The Power of Intention

August 6th, 2011

Oh my gosh… how many times have you set a goal, promised yourself to do (or NOT to do) something, stayed true to your intention for several days and then slipped off? I know, I do this all the time. However this time it’s different… (THAT’S my intention!)

What we need:

Step 1: set your intention, goal

Step 2: choose a support team/person

Step 3: choose a tangible object that will bring you awareness and will help you stay on track with your intention

Step 4: set a date

Now, let’s talk more in detail.

YOUR GOAL:

- What has been bugging you recently? You know that thing that you do, but then you regret doing it? We all have it! You promise yourself stop doing it and you know that you CAN stop, but then you do it again. Identify your intention.

For example for me it’s not to complain and to stay calm and patient with my “wonderful *terrible-2′er.”

{* if you are a parent you know that I am referring to the magical wonders of so-called terrible 2s, but this is a different story}

{Oh, also, those who know me would confirm that I am NOT a complainer, but then it happens somehow …. I will have to write about it in one of my next posts}

Moving along ….

SUPPORT TEAM:

Get your best friend on board, and tell them that you are doing this “intention challenge.” The sole purpose of it for you to stay accountable. It’s easy to cheat on yourself, but when someone else knows about your challenge, then they will keep you accountable. They don’t need to do anything special. Every time you are close to start cheating you will have your best friend judging you (in your head) – that’s what will keep you accountable. ;)

TANGIBLE OBJECT:

Ok, now the fun part! You will have to go shopping! Ok, maybe not. What you need is a little charm or a yoga bracelet (not sure how they are officially called) or a hematite ring (I love those), something symbolic to YOU. Then, have that object always with you. If it’s small enough you can simply hold it in your hand for the ENTIRE day. This will be fun, I promise.  This work like a….well…. charm (!) to keep you IN THE moment. Very often we run on auto pilot and don’t even notice how we get to work, etc. So if your task is to hold that little coin or a charm in your hand all day, you will be forced to stay AWARE of it and since it will be associated with your GOAL/INTENTION, it will automatically bring you back to your intention.

TIMELINE:

You can set this challenge for 21 days. Some people do 30 or 4o days challenges (I prefer 30), so it’s up to you to decide. The longer the challenge the more effective it is.

So, you are all set!

- Write down your intention

- Share it with your friend

- Make it real by finding a little charm that will help you to get through the challenge. Keep the charm with you at all time.s

- Make sure to complete the challenge. If you slip off, which is not a big deal, start over again (repeat until your complete at least 21 day).

Good luck!

Have a fab day, and remember, you become what your thoughts are! Have bright thoughts!

xox

MHM

It’s been a while ….

August 6th, 2011

Wow … it’s been a while since we’ve written here …. Oh, well! :) The summer is almost over …. ouch! And we will get back to it in the Fall! So many exciting things have happened to us since our last post, and we can’t wait to share them all with you! Also, we are planning many new and exciting changes on My Happy Me, so be sure to come back soon!

How have you been? :) We hope you are doing fabulously and enjoying your summer to the max!

Please stay tuned and don’t forget to smile at strangers! :)

xox

MHM

Sweet Dreams Everyone!

October 11th, 2010

Hi! I hope you all had a great summer :) We surely did and now can’t wait to start blogging away. And while some of us experience clear links between food cravings and yoga, my fall started with clear evidence on how lack of sleep negatively affects my diet and wellbeing.

It was a super busy August-September for me with a major move, lots of air travel, new job, new home, old friends who I didn’t see for almost 2 years! Anybody can relate to being busy and we all have our own reasons for that. But one thing is probably common for most of us – to tick off other priorities we often sacrifice our sleep time, right?

Well, if you are struggling with weight loss or food cravings this is the first thing to notice – do you get enough sleep? A study found that dieters who get less than 8 hours of sleep daily, loose more muscle mass than fat.  In addition, people who don’t get enough sleep are more likely to have bigger appetites due to the fact that their leptin levels (leptin is an appetite regulating hormone) fall, promoting appetite increase. Moreover, psychological manifestation of fatigue, sleep and hunger are similar. Thus, when you’re feeling sleepy you might feel like you need to head for the fridge instead of bed (especially in situations when bed isn’t an option!).

Daytime sleepiness and lack of energy makes it difficult to commit to your diet and exercise program; therefore, if you are serious about succeeding in your weight loss and maintenance program, sleep is important.  If you rely on caffeine to make up for lack of sleep, you can face a vicious cycle: the more coffee you drink, the harder it becomes to fall asleep and get a good night’s rest.

And finally, sleep regulates mood and lack of sleep promotes emotional overeating – this is when we reach for comfort foods. By the way, I made my own observation and found that when I don’t get enough sleep, I reach for carbs – breads, pasta, and lots of it!

To summarize, sleep affects what you do, how you feel, how you look and in what colours you see the world around you.  Pay attention to the link between sleep, mood, diet and excersize and notice anything “funny”. Chances are good sleep will make your road to good fitness, healthy eating and general wellbeing much easier.

Sweet dreams everyone!

Chocolate vs Yoga Battle

September 29th, 2010

It’s been a while since we’ve written here, so let’s consider it was our summer break. We are back with more articles about health and beauty, career and self development, and much, much more.chocolate 295x300 Chocolate vs Yoga Battle

We wanted to dedicate our first Fall blog to temptations and cravings, and why they happen to good people …

I’ve been having crazy chocolate cravings lately and I started to think… is there a pattern that my chocomania follows. There must be, right? One thing that came into my mind is that this week (due to my personal busy schedule, and child care schedule challenges) I’ve been missing my regular yoga practice…

I noticed this a while ago, the more yoga I do, the healthier my diet is. The most interesting thing about it is that it happens on it’s own. I do not force myself into diets or anything like that. It’s just when I do exercise regularly I naturally start choosing healthier foods and am more creative with my diet.

So, maybe this is the answer to my choco question? I promise to get back to my daily yoga practice starting tomorrow, and I will certainly report back !

Stay healthy everyone!

Is Popcorn a Healthy Snack?

June 14th, 2010

By: Liliya Vafina

All right, sorry to keep you waiting! I am back with some light on popcorn. By the way, YOU did very well answering my question with 67% voting for “yes, popcorn is a healthy snack”. I think so too and here is why.

popcorn Is Popcorn a Healthy Snack?

However, first I need to mention that I am talking about PLAIN popcorn here. You can ruin the healthiest of foods by pouring a gallon of butter on them. No, I am not talking about a buttery greasy kind of popcorn that can be bought in buckets which can easily contribute up to a third of one’s daily energy requirement, having very low nutrient density for that amount of calories. I am talking about plain, air-popped popcorn that is consumed in amounts appropriate to be considered a snack.

Plain popcorn is:

  • Low in calories, low in fat, contains no salt or sugar
  • It is a whole grain snack, i.e. it has nutrient rich bran and germ (and vitamins and minerals contained in them) as opposed to refined grains that have bran and germ removed
  • It has high protein content for a cereal grain
  • It is slow absorbing carbohydrate that does not cause rapid blood sugar spikes
  • It contains fiber which aids digestion and keeps you full for longer

Want a variation for an even healthier snack? Make your own trail mix with popcorn. Add some nuts, seeds and dried unsweetened berries for a sustaining and nutritionally balanced snack.

Enjoy your popcorn and your summer movie season, and don’t forget to order plain!  :)