
Every time you choose a fruit instead of a sugary dessert.
Every time you prioritize and make time for meal prepping…

Every time you make a wise food choice, you’re casting a vote for the type of person you wish to become.

That’s where the rubber hits the road and the real magic happens.

Everyone has it in them to be a winner.

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Health Span Vs Life Span

I recently had one of those aha moments when I read something that perfectly summarized a message that I’d been fumbling around with for years.

HEALTH SPAN vs LIFE SPAN

My dad was saddled with a slew of degenerative diseases; he survived a stroke, a heart attack and suffered from chronic pain.

In pop’s case, his life span was not great, he passed away at 71, but his health span was the real sad part.

The final fifteen years of his life were spent mostly bed-ridden in his home, being cared for by our mom, until he was finally moved to long term care, where he lived for several more years.

I’ve tidied this up into one sentence but the reality of it all was a hot mess.

He was alive… but the quality of his life was pretty dismal.

I got into holistic nutrition and I do all of the stuff because I’ve got my eye on health span.

We never have any guarantees in life but you don’t have to dig very far to get solid proof that putting a little bit of energy into prevention pays big dividends in your health bank

What changes need to happen in order to stack your odds on healthy and thriving versus just surviving?

We can fret all we want about what life has in store for us, but at the end of the day, all we control are our own actions. I say make them count.

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Are You Creating Your Own Eating Frenzy?

I was walking around in our pasture the other day and the wild apple trees are dropping their fruit, the blackberries are juicy and sweet.

Mother Nature has everything set up to create an eating frenzy.

For the critters that need to survive winter and live off of their reserves, this scenario is perfect.

Once that sweet fruit gets gobbled up, it drives up the amount of sugar in the blood.

High blood sugar triggers the release of insulin.

Insulin’s job is to shuttle sugar from the blood into the cells where it can be stored for energy later on.

High blood sugar = high insulin.

A side effect of high insulin is increased cravings.

 

Again, this is great for the deer, racoons and bunnies.

It means that their hunger and cravings will get ramped up so that they’ll feed and feed and build up essential reserves.

Aka, get fat.

Mother Nature is brilliant.

Now, change lanes.

Picture yourself standing in line at a convenience or grocery store. What are you seeing?

Likely, lots and lots of highly processed, sweet treats and transformed, starchy foods that have the same effect on your insulin levels and cravings.

 

If you feel like your body is betraying you because you just can’t lose the weight or because your cravings are running the show. I would like to propose a reframe:

Perhaps it’s because you’re building your plate to look like its fall time all year long?

Are you creating your own eating frenzy? It doesn’t have to be that way.

Kim

P.S. Share this with that person, that you care about, that just popped into your head 💜

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