Category: Healthy Mind - Allyn's Cafe
Keeping a Forward Thinking Attitude
When we feel guilty about the past it’s because our mind is making us feel that way. By flooding our brain with the thoughts of our past mistakes, decisions and wrong turns, our life-journey distracts us from what is real, the present. Similarly, the mind’s other favorite resource is the future which does not exist because our we live in the present. There is no crystal ball. This back and forth preoccupation of the mind has been ingrained in us and civilization since the beginning (Eckhart Tolle).
Everyone wonders what would have happened if they did something differently in the past.
It’s purely a function that we need to keep tabs on and minimize. How that may have changed the present? This can lead to depression, a longing for change, regret, and unfulfillment. We also wonder or worry about the future regarding health, prosperity, speaking events, vacations, our jobs, retirement, and the list goes on. Thinking about the future can lead to anxiety and stress. You can overthink a future outcome 25 times before it ever has a chance to happen (Taryn Toomey).
Eckhart Tolle “The Power of Now” asks each of us to observe the mind as a formless, non-judgmental, unassuming bystander. Understand the mind and the way it works so you can take control over your mind domain. You can control the mind from constantly bringing up the past and projecting the future. I have been working on it for some time. I constantly observe my mind dwelling in the past and postulating outcomes about the future and have found that some simple breathing exercises (4, 7, 8) snap me out of it. Then I do brain exercises like remembering street addresses, making gratitude’s, and observing unique things in my surroundings. If I am in an area conducive to meditation, I focus my thoughts on my body starting with my toes and working up through my head while concentrating on breath and thinking about the energy in each area.
​After I clear the extraneous thoughts, I concentrate on what I was doing in the first place. If necessary, I continue with the brain exercises. Sometimes when certain thoughts enter my mind; for example, a project I am behind on, I compartmentalize the thought to be taken up later when I return to work on it. Finances, bills, and obligations are notorious for getting stressed over. We all need to make decisions for living within our means. Schedule a time and place to work on your finances (compartmentalize). It’s best to schedule your activities when you can focus 100% on them. You don’t need to carry them around with you all day and night. Enjoy life and appreciate all its blessings by being present in the moment.
​A phone call or text can send your mind into a frenzy of unnecessary active thinking be it good or bad.
​Dealing with these thoughts, though not easy can be done with practice. To remain present, or conscious and enjoy your day you can control this very busy self-talk by making gratitude offerings or meditating and clearing your mind. There are many YouTube meditation suggestions for the beginner. Does my mind try to keep me preoccupied? Heck yes, my mind is a tough fighter. When you stay in a present state (conscious) keeping your mind in check you are in a far better place to enjoy life. You will notice the Angel number on a digital clock (1:11) the beauty of nature, your specialness, joy, happiness, and the real miracle of life all around. You can appreciate things as they happen not as a burden but an opportunity.
Obligations become things to experience not avoid. Life is long but just a speck or grain of sand in the context of time. We will experience many trials and tribulations during our earth experience, but God, within us, will always provide what we need. Be present to receive your own gift of enlightenment.
This blog is not about food for the body, instead food for the brain. I started reading a book called The Power of Now A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment, by Eckhart Tolle. I have always wanted to be enlightened, whatever that may be. It seems it would bring about some positive changes in my body and soul. But was it just for monks, the masters, spiritual leaders, yoga gurus? I didn’t know, and until this point the whole notion eluded me. I often have positive feelings and want to just smile while pondering about my children, life, or even a grocery cart while walking into the grocery store, like what a great invention. These are gratitude offerings.
When the emotion of joy arises, I wonder why? I believe a lot has to do with my education at the Institute for Integrated Nutrition and the concepts I have learned and applied to my life. I am less stressed, take the time to eat and enjoy my food, eat healthy foods, hydrate, give gratitude offerings, write a morning journal, exercise regularly, and I meditate. I feel so good the day will come when someone says I’ll have what he’s having about me. I am getting reborn into this life and the world with tools like the Circle of Life and Primary Food from IIN.
I read the New York Times Bestseller 'The Power of Now.' Eckhart Tolle, the author went from feeling suicidal to being enlightened one morning as he thought he couldn’t live with himself anymore. He contemplated, I can’t live with myself, are there two of me? In a void as he describes, the words ‘resist nothing’ came to him many times and he fell back asleep. After a few hours he awoke to a new world, with a bird chirping outside his window, and the sun streaming in. The beauty of the moment was in fact an Epiphany. The world changed. Everything was beautiful. After months and years of experiencing this new life, and while studying the masters of meditation and spirituality he realized he had what they were talking about. The book is a journey of his teachings and how you and I can live in a state of consciousness.
I am a beginner at the concept of being present, but it’s not hard to do. Like anything it requires practice and motivation, that’s why I am reading the book for a second time. Here are the basic teachings of Tolle as you embark on enlightenment. Start with the idea that within yourself there is a bystander of sorts, there to observe in a very discrete, non-discriminatory and non- judgmental way the mind and its functions. There is a lot of clutter in your brain every Nano-second of the day. Constantly going from the past to the future, your mind keeps you from being present in the moment that is your real existence and identity. Learning to control the mind from its desire to constantly fill you with unnecessary information that keeps you in an unconscious state requires practice in shutting it down. When it leaps from past to future, bad memories to future fears, learned biases, discriminatory feelings, perceived outcomes you cannot achieve presence. You are the gatekeeper of your inner self, purely an onlooker, and that is the easiest way I can explain Tolle’s incredible revelation. Tolle describes a few examples of being present in those that take up dangerous sports like rock climbing and race car driving. A moment in the unconscious state may lead to death. Learning to be present is like exercising any part of your body, you need to work at it to build it. When you are present, you can experience joy of which there is no opposite. And the great thing is we can all achieve presence without having a dangerous hobby. (Tolle)
The Bill Murray Stories: Life Lessons (Director Tony Avallone 2018)
Seldom do I smile ear to ear while watching a film or documentary. Bill Murray Stories is a film that put a big grin on my face throughout. Everybody loves him and as far as I can tell he lives in a present, spontaneous state. As I experiment living my now life, I see people more transparently. I can feel when a person is spirited and engaged and detect when someone is confounded or in a quagmire. It’s in their eyes and their body language.
Bill Murray Stories is about ‘the urban legend’ Mr. Bill Murray showing up, unforetold to a host of events over the years. He pops up at wedding pictures, bars and bartends, house parties, family events, reads poetry to construction workers, and is always there to engage and not entertain. You cannot schedule him to show up for one of these wacky appearances, he does it spontaneously. Being a big star, he seems quite grounded, ordinary, and does regular things, like dance, mingle, wash dishes, and take selfies. These wonderful, joyous, and memorable experiences resonated in hearts of the folks around him. I experienced Murray’s nonchalant comedy many years ago, (Saturday Night Live) and like many became an instant fan. He went on to make many classic movies, humorous and serious. From Bill Murray Stories, I saw a clip from Caddy Shack, perhaps one of his most iconic movies, where he improvised a piece about being a caddie for the Dali Lama. The Dali Lama said he (Murray) wouldn’t be getting any money for caddying but at his deathbed he would receive total consciousness. Hmmm I thought, I am reading a book about consciousness, this sounds familiar. As the Life Lessons continued many of Murrays movie included enlightenment references. Several interviews with eye witnesses of these urban legend events suggested he had a way to wake people up, showing up in places he wasn’t expected to be. Wake up, this was a concept in Tolle’s book I was beginning to understand. We walk around in a fog most of the time? Our brains are controlled by time and we can never bring back the past and the future does not exist yet. The stimulation that surrounds us is equal in one day to what our ancestors experienced in a lifetime. No wonder we can’t get off our cell phones our minds have an insatiable desire to wonder. The fact is everyone lives in a state of Now. The universe is in a state of Now. But most of us are missing it, at least that is what I am trying to come to terms with.
Bill Murray lives his life as many of us would like, famous, care free, funny, well off. We can all march to our own beat and should. Practice being a Now person. My suggestion is pick up and read Tolle’s book, watch Bill Murray Stories and see if the correlation I got is the same for you. More important, don’t dwell too much on the past, (it’s a Now that already happened) and don’t fret about the future. Sure, the bills won’t go away, the public speech is going to happen, you are going to have to face some serious situations, but overthinking them keeps you from the being present, conscious, where you are. Use your life to be Bill Murray spontaneous and bring cheer and joy to those around you. Most importantly, bring joy to yourself. As always, I would love to hear what you think of my blog.
The Great American "Pastime"
The incredible line ups, at stadiums across America this year, are in the concession stands.
Here are some new over the top food items as reported by CBS Sports (www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/best-mlb-ballpark-foods-for-2019-ribs-giant-hot-dogs-and-egg-rolls-among-the-most-intriguing-new-menu-items/).
Avocado Bites; deep fried and served with habanero sauce.
MQ Rib Sandwich; slow cooked baby back rib meat with MQ’s black cherry BBQ garnished with dill pickles and white onions on a soft white roll.
The Foul Pole; A 2 pound battered and fried chicken tender (yes singular) with waffle fries and sides of honey mustard and ranch dressing. (How big was that chicken??)
16-inch slice of pepperoni or cheese pizza.
PB and bacon Sandwich
Chicken and waffle cone; Filled with chicken tenders and a slab of bacon drizzled with maple syrup.
Dinger Dog; fried 1-foot beef dog wrapped in puff pastry with cheddar and bacon jam.
Chili cheese crunch dog; 1-foot long hot dog with chili, cheddar cheese and crushed Fritos on top.
Fritos pie corn dog; hot dog dipped in corn chip batter, fried and topped with white cheese and chili
Donut burger; a burger topped with bacon pepper jam served on a glazed donut
Going Yard; 16.5-inch jalapeño cheddar sausage topped with grilled onion, roasted corn, avocado relish and drizzled with sour cream.
Crispy maple chicken sandwich; spicy maple sauce drizzled over fried chicken with white cheddar spread, and pickles on a toasted bun.
Smokin’ thighs sandwich; roasted skin on chicken thighs with garlic aioli, caramelized onion, cilantro, pickled jalapenos, and romaine on a toasted baguette.​
Fries covered with you name it, sliced gyro meat, feta cheese nacho cheese bacon…
Here's a Different One...
Dessert sweet potato fries; sweet potato fries topped with powdered sugar, chopped pecans, whipped cream, chocolate sauce and Nutella.
Bulgogi beef egg rolls; filled with beef, carrots, onions, rice, served with Gyochujang Sauce.​
Coney dog egg roll; crispy egg roll filled with a hot dog and chili drizzled with a yellow mustard and a sprinkle of diced onion.
Baseball has always been about going to the ballpark, getting a hot dog, a beer and relaxing. This food selection is on steroids. The theme seems to be big, bacon, spicy, hot, bacon (yes, I said that twice), maple syrup, waffles and a hint of Asian. Oh yeah and a lot of calories. I honestly can’t blame anyone for having food cravings.
If you are a vegan there are great concession choices also!
​Target Field has vegan:
Sriracha brats and Italian sausages
Field Roast burgers and dogs
Globe Park features a vegan cart with:
Vegan nacho’s Grande
The vegan top n’ go Frito pie with Beyond Meat Crumbles and house-made chili
Veggie wraps with Beyond Meat chicken, burger and dogs
Most stadiums have a veggie burger or hot dog, but finding them is difficult, because they’re not in too many spots. Vegan tacos, veggie burritos, and nacho cheese alternatives are increasing. There was one stadium that had seared tofu flatbreads, and a cauliflower cheesesteak with vegan cheese.
I would be happy to get a charcoal grilled Beyond Meat burger, with all the fixings and Daiya cheese. I’d even splurge on some fresh cut fries and that habanero sauce sounded good too.
​If CBS ever wanted me to visit stadiums and search out vegan or even good vegetarian options, I’d be happy to do it. If any ballpark foodservice wanted to make some great vegan recipes for carnivores, I could help there too. After all that’s what I do, I even wrote a book about it. One other thing to remember when you eat the vegan options, you can leave the antacid tablets at home because you won’t get acid reflux from vegetables, not even spicy ones. At least I don’t.
New Years: Out with the old, in with the out! What?
It’s that time of year for New Year’s resolutions. This has gone on for hundreds of years dating back at least to 1671. At that time on January 2nd, found in the diaries of Anne Halkett, a member of the Scottish Gentry was pledges of biblical verses such as I will not offend any more. (retrieved from merriam-webster.com/ when-were-New-Years-Resolution-Started)
I always have a hard time thinking of New Years Resolutions. I use the excuse that if I have a resolution, why wait till New Years Day? Is there any day that isn’t good to quit smoking, exercise more, eat healthier, treat your spouse better, spend more time with your children or grandchildren, refrain from excessive spending, stop swearing, take your dog for a walk, make your bed every day or wake up fifteen minutes earlier so that you don’t have to drive like a maniac to work and almost kill everyone in your path.
I generally don’t have a New Years Resolution. This year I do though, and I’m keeping it to myself because…funny thing is they are normally broken as quickly as they start. That’s why gyms are the busiest in January and by February are back to normal.
​I didn’t realize this, but December is a month that many people let go of their inhabitations in recognition that come January 1st the proverbial sh!T hits the fan. I thought that only happened on Fat Tuesday, the famed New Orleans party tradition the night before Lent. That’s when we give up something we really like or try to be more giving towards the less fortunate for the Christian Lenten Season.
"Starting a resolution cold turkey is difficult."
​Then I came up with a good and easy one for anybody and everybody. As an Integrated Nutrition Health Coach, there are some key theories and core concepts I would like to mention. One theory is that of crowding out. We work with clients to crowd out bad foods with good foods. All that you need to do is change your shopping habits a little bit over time.
​Slowly but surely, make your shopping list to include some healthier items to replace unhealthier items. Replace refined sugar, (sugary drinks, pastries, cookies and donuts) with natural sugars with fiber. (Apples, kiwi, berries and oranges) Slowly, replace bad fats, (red meat, chicken, cheese) high in cholesterol and unsaturated fats with good fats (avocados, olive oil, cashews, almonds, wild-caught salmon, herring and mackerel).
​If you must eat meat and poultry try to buy local, grass fed beef, and cage free chicken, humanely raised and steroid and antibiotic free. Crowding out is resolution #1. Fitting out is resolution #2. I am counting this as a two for one because we can cross off many of the things, we might be resolute for.
In Integrated Nutrition we want our clients to fit out. We all know what fitting in means, fitting out is what make you unique. You may fit out because of the cloths you wear, your personality, the hobbies you have, your mission, your diet, (sometimes vegetarians and vegans can be outcasts because they don’t fit in when eating out) and anything else that makes you uniquely you. Work on fitting out as a wonderful resolution to the New Year. And I will see you in 2019.
Is it time for a holiday epiphany?
Thanksgiving is over, and the holiday mayhem is on. We get warmed up to the mad rush of Christmas and holiday shopping well in advance. Starting in September with the big box store displays of Christmas trees, lights, lawn ornaments, and holiday gift packages there it is, in our face. Still in shorts mowing the lawn, driving around with the top down on our convertibles, there it tis, much to our chagrin.
Black Friday, Local Saturday, Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday, discounts, specials, spend, spend, spend. Crowded parking lots, people in a hurry, blustery weather, dark at 4 o’clock, but we need to get presents for everyone on our list.. doon’t weee? Ahh, let’s wait till the last minute.
Easy as 1, 2, 3 Holiday Tips
Try this breathing exercise when you are getting freaked out. It’s called the 4-7-8. Breath in though your nose four counts, hold for seven counts, and exhale through your mouth eight counts. Try it a few times and you will become an expert. You need to practice it to work… every day, but not too much you may pass out. Next time you are in a traffic jam, long line, or plain old frustrated for no reason, think about it and do it.
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Drink plenty of filtered water in a store-bought container versus plastic if you can. Mostly during the day, less at night, so not to interrupt sleep with nighttime bathroom visits. Start the day with a big glass, and drink throughout. Tea, coffee, soda, energy drinks, and anything mixed with water doesn’t count. This keeps your body hydrated, will stave off headaches and maintain your energy.
Get a good night’s sleep. Work at making your bedroom a comfortable place to lure you into sleepy land. Get rid of electronics, bright clocks, light from windows, TV’s and try to follow the natural circadian rhythm of sleep, early to bed early to rise, makes the person healthy, wealthy and wise.
Bonus point 1; Wake up fifteen minutes earlier that usual. Start writing in a journal your initial thoughts called morning pages. (Julia Cameron, The Artist’s Way) Start with thanksgivings, (10) then let your mind roll, dreams, thoughts for the day, free thought writing, and keep it where only you have access to it because it’s no one’ business but yours. Practice this every morning and you will find a much clearer vision in your day to day thinking. Eventually this could lead to an epiphany!
Just a couple things of fancy I thought my friends and foes out there can use to their advantage in the upcoming weeks.