Mommy's Minute: How to get an energy boost



Avocados- Yummy and Energizing

 With two small babies, it can be difficult to mantain my energy level. With breastfeeding my son and dealing with the daily tasks of motherhood, I have often felt depleted. My only saving grace was trying to catch a nap while they slept but, that is golden time that can be used more productively. I have also been sleep-deprived at night because, my son still gets up through the night to eat.


It is hard to be "present," when you are running on empty everyday. It became a necessity for me to implement some energy boosting strategies and I have to say that I feel so much better these days. No matter what you are juggling in your daily life, it is imperative to nurture and nourish your body. I know that is something I have to constantly remind myself, especially since I am breastfeeding my son. I just wanted to share some simple things that I have implemented that have proven very effective so far. I must say that in order to rebuild your energy, you have to do some sort of consistent regimen.


Sun Salutation- It is as simple as getting out of your bed and going for your morning stretch. This is a very well-known posture in the yogic tradition and is a great way to reawaken your body. By doing yoga postures you are energizing your nervous system and helping to boost your blood circulation (amongst many other benefits). Take a few minutes when you wake up to do a few or spread them throughout your day.

1. Begin by standing tall, shoulders down and relaxed, and bring your hands into prayer position in  front of your chest. Take a deep breath in and slowly extend your arms overhead, maintaining the prayer position. Once you your arms are fully extended, slowly lean back to create a slight back bend (if you are trying this for the first time, don't bend back too far; the rush of energy can send you flying to the floor, once you bend forward). As you exhale, gently begin to come back to a standing position and slowly bend forward; bringing your arms down towards your toes. Do not force it, just allow your body to settle where ever it feels comfortable. Slowly begin to roll up to a standing position, your head should be the last to rise. Bring your hands back into prayer position, then release your hands back to your sides. Close your eyes, release all tension from your body, and feel the flow of energy circulating through your body.

Juicing- An energy booster and stress reliever all wrapped into one. I absolutely love juicing! Many people like the finished product but, they don't like all the prep work and cleaning involved. I love to do it; it's my way of getting into "my zone" when I need to release some unwanted stress. If you need a pick-me-up; fresh carrot, apple, and ginger juice will give a great boost. I never thought I would see the day where I would drink carrot juice but, this is my ultimate favorite blend, thus far. Carrots and apples are jam packed with wonderful vitamins and ginger is great for your blood circulation. I usually just feel my way around juicing but, here is a recipe, for about a pint of juice:

8 medium carrots

3 Apples

Inch of Ginger

Wash your produce thoroughly, juice, and enjoy! Make sure to store the remaining juice immediately and drink it while it's still as fresh as possible.

Vitamin C- As the spring season came trickling in, I was having difficulties with the pollen everywhere. I have been drinking green tea and taking 1,000mg of Vitamin C everyday and that has been a tremendous help. What I found is that green tea is natural anti-histamine and the Vitamin C helps to boost your immune system. When you are dealing with allergies, the body basically feels like it is being attacked and your immune system works on overdrive. The Vitamin C helps to balance your immune system for optimal functioning. Since I have been taking it, I have felt more energized. Folks usually scramble to get on the Vitamin C when they feel a sickness coming on. It is better to use it as a  daily supplement to build your immune system and prevent illness. Of course the ideal is to eat super foods that are rich in vitamin C but, if you know you aren't eating well enough to support your body, take some Vitamin C! Getting energized is a bonus.

Apple Cider Vinegar- If there is one item that every household should have well stocked, it is apple cider vinegar. It is one of the most valuable home remedies, with a plethora of uses. It helps with allergies, acne, body cleansing, dandruff, sinus infections, etc. And it has been said that it helps with more major health issues such as arthritis, gout, diabetes, high blood pressure; there is even an apple cider vinegar diet because, it helps to break down fats. I have even used it as a coolant when my daughter had a fever. People with chronic fatigue have been known to use an apple cider vinegar tea and it has been proven effective. Now this isn't one that I have used consistently, but I have friends who have said that they have certainly felt an energy boost by drinking it as a tea.

          

All you have to do is boil the water, place a tablespoon of ACV and a tablespoon of honey into your favorite tea cup (it may taste better, if the cup is pretty). Pour the hot water over the mixture and stir. Drink daily and your body may just get the revitalization it needs.

Avocado- I have been experimenting with eating super foods that in my past, I wouldn't dare to eat. So far I have tackled many; my two most recent successes are tomatoes and mushrooms. I went from despising them to absolutely loving them and wanting them in everything I cook. Avocados is another one; it is a super food and great for energy. They naturally act as a "nutrient booster" by helping the body to absorb more fat soluble nutrients. They are also rich in the good fats, fiber, potassium, folic acid, Vitamin E, and many other essential nutrients. I can't just cut an avocado and toss it in with my salad; maybe that will happen over time. For now, I get my avocado fix by making it into a deliciously creamy shake.

          

Open the avocado, remove the seed, and scoop out into the blender. I like to use almond milk but, you can use your milk of choice. You may need at least two cups. Pour the first half of the milk into the blender and blend until somewhat smooth. Add the second half and your favorite sweetner (I use honey) and blend until completely smooth. I like to add apple juice to thin it out some (it can be very thick, depending on the size of the avocado). I like to blend mine with a little ice too but, that optional.

Water- A simple way to get an energy boost is to drink a cup of water in the morning, before you eat anything. I found this when I was doing some research on detoxing the body. When you are getting ready to eat breakfast, you are essentially "breaking a fast." Your body also needs to be hydrated so, drinking a cup of water helps to wake the body up after a long night of sleep. I have been doing this consistently and I definitely feel a difference. And I have amped up the amount of water I drink throughout the day.

Nature- Perhaps my favorite thing to do when I am feeling drained, or at anytime for that matter, is to go out into nature. We are surrounded by a living energy and it's nice to just be in the midst of it with awareness and intention. My babies have a book called "Out of the Ocean," by Debra Frasier, and it says in there that the bigger the thing is, sometimes the easier it is to forget it's there. When we are going about our busy days, it can be easy to forget the energy of the sun, the vivrant colors of the leaves on trees, or the fragrant smell of distant flowers. There is life all around us; just as the book says, we just have to remember to look.

Feel free to share your tips for a quick energy boost!

Mommy Adventures: Yoga, chanting, and potty training

Discipline...my life's work, happiness, and spiritual fulfillment, rests in that very word. Actualizing my discipline is perhaps my greatest challenge. I realized, from the words of a wise friend, that mastering something is about the discipline of continuing the process, no matter what. I also recognize that discipline takes letting go of wanting instant gratification; it is about a journey and getting better with time.

Many of the tasks in my life now, as a woman with a vision and as a mother, are centered around my discipline. My success depends on how much energy I put into my tasks, on a daily basis. The challenge comes when I face perpetual difficulty or no real sense of forward movement. Case in point, potty training my daughter is an act of discipline that has proven to be quite a challenge. The question becomes, how do you potty train a child that wakes up chanting, "no more potty" repeatedly?!

I have tried everything I can think of and suggestions of others but,  I understand that to stop now, would be feeding my own "shadow behavior." This is a term coined by my spiritual teacher that speaks to the unhealthy habits that will continue to overshadow our growth, if we continue to "give in" to them. My unhealthy habit is giving up sometimes, when things get tough or seem impossible.

Yoga and meditation have been an integral part of my life and my spiritual journey for several years. It grounds me, breathes life into everything I do; meditation brings me beautiful clarity and focus for my life. The challenge for me has been doing my daily practice, no matter what else is happening in my life. When I become overwhelmed, I usually let go of my daily practice.

How do I make sure to keep up with my discipline now? I utilize every moment I can to plug into it. So lately, while I have been sitting with my daughter, while she is on the potty; we chant together and I do my postures. Sometimes I sing songs, read to her, and focus on trying to get her to potty. But, we have been going at this for many months now and knowing my daughter, she just needs to be left to her own "doing." She is such an old soul and makes it very clear that she does certain things in her time. Now, while I am disciplining myself to consistently get her on the potty everyday, we take that time to be in our own process. I know that if I continue to place her on that potty, with deliberate action and discipline, she will succeed and so will I.

The message for me is to continue doing what I need to do, no matter the immediate outcome. It would be easy for me to throw my hands up and take a break from the daily rigor of potty training. But, in order for to make a breakthrough in letting go of this lifelong habit, I have to use every possible opportunity to further my own development. Juggling motherhood and my personal development has to be interconnected because there is just not enough time in the day to carve out enough moments for self-work. So, until my babies are old enough to be a little more independent, I will be blending my yoga with potty training and every other motherly duty!

Work in Progress: Raising health-conscious children (part 2)

I consider maintaining a healthy lifestyle an investment, on many levels. I've kind of swallowed the fact that eating healthy can cost bigger bucks, especially when you have children to feed. As I become more resourceful, I've learned that in some ways, it can also be a notion that is used to intimidate people into continuing to support unhealthier food venues and products. As the demand for healthier and natural products rise, the prices are slowly beginning to balance out with certain food items. Still, as I read more about the pesticides, chemical processing of produce, and the increasing use of genetically modified seeds, I have been more inclined to buy organic for the family. It is hard to even trust that everything that is labeled organic is authentically so, however, part of living well for me, is about intention.

If I had it, I would try to buy everything organic but, that is not possible at this point. The long term goal is to grow my own food, which would "weed out" the trust issues and it would be lighter on the pockets. In the meantime, I do what I can to decrease the amount of harmful chemicals that I eat and introduce to my children.

 A lot of people would shrug their shoulders at the issue of chemically grown and processed foods but, it sincerely matters. Our bodies are not equipped to handle the amount of chemicals that are ingested through our foods, body products, the air, household cleansers, etc. According to Lisa Marshall, a writer for the magazine Delicious Living, there are about “85,000 industrial chemicals now in use." This wreaks havoc on our lungs, kidneys, colon, lymph system, pancreas; our bodies in general cannot maintain the level of optimal functioning when they are working overtime to filter out harmful toxins. That, to me, is where the breakdown begins and we become more susceptible to illness and disease. It is easy to get overwhelmed and just throw the towel in but, there are great options for giving your body a boost and helping to decrease the ingestion of harmful chemicals.

I wanted to share this golden information that I use as a guide to select my priorities for what to purchase organic. There is a "Dirty Dozen List" that was created by the Environmental Working Group, to inform the public about which foods contain the most chemicals and are therefore, more toxic to consume regularly (based on studies conducted by the USDA and FDA). While most of the produce contains some sort of chemical component, they help to shed light on the ones that you may want to consider buying organic. The great thing about it is, if you can't afford to buy organic, the list also gives you suggestions on produce that may be safer.

The list changes as they continue to update their studies but, the general conclusion that I have come to is that produce with thinner skin or no protective layer (like green leafy vegetables) are at a greater risk for absorption of toxic chemicals. I also think that the ones that are in higher demand are more at risk. It is good to scrub the outer layer of your produce anyway but, for some, such as apples or peaches, it doesn't completely wash away the chemical residue. Bananas, eggplant, watermelon, and avocados are all examples of produce that are safer to eat because of their thicker protective layer. I purchase organic spinach, apples, celery, parsley, and carrots. Those are the foods I consume most often and I also use them when juicing.

Buying organic from a major grocery store is usually more expensive but, there is also the option of buying locally grown foods from fresh produce markets. You can inquire about how the food is grown and many small farmers like to maintain the integrity of their produce. Buying local is also great because much of our produce is imported and can travel 1500+ miles. This alone causes the nutritional value to decline before it even hits the produce stand. And the shipment boxes are sometimes laced with chemicals to preserve the freshness.

 Participating in community gardens and growing your own food are also great options, for many reasons. As I am researching more about gardening, there are many fruits and vegetables that are easy to grow and manage. And if you don’t have a back yard, there is produce that you can grow in pots!

For more information on the “Dirty Dozen List”, see the links below. I realize in my personal journey that change often times comes from access to valuable information. I hope that by sharing this list, it will provide another step towards creating a healthier and brighter future for our children. So, check it out and pass it on!

Happy Eating!

The New Dirty Dozen

The Dirty Dozen-12 Foods to Eat Organic

Mommy Adventures: Taking time by the water

A few days ago, I decided to take my babies to the water. We went together for the first time in October of last year, and it was quite an overwhelming experience. I thought that my daughter would be very excited to go to the beach and I had this fantasy in my head that she would just frolic by the shore, play in the sand, and be totally at peace with the water. That was the furthest thing from reality. Once our feet touched the sand, she was extremely frightened; she was screaming, crying, and throwing her body around in resistance. I tried to take her closer, let her toes touch the water, show her that it was completely safe but, she just got even more upset. I had never seen her like that. So, my mother took her back to the benches, calmed her down, and my son and I took in the beach experience.

I was completely stunned by her reaction. This Piscean baby was freaked out by water. And then I remembered that she had a similar experience when I took her to a little "water park" for children. She wasn't as frightened as the beach incident but, it took awhile for her to even want to go in the water and I had to hold her the entire time. I was beginning to wonder if she was going to have an ongoing fear of water.

I realized by talking to other people that it can be very overwhelming for some babies to experience the ocean for the first time. And when I reflected on that, it made perfect sense. To go from the comforts of water in a bathtub to a seemingly endless sea, with crashing waves, and coarse sand between your toes, I could understand her fears. I also realized that she was just lacking in exposure. In Georgia, we were deprived of any bodies of water so, I didn't introduce her to the water when she was smaller. And we didn't venture to the swimming pool either.

One we got to Florida, I made a committment to get her acclimated to the water. I have loved the water since I was a baby but, there are a lot of things that I haven't experienced because of fears that stem from my childhood. I could see some of that in my daughter already and while I didn't want to push her, I also didn't want her to get boxed into fears that could be dealt with, slowly and with care. A large part of that with her, was just opening her up to aspects of the world that she hadn't seen.

Our second trip to the beach began with a drive along the shoreline. I rolled down the windows so she could look out and she was very excited. She was pointing and trying to show her baby brother who was asleep by her side. Then, I parked the car and we walked to the rocky landing and looked out onto the water. I just let her take it all in. She was nervous but, we were close enough to see with enough distance so that she felt safe. As we walked back to the car, she kept saying "want beach," so I told her that we would go and find a nice place to sit by the water.

We continued our drive until we reached the actual beach. I found an awesome spot away from all the people, where the water was quiet, shallow, and we could sit right by it. She was still frightened but, not as resistant as the first time. I took my cues from her. We acknowledged the water but, we just sat on the blanket and I read one of our books called "Out of the Ocean." I pointed to the water in the book and then showed her it was the same as the water there. I pointed to the shells, birds, palm trees, and then showed her those things all around us. She began to relax but, she still had no interest in going in the water.

The breakthrough really came when I brought the shovel and bucket out of the car. Up to that point, she remained on the blanket; her "safe space." With the bucket, she was able to venture out and get her hands dirty. In the meantime, her brother and I played in the water.

She finally came around completely, once she saw her brother. He was so free and happy in the sand and water, which made her see that there was no danger. She let me take her shoes off and she put her toes in the water. All the while, I was affirming her progress and inside I was so amazed just to see the evolution in her behavior as we spent more time out there. She went from completely resisting the water to independently going to the water, several times, and allowing her toes and hands to be immersed in it. She built her own little relationship, without me forcing it on her. I just did what I usually would do at the water, allowed her to witness it, and she decided to come when she was ready.

I wrote out the entire process because, it taught me a lot. It taught me as a mother but, it is also a metaphor for life. The first time we went I made assumptions and had expectations based on a fantasyI created. The second time, I did things according to what I know works with my daughter. The ongoing theme with her is that she does things in her own time. And as far as a life lesson, I realized (again) the importance of enjoying the journey, no matter the end result. It was so fulfilling for me and for us a family to experience building a connection to the water together. It was an enjoyable experience because my focus wasn't on making her like the water. We were just having a great time as a family and the bonus was that she became open to experiencing it.

I just love the idea that the lessons of motherhood can be applied to all aspects of life. And, I am no longer worried about her loving the water. I know that soon enough, the two of them will be splashing and swimming away. In the meantime, we will be creating beautiful family memories...

Mommy’s Minute: Reconnecting with the heart

And Spring arose on the garden fair,
Like the Spirit of Love felt everywhere;
And each flower and herb on Earth's dark breast
rose from the dreams of its wintry rest.
~Percy Bysshe Shelley, "The Sensitive Plant"

It is almost springtime. The greenery is being reborn, the sun is reawakening the Earth, and spirit of life is anew. As I begin a new chapter in my life, at present, I can’t help but feel aligned with the essence of spring and all that this season of renewal ushers in. I realize though, that since the onset of winter, my mind has been chattering away and I am feeling mentally exhausted.

Winter always seems to be my time for deep reflection, preparation, and stillness. But, since I have faced a lot of difficulties over the past few years, much of my time has been spent in that way. This is the first time where I feel like I am moving out of winter and excited to embrace the energy that spring time brings. Spring for me, is not only about new beginnings, it is also about passion, creativity, love, sweetness;  it is about connecting to the heart of life.

So, this spring, I am committed to getting out of my head and tapping back into my heart. I spend a lot of time thinking about the kind of mother I need to be and preparing for when my children get older. I am also building a life for us, which takes a lot of energy and mental exercise. I am more inclined now, to relax in the moment, enjoy the present, and let go of my “need” to control so much.

I will sink back into the vivid colors of life, enjoy the hearty laughter of my babies, and dance freely if I feel like swaying my hips. I want to take life on as adventure. It is about finding a balance with transforming life and simply allowing life to unfold, naturally. This will make life richer for both me and my children. And the beautiful thing is that children are the best teachers in this regard. Being open in heart, can be as simple as really plugging into the joyful and pure way children experience life.

For Mommy’s Minute, I wanted to share a meditation inspired by Don Miguel Ruiz’s book entitled “Prayers: A Communion with our Creator.” This is a quick exercise and is great for getting reconnected with the heart.

Get into a comfortable sitting position, gently close your eyes, and just take a moment to get centered.

Take a few slow deep breaths in, and as you slowly exhale, allow tension, stress, and thoughts to just fade away.

When you feel relaxed and still, on your next inhalation, imagine that the air you are taking in is love. Let it fill up your lungs. As you exhale, allow the feeling of love to spread through your entire body and let go of any negative feelings, stress, worry, etc. Repeat this as many times that feels good to you.

On your next inhalation, exhale slowly and think of something that brings you joy. Allow this picture to clearly come into your mind. Stay with it and focus in on the feelings (not the thoughts) that arise.

Let those joyful feelings spread through your body; feel an internal smile that connects you to your heart and brings you peace.

Continue breathing, be still, and experience this heart connection.

And when you are ready, you can open your eyes.

You can do this meditation as many times as you like. It is a great way to “get out of your mind and into your heart.”

Have a happy, healthy, and prosperous Spring!

Work in Progress: Discipline and the power of affirmation

When I would think about discipline, I used to associate it with just implementing punishment for bad behavior. With that understanding, I approached the task of disciplining my daughter, which proved to be quite the experience.

My daughter is an old soul and I believe as many others do, she has been here before. In many ways, I feel like I am raising someone who has already been a mother. My daughter is very sure of herself, strong-willed, and exudes such a confidence in the choices she makes, even if they are not to my liking. This has made the act of discipline far more challenging than I expected of a newly two year old.

When she was younger, I found that as she began to explore her environment and nurture her own curiosity, I found myself saying "no" or "don't do/touch/eat that" a tremendous amount of times throughout the day. I was very aware of this and I began to feel uncomfortable as I said it. Although it seemed like the normal thing to do, I didn't like the idea that her first introduction to the world was centered around telling her what she couldn't do all the time.

This sounded good in theory but, was far harder in reality. Being that my daughter liked to test her boundaries anyway and did so with an awareness that I didn't want her doing something, made me very angry. It was one thing to do things with a naivety that babies usually have but, it was quite another to knowingly defy my wishes. And that is exactly what my daughter was good at doing.

So, I abandoned my newfound idea and continued on with telling her "no" and trying to find the best form of discipline. Of course, family and friends weighed in on their punishment of choice and I began to try everything. I tried time-out, scolding, taking toys away, "popping" her hand, using consistent phrases, and on and on. The trick was that whatever I chose, I needed to be consistent. But, I found myself using whichever tactic felt right in the moment.

Now, my daughter is also a very feeling-oriented person (she gets it honestly) and she is very expressive too. She communicates a lot of her needs through expressing her feelings, which usually comes in the form of crying. Now there is something about my daughter's cry that can get my blood boiling so I would usually respond by telling her to "stop," if it there wasn't an obvious reason for her crying. Again, I was trying to resolve an issue just by putting a cap on her experience.

I began to see how my practices of discipline were shaping my daughter by the way she interacted with her baby brother. She would reenact many of the things I would say to her, with him. While it made for great laughs, I also took note that she was doing what she understood as mothering him.

I reached a point where these approaches didn't really work for me and were not aligned with my way of thinking. Approaching discipline by ways of punishment and trying to establish myself as an authority figure, I wasn't dealing with how to actually evolve the behavior into something positive or teaching her how to make better choices. Moreover, I wasn't introducing many valuable life lessons. By always telling her to stop crying, I wasn't hearing what she was trying to express in the moment or teaching her how to balance her emotions.

I thought about the power of words and I thought about how effective it might be to become more affirming with her. I realized that I could transform the entire experience of disciplining her by consistently acknowledging and elevating the positive things that she does and affirming her through the the more undesirable behaviors. Children, especially babies are little sponges, and that expands the possibilites on how they can be taught. Here are some little tactics I am beginning to try:

*Laugh more often: I realized that nothing cures bad behavior more than laughter and good cheer. My daughter has the heartiest laugh that just fills the room with so much joy. Who has time to misbehave or be stressed (mom) when there is a lot of laughter and fun going on?

*The power of options: Instead of only telling her what she can't do, I also give her something she can do. I was always saying "no," taking things out of her hands, etc. I realized that I didn't want to suppress her avid curiosity. That meant that I had to give her something she could exlplore and also make a committment to do more activities with her. A busy child is a well-behaved child.

*Use trigger happy words: When my daughter begins to have an emotional melt down, I assess what she may be trying to communicate, and if it seems as though she is crying just out of frustration, I tell her to say "I am okay" or "I'm in perfect peace." Doing this consistently really helps her to realize on her own that there is really nothing wrong and that she is alright. I love to hear her say it and the calm that it brings to her. Self-soothing is the beginning of self-healing. And I even have her grand-mother saying affirmations with her now!

*Pair words with a small gesture: One of my challenges with my daughter is getting her to stop and listen. She will hear me but, she will often continue to engage in the behavior I told her not to do. Instead of constantly telling her that she isn't listening, I stop and say "Listen" (firmly) and point to my ears. I calmly explain to her (looking into her eyes) what I asked her to do. If she listens, I immediately tell her that she is being a great listener or how much I love her listening. Babies love to know that they are doing the right thing.

*Stop ranting. It is easy to get on a soapbox, even with a baby. I've learned that babies need precise instructions and they need to be told what to do without distraction. I would talk to my daughter while I was washing dishes, or doing some other activity. Looking them in the eye forces them to face you and what you are telling them.

*Know when to just let it go. Sometimes I would just tell her "no" out of anger or frustration. Know your intentions and know when to say it's okay. As long as they are not in immediate danger or doing something completely out of line, sometimes it is okay to surrender.

*Focus on their strengths. My daughter loves to help and she is an amazing big sister. She likes to help at inappropriate times and I found myself telling her "no" in that arena as well. Instead, I would create opportunites for her to help and let her do things that may undo what I was doing. For example, I had folded some clothes and she came behind me to "fold" them again (which meant throwing them off there respective piles). I let her do it and then I showed her to properly fold something. It didn't cause any harm and she was happy.

This is a definitely a work in progress but, I am already seeing positive changes. These tactics won't always take the place of time-out or whatever punishment but, I feel as though punishment will become less needed if I continue to put more energy into affirming positive behavior. It takes far more awareness, discipline, and work to do this but, I believe that it will warrant even greater results. And it keeps me in check because, if she does something in a moment where I may be frustrated anyway, I can bring myself down so that I won't take it out on her. Stay tuned for my entry entitled, Motherhood: An act of patience. :)