Below are my list of top ten calorie free treats. These are suitable for any diet, whether you are a vegetarian, omnivore, lactose-intolerant, or even a gluten-free triathlete!

1) Massage

2) A walk in nature – the beach, a wooded trail, around a lake…

3) Good Conversation

4) Laughter

5) Spontaneous Dance Parties

6) Exercise

7) Spa treatments
A Good Book

9) Candle-lit, rose pedal, scented baths

10) Playing with dogs, cats, and/or kids

What are some of your favorite calorie-free treats?

I had the GREAT honor this afternoon of sharing with others what it is like to live an inspiring life. Sue Oliver, success coach and head of the Passions and Possibilities Project asked me to share some of my story and what it means to take the leap into living a life you are passionate about.

Below is our chat. I hope you find it inspiring and uplifting and that it moves you to live more of the life you dream for yourself!

With affection,

Aimee

PS — I am not endorsing, nor have any control over, any ad that is mentioned at the beginning of this radio show!!

A study by Dr Malcolm Cross confirms what tea-lovers have long espoused: if you are upset or anxious, it’s a good idea to brew a cup of tea.

The study, as reported by the British Telegraph, said that a stress-inducing test caused a reported 25% increase in stress levels by those who did not receiving tea following their stress test. Those who did receive tea reported a 4%  decrease in stress. (click here to read more about this study).

Keep in mind this is a British study, and the Brits have had a longstanding cultural relationship with tea. Even though Americans do not engage in teas to the extent of our British cousins, the image and experience of making a cup of tea can induce similar ideas of unwinding; this idea permeates our culture mostly in advertising and movies instead of occurring in the home.

Give it a try and see what happens! Below is my favorite way to prepare tea:

Aimee’s Cuppa

I never liked tea, nor drank it in the British style, until I met my friend Nefratiri. I would go over to Nef’s house when I was about 18 to talk about religion and government and all sorts of juicy topics.  She would make me tea using soymilk and maple syrup and I became HOOKED on the stuff.  It has since become a very soothing staple on cold days or whenever I need a little extra love.

• 1 teabag or loose-leaf tea in a teaball (some of my faves: Celestial Seasoning’s Tension Tamer or Gingerbread tea; Republic of Tea Blackberry Sage, Morning Glory Chai or a redbush chai)
• 1-2 tsp maple syrup
• 1/4 cup soy milk, almond milk, or hemp milk (rice milk is too watery)
• boiling water

Bring water to a boil in a kettle or pot. Remove from heat. Add the teabag to your favorite mug and top with water, leaving room for “milk”. Add milk and maple syrup and stir.

Sit back, inhale deeply, and enjoy.

Joy is a choice.

Yes, a choice.

The mundane can be gleeful, and even the frustrating things in life can hold gems in them that lift us a little. That is not to say that we still won’t feel angry or sad, but recognizing that there may be something positive in any difficulty can keep us from getting submerged in the emotion, numbing it out with food, or acting out in other ways that may not be in our best interest.

With the economic and employment troubles affecting most everyone on some level, our national levels of stress have been stimulated, to put it mildly. Yet even in the most stressful times, we can minimize the harm of high levels of stress by seeking moments of joy that exist all around us.

Below are tools to create greater joy in your life – whether you are working through a personal difficulty or simply wanting more of what you already have.  These tools were shared with me in The Solution Method. Wired for Joy, the initial 6 week introduction to the Method, will be starting July 6th, 2009. Please email or call me for more details!

Conscious Attention: Mindfulness is key. When we are aware of what gives us joy, we can recall these memories at will.These memories can affect the brain chemistry as strongly as the  when the experience happened. Make a list of things which you know give you an emotional boost. Then be on the lookout for the day-to-day joyful experiences so you can add to your list. See mine below for ideas. No item is too large or too small!

Intention: having an intention of happiness and joy sets our compass in the direction we wish to head. Having the intention increases our chance of success – whatever the goal. Research backs this up – in the laboratory as well as through historical documentation (Napoleon Hill comes to mind). Add joy, pleasure, and intention to all that you plan on doing to the day. Don’t just intend to go to work, bu intend to go to work and have a positive experience there. Begin seeking joy in your life and expecting it to come your way and you live out your life.

The Earned Rewards in Life: Gratitude has been shown to be one of the best tools to shift one’s mindset from neutral to joyful. When we express gratefulness for what has come to us we not only increase our joy but become receptive to receiving more. Those who express gratitude not only are healthier, but live 7-9 years longer. Our left prefontal cortex is flooded with feel-good hormones when we focus on what is positive; the end outcome being flooding our brain with endorphins. Negative thinking activates the right prefontal cortex and floods the system with fight-or-flight response hormones that deplete us and can eventually lead to stress-induced diseases such as depression, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease, among others.

Make it a Daily Practice — take a deep breath settle in – what are three things I am grateful for in this moment? Ask this question daily. If you are experiencing more stress than usual, ask it several times throughout the day. Set an alarm on your computer or phone to remind you!

When you ask this question, what comes to mind? No pressure. Think of what you can in this moment. Feel gratitude in your body and acknowledge it. Just a small practice such as this can increase your joy and when you share it with others you can give it to them as well. JOY IS CONTAGIOUS! This is the reason why I always include Bragging Rights in my monthly newsletter.

Aimee’s List O’ Joy

• fresh juice

• spring flowers

• seeing fruit on the tree

• hiking in a forest

• a good joke; I am particularly fond of puns and intellectual humor.

• irony

• synchronicity in daily life

• warm bathrobes

• a cool, cloudy day

• Rain!!

• watching my turtles eat

• ripe, fresh berries

• farmers’ markets

• traveling

• airports

What brings you joy that you haven’t done in awhile? What have you planned to do to treat yourself that you haven’t done yet? Make a note of the ones you do regularly and set about the intention to experience focused joy around that area. I love spring flowers, but right now they are in abundance and I have become a little desensitized. So I am going to recommit to focusing high joy on the flowers that stop me in my tracks. Rather than walk by, I may stop and examine them closer, bring some home with me, or take a photo.

***********************************

Taken from notes: 3 June 2009; Teleconference with Judy Zehr LPC. MHRM

Also – The Strength of Goal’s Intentions Affect Outcome and UC Davis Study on Gratitude and Thankfulness

To learn more on the science of gratitude, you may wish to read Thanks!: How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier

To learn more about rewiring your brain for less stress and greater joy, visit www.thepathway.org

I’ve recently been uncomfortable.

Big-time uncomfortable.

Digging heels in, I don’t-wanna, stop the presses and let-me-go-back-to-bed uncomfortable. It was a surprise, honestly. I thought I was more prepared.

Earlier this year I decided I wanted to teach Spin classes. It would give me some variety and expose me to a large gym that could have other benefits down the line. I would get to know more people in my neighborhood while getting in shape in a new and different way. I love the endorphins that cycling to music gives me (more reliable than runner’s high).  So I took a certification class and did an excellent job auditioning for the position. So well, in fact, that I was offered my own class (usually beginners get to sub for awhile). It may have been that I was passable and no one else wanted to teach at 5:30am, or that I was awesome. Who knows? Regardless, and despite the fact that I had no previous experience in front of large exercise classes, I was granted my own class. And after the hiring paperwork was said and done, I was offered a second class each week. GREAT! My wish was granted. I was set to teach Spin.

But let me tell you – this is HARD. Ask me to run 18 miles or lecture about healthy fats to 150 people and it would be easier. For me — a very left-brained, uncoordinated person — timing music to cues to public performance and finagling with a mic and my own sweat while smiling AND talking proved to make me extremely nervous. I had nightmares when I wasn’t experiencing insomnia, and would wake up with dread the mornings I was teaching.

But I knew that 12-20 people would be there waiting and the area manager found me skilled enough to lead them. I had to trust her instinct over my own at this point, because the level of unfamiliarity was rather blindsiding.  So I walk in, pretend I’ve done this before and give it a go.
I finished my fourth class last week, and I have learned a lot – about myself as a morning performer, about sweaty microphones and creating mixes, about what people are like at 5:30am and about my own inner demons.

I haven’t wanted to quit something in a long time. I had moments the last two weeks where I wanted to quit this crazy thing I had gotten myself into.

I share this with you because inevitably at some point we all face such discomfort. Something feels too hard and we’d rather say yes to the cheesecake or no to the workout. We think we are crazy because we signed up for a triathlon and we don’t know how to swim. We wonder why we are thrashing about in the water, setting our alarm for 4am to teach strangers, having the tough conversation or walking out of the bakery when it seems that everyone else in the world doesn’t have to.

What I want to highlight though is what happens when we embrace the difficulty.

There is great reward in facing down adversity. It is a time ripe with opportunities to see how we work under pressure. What sorts of weird stories do our brains tell us? Do we want these stories to be the basis of our reality (“I’ll always be fat”, “I exercised for an hour so I deserve a high-calorie treat”, “I’m any variety of insulting adjectives”,”I already have heart disease so I might as well…” )or do we want to create a new one? (“I can totally do this”, “I’ll show them”, “I’ve come so far!”, “My body can heal”, “I deserve to be happy!”)

When I get into an emotional pickle and I find myself challenged beyond my level of confidence, I reach out for support. I call my friends who have unwavering belief in me, I write to my business coach, I journal about it and I brainstorm solutions as I question my fear. Regardless of the outcome, I always learn more. Sometimes I learn what I must never do again. Other times I learn that I am a lot stronger and more creative than I often perceive myself to be.

Each time we face adversity and come out the other side, we build up our inner strength and tenacity. We learn that we can ask for help and receive it and that we are often better supported and stronger than we allow ourselves to realize. Over time, this breaks down self-imposed barriers that keep us locked to unhealthy eating and a sedentary life when we yearn for movement and the energy that healthy living can bring.

When you feel resistance rise up in yourself – in your relationships, in your work, in your commitment to a goal you are striving for – begin to ask questions. Look at the internal records playing and see if it isn’t time to change the album. Ask yourself — What do I most need to hear right now? Then give yourself that emotional nourishment. My guess is you may find  the challenge becomes less overwhelming and you feel more proud, stronger, and have more love and respect for yourself as a result. And the happier you are, the healthier you are, hands down.

What is one way you face down adversity? When your inner demons start chattering, what do you say or do to change the dialogue?

Daily Om is something I heard about a few years ago and still have delivered to my Inbox. It is a fantastic reminder daily of how much possibility we have within each of us, how important it is to stop and breathe, and other aspects of conscious living.

To learn more, visit DailyOm.com

I’ll be the first to tell you I love coffee.

And I get a little sparkle in my eye when I admit it. My lips will curl up slightly and my voice deepens, betraying my deep appreciation (or addiction, if you insist upon labeling it that way).

Coffee, however, does not do well in my system. I began drinking espresso when I was 15. Mom always used to tell me it would stunt my growth, but I had largely stopped growing a few years beforehand so I didn’t hold much credence to it. Coffee was the media through which I connected with friends in high school and my father when he would come and pick me up from school. It was a warm creamy beverage that took the Alaskan chill out of my bones. My mother ordered fancy flavored coffees through the mail and had that creepy artificial creamer that came in fancy flavors as well.

By time I hit college, I peaked with 32 ounces of drip coffee in the morning to get me through the double whammy of biology and chemistry back to back beginning at 7:30 or 8am. Then I rotated between 24 ounces of drip and a double shot in the afternoon. Or a quadshot if I was working back-to-back shifts and studying. My body began complaining a lot. I had PMS, random panic attacks, and any additional stressors would cause me to hit stationary objects with my vehicle. (not intentionally!) I began having stomach problems; it was receiving so much acid it realized it didn’t need to make its own anymore!

(more…)

I began the work in a final attempt to come to peace with food and to learn a new way of coping with life so that I did not turn to bowls of popcorn and tortilla chips, chastise myself for it, and repeat the habit the next time I was overwhelmed. What I gained from devoting myself to learning it over the following two years was profound.

• I became more in touch with what I was feeling and more clear in expressing myself.
• I was able to see the pattern and break it before I engaged in it. When I did engage in it, I recovered more quickly and compassionately than I ever had been capable of before.
• My ability to work within the stresses of day-to-day life skyrocketed-now there is very little panicking, getting frustrated, or feeling trapped! 
• I witnessed others doing the work with me also experience greater calm and joy in their lives as they became well-versed in their internal world and learned to choose different responses.

The numerous small and large ways in which it has affected me cannot be measured. My heart is lighter, I can laugh at myself more, and I have come to peace with how much of life has unfolded.  Last year I began training to become a provider for this Method myself, so that I can share these skills with others who are looking for less stress and greater joy in their lives.
With so much seemingly out of control these days, having an internal safe haven is paramount to getting through the rough patches with our hair and wits intact!

I encourage you to learn a bit more about the Method, and look for more information on telegroups and individual coaching from VIBRANCE to appear in the next few weeks. Wired for Joy, the 6 week introductory course to the Solution Method, will begin in early May.
If you are interested in registering for Wired for Joy or wish to begin individual coaching now, please contact me at aimee@vibrancenutrition.com or by calling 206-227-1231

For more information on Developmental Skills Training and the Solution method, please click here and here.

I also highly recommend the book The Pathway, by Laurel Mellin – developer of the Solution Method.

This weekend I began coaching a group with Club 26.2 for the AFC Half marathon and as I was introducing myself I realized (and shared) that I have been running for a decade now.

That’s amazing!
I can hardly believe it’s been 10 years of solid, consistent running! (Wait — is this a sign I’m getting old?)

Reflecting on the ways running has enhanced my life, I’m offering 10 lessons I have learned in the last 10 years that i may not have learned if I hadn’t been lacing up my shoes and hitting the roads…

10) How You Train is No Indication of How You Will Race: You can train perfectly and have a terrible race due to circumstances beyond your control. Likewise, you can feel totally unprepared for a race and set a personal best. Life is full of surprises – don’t set your expectations in stone!

9) Cold isn’t Always a Bad Thing: I grew up in Alaska and have vehemently hated cold weather. That said, running in the cool weather is much more pleasant than the heat of late summer. And believe it or not, ice baths are AWESOME. Take home lesson – everything has its place and time, be open to changing your mind sometimes.
Rest is Essential: I first learned this on the trail, then began to apply it in other areas of my life. Rest is mandatory, period. When you train too hard and neglect rest, all sorts of things happen. You become injured, grouchy, your immune system fails. When you refuse to rest in life (vacation, reasonable work hours, allowing time to play) you become grouchy, get carpal tunnel, and your immune system fails! A lot of us wait for forced rest in both personal and athletic lives – be it stress fractures,  a nasty virus we cannot ignore, or a full-blown heart attack. By choosing rest, we not only avoid unnecessary trauma, we also strategically prepare ourselves to rebuild and come back stronger. This is the purpose of tapering miles before a marathon. In other areas rest is essential to maintain our quality of life. I find when I take breaks with the seasons and allow myself vacations and weekends off I come back mentally prepared, inspired, and have better interactions all around.

7.) Don’t skimp on quality: When you cut corners on shoes and fuel, your training suffers. When your training suffers, you suffer. Take Home Message – be willing to give yourself quality to get the most out of what you love. The payback is well worth it.

6.) Body Knows Best – it holds all the answers and is never wrong. Running has gotten me in tune with the fine messages and signals my body sends me. Having this kind of relationship is precious. A healthy relationship between body and mind is as rewarding as a healthy relationship between horse and rider. Just as the rider can read the horse’s non-verbal cues, everyone can learn the clear, unique messages sent by the body. Miles and hours of solo time with my body and holding an inquisitive, curious approach to such signals has allowed me to discover how to best care for myself and stay active without significant injury, consistently improving race quality for a full decade.

5.) Little Changes Matter: A 100-calorie pack of gel can get you to the finish line; double-knotting your shoes saves a lot of hassle; the difference between 30 minutes and 50 minutes is huge when it comes to refueling and a tiny patch of moleskin can save 3 days of pain. Little adjustments can yield big results. This has become both how I live my life and guide my clients.

4.) Support Supercharges Everything: For my first race, my former husband was at the finish line. We had fought all weekend and he was there because he was expected to be. Despite 11 months of training and a nearly perfect regimen, that was the hardest race and recovery I have ever experienced in my life (the course was also a factor). For my last two marathons, I had friends cheering me along the course; they were there because they WANTED to be and were really excited for me. I have spent much of my running career flying solo when it comes to support, and have found that the camaraderie from training with a group and the support of friends and loved ones along the course and finish line to be energizing and inspiring in a way that no amount of training or fueling can offer. Likewise, having support from family, friends, or a group of similar people in all aspects of life allows us so much more endurance and tenacity than trying to do it all alone.  Having a cheer team doesn’t make you weak; it keeps you strong and allows you to bounce back from everything quicker and easier.

3.) Hills Make You Stronger: Part of the reason that first marathon was such a disaster was that I did no hill training. Hillwork (adversity, swimming upstream, going against the grain) strengthens you, makes you a better runner, and pushes your mental stamina as well. When you get to the top of the mountain or hill, you have a huge sense of accomplishment and a boost of awesome brain chemicals dopamine and endorphins, contributing to a sense of reward and that sought-after “runner’s high”. In life, this has translates to meeting adversity head-on and moving through challenges; running has made me more fearless and confident in life.

2.) Appreciate Your Body: Running has really reinforced how amazing the human body is. And the great news is that we each get one! Despite any perceived imperfections, it is strong, allows me to do so many wonderful things and has amazing powers of regeneration. It works for me to get back into balance when I make mistakes and always does its best to accommodate my (sometimes absurd) demands. My body is undeniably an amazing vehicle that transports me through this life and is deserving of the utmost care and consideration.

1.) Attitude is everything: How you talk to yourself will make or break your training and racing. Ultimately you are the only cheerleader that is with you every single, sweaty mile. For the hours you devote to exercise it is far more supportive to have positive, uplifting encouragement than a barking drill sergeant on your back.  As soon as my thoughts turn negative (“this is hard…I’m so out of shape…I should be faster/stronger”) my body starts to feel MORE weary and heavy; I’m more likely to throw in the towel early or call it quits all together! However, just some simple encouragement (“Look how far you have already gone! 1 mile left; anyone can run a mile!…You are staying strong and doing well! Almost there….”)This applies not only to training, but to all aspects of living joyfully.

For those of you who run – what has running taught you? What lessons have you gained in exercise that you have found apply in other areas as well?

What is it that motivates you to keep going when you get discouraged?

According to the most recent statistics offered by the American Heart Association, one in three American adults has one or more types of cardiovascular disease (high blood pressure, angina, heart attack history, heart failure and/or stroke). Over half of these individuals are under the age of 60. I personally find this information shocking and saddening. Heart disease is largely a disease of lifestyle choice – choices we make on a day-to-day basis culminating over time. The amount of suffering for these individuals and those who care about them cannot be measured.
Our culture has not been set up to combat this disease effectively. Reliance upon extreme measures (surgery and drugs) remain the norm and well-supported by current health plans, while remedies which have been proven to be the most effective (diet and exercise changes) remain ignored and unsupported in our culture.
There has been a call to step forward and begin to take responsibility as a nation on many levels. Our health is just one area which can make a profound difference and have a powerful ripple effect nation-wide – stemming from our personal sphere of family, friends and co-workers to a more national level of insurance policies, health care plans, and the medical and food industries.
Begin with small, powerful changes to improve your heart health. The shift that can happen for you is beyond transformational. It requires simple steps, but it can be difficult to implement within the context of one’s day-to-day life. This is where support from your health providers, family members, a personal trainer and various communities becomes essential. As a friend of mine says, “Together, we can do better.”

* Move a little bit every day: Park further away, take an after dinner stroll for 10 minutes, take the stairs instead of the elevator, enlist the help of a personal trainer. 30 minutes a day or more. It doesn’t have to be all at once! Alternatively,use a pedometer to keep track of how many steps you take in a day – aim for 10,000!
* Eat Your Greens! Green foods are powerful heart protectors. They are full of fiber, antioxidants and are low in calories, helping to shed excess weight. I have written much about greens and different ways to get them into one’s daily diet. A great book to get started is Greens, Glorious Greens.
* Reduce Meat Consumption: The frequency of and quality of our animal food consumption
in this country is not supportive for the health for our bodies or the planet. If you have cardiovascular disease, multiple sources of research point to the benefit or reducing or eliminating consumption of beef, pork, and even chicken from your diet. Traditional cultures with low risk of disease use animal foods as a condiment and flavoring rather than a main course. Try eating a vegetarian diet 50% of the time (or more) and reserving meat for special occasions. There are many ways to do this that can be satisfying, nutritionally-sound, and even decadent! The work of T. Colin Campbell, Dean Ornish, and John McDougall may be of interest to you. Also, take a vegetarian cooking class to learn more about how lovely meat-free eating can be!

* Stop Smoking: If you are a smoker, quitting smoking alone will radically improve your health. Do what you can to kick butt, being certain to implement stress-reduction techniques to help you stay smoke-free for the rest of your life.

* Bring in Reinforcements for Those Weak Spots: I have found in my practice that many people are diligent about one aspect of their health, but struggle with others. The expert dieter has a heck of a time sticking to an exercise regimen and the exercise enthusiasts struggle to keep their food streamlined. Regardless of your preference, it’s likely that you struggle with work-life balance, emotional nourishment, and adequate restoration. All these factors play into restoring your heart health. Reach out to those around you for support. If you need additional help, hiring a health professional or personal trainer to facilitate this transition can be a richly rewarding and empowering experience.