Apply This Research To Your Life!!
In the last ten years, I’ve become increasingly passionate about the subject of the mind-body connection. It is one of the things that inspired me to start this site, because I feel that achieving fitness and health goals, and attaining the body you want, starts with the mind. That is why I was excited to interview Dr. Shahram Jacobs, again, about the recent research done with stroke victims, which I feel truly highlights the power the brain has over our bodies, and even over the unhealthy parts of the brain itself!!
Suzy: Thanks for lending me your brain to help explain this brain research, because although the stroke aspect won’t apply to most of my readers, I believe that what it teaches us about the brain can truly empower every woman (or man) if that power is employed in other health pursuits. When I heard about this research, I thought of you, because you are so well versed in the mind-body connection.
Dr. Jacobs: Suzy, you always have great ideas for topics, and this one is up there with the rest! I am happy to enlighten you and your readers.
Suzy: Let’s get right to it. What is the brief explanation of mirror therapy and then we can talk about how it can relate to weight issues.
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Be A Happy Tenant: Your Body, Your Home
Recently I was feeling restless for a new place to live - I was craving more windows, more light, more space, wood floors. All I needed was a good excuse to overlook the time and expense of a move to justify looking around at other places. A few plumbing problems later, I had my excuse.
I didn’t want to move far- same zip code even - just to a different building. So I spent a couple weekends looking at other places in nearby neighborhoods. But the more I looked, the more I was reminded of the things I love about my current place that I couldn’t find at any of the new places - the dog park and all the friendly dog lovers in the neighborhood, my quiet street-free of traffic noise, (with an atypical amount of free parking nearby), my intimate, small complex with friendly tenants, private garage, pool……..
Focusing on the positive things made me realize I did not need an entirely new place to live right this instant - I just needed to make a few changes to my current place. A little redecorating and de-cluttering I thought, is all it would take to be happy in this apartment that I already loved.
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The Pros And Cons Of News Viewing
Was I the only one, prior to this weekend, who thought pirates only existed in in the 1800s or in movies starring Johnny Depp? I know this is one of those “dumb girl” moments when everyone can say, “where have you been - the pirates have been all over the news for months.”
Well, okay….I think I caught a blurb here or there about pirates this, or pirates that, during the last few months, but I’m so used to distrusting the over-dramatized news stories with invented, yet catchy names and phrases assigned to the subjects in the story, (can anyone say OctoMOM, Sexting, ) that I’ve come to suspect them all as part fiction, and gotten good at tuning them all out.
I guess in the last couple years, I went from being a broadcasting major-news junkie who prided herself on being “up” on all current events, to a cave dwelling, tv-shunning, media-disrespecting, happier person because of it - kind of woman.
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Increase Your Chances For Dieting Success!
I’ll admit, I’m not big on formal diets and rigid approaches to diet and exercise, (probably because I have been blessed with genetics that have let me get away with never having to adhere strictly to a diet in order to maintain my weight), but I do recognize the need some of you have for that kind of structure.
For that reason, I’ve got the perfect book recommendation for you! The reason I’m a big fan of this book is because I am a big believer in the mind-body connection, and this book emphasizes the important connection between the two.
The Complete Beck Diet For Life book is a great read for anyone who wants to learn skills to address some of the mental motivations behind your eating habits. You will learn cognitive therapy skills that just may be what has been the missing link in your current approach to weight loss.
This is not the typical weight loss/dieting book, though. Beck’s approach involves efforts that involve a dieter to do some prep work which will help them along the way. This may not be the quick fix approach that many dieters would like, but if you are really wishing to learn skills that will extend beyond just the next few weeks, that you can incorporate into your relationship with food for the long haul, this may just be the book you need!
The Same Ones You Can Develop!
Right after 9-11, I had a job that took me out of town periodically. I hadn’t been a huge fan of flying prior to that, but the increased airport hassles and heightened security issues really took my anxiety about the entire airport experience, up a couple notches. Since my arrival flights home always coincided with dinner time, and the last thing I wanted to do was cook, these nights became pizza occasions.
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The Link Between Media Exposure and Depression
When I was in college, I met an old soul of a guy, who, despite his chronological age of 20, was like talking to a man many years older. His name was Thomas and he had a crush on me. Although I too, was a bit introspective and probably too serious for my age, Thomas’ maturity seemed over the top to me.
I just couldn’t reciprocate with the type of feelings he had for me. Maybe I was intimidated by his knowledge of Bach and Beethoven, or just plain bored by it, or maybe too embarrassed to walk around with a guy who was comfortable enough in his own skin to sport boots that looked like something straight off of Danielle Boone’s body.
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A Must-Read Fit After Thirty Book Recommendation
Written by: Robin Arroyo
As a product reviewer for Fit After Thirty, I am normally used to researching new fitness gadgets, working my buns off to exercise videos, or testing yoga pants and jog bras to find neat things that we can recommend to all of you. So, during a recent business trip to sunny California, to discuss and retrieve products for review, I was surprised to find some books in my assignment bin.
It makes sense that Suzy would ask me to review books, as I am an avid reader of fitness and self help books, and have years of experience in and around the fitness world, and have a triathlete-fitness trainer for a brother, whose expertise on all things fitness has made me more familiar with the topic than I ever even cared to be.
No problem, I thought. I can do “book reports”, fully expecting that my first assignment would be a diet or weight lifting book. Leave it to Suzy to throw me a curve ball. She handed me the book called Stop Self-Sabotage: Get Out of Your Way to Earn More Money, Improve Your Relationships, and Find the Success You Deserve, by motivational speaker, Pat Pearson, M.S.S.W.
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Moms Only, Need Apply!
This is Santa Barbara.
This is your brain on Santa Barbara.
Time to go? Enter the contest that gives you a chance.
New Study Gives Clues To Cause
If you are pregnant or planning on getting pregnant, you may want to take a look at this article detailing an interesting new study that shows the potential cause of postpartum depression. It might be something to discuss with your doctor in order to be as prepared as possible after delivering your baby.
Redefine "fat" For Yourself: Fit After Thirty!
Can you hear that? That’s the sound of my *f.a.t. feet doing the happy *f.a.t. dance because I just got to watch my two heroes on stage together at the same time!
No, not Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. Good guess. No, not Sigfried and Roy. Bad guess. Not Captain and Tennille. (Though I love “Love Will Keep Us Together”), and you are getting warmer…….think Seventies.
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