Full Feared

Fear is something that seems to be a common topic of discussion in our society as of late. In fact, fear has always been something that I have struggled to understand fully. This weekend, I heard a unique perspective on fear that I naturally decided needed some unpacking. My friend- you know who you are- you were correct...I am blogging about this one. Anyways, to me, fear is a concept that seems to have 2 potential outcomes. The first being fear that is debilitating and disables you from reaching your goal. The second being fear that drives you to succeed, push through, or prove someone wrong. In my life, taking the plunge and trying to ignore fear at all costs has felt like the best performing coping mechanism. Case and point, I went from east coast to west coast living rather quickly. But what about those other areas of life we fear that we can't control. Such as a big event coming up, or an extremely important meeting, or just the pressure to not fail. The friend I mentioned earlier explained to us that being fearful of something is more scary than the actual thing we fear. I thought about that for a second, and was immediately brought back to my initial logic. What if your fear was so large that it did in fact debilitate you and prevent you for achieving your ultimate goal? Or, what if your fear was so great that it fueled you to exceed expectations and surpass the initial goal you had set for yourself? My friend went deeper...he believed that the initial "fear," before the big event, was essentially unnecessary. As a means to block it out of your mind, one should consider stopping the fear in its tracks and just getting the task at hand complete so that the ultimate goal could be accomplished. But how do you do that? How do you just stare fear in the eye and tell it to go away, for good, because it does us...well, no good? Fear in the long term, is a negative use of energy of course. Spending countless amounts of time worrying, wondering, and trying to ask questions we are unable to answer disallows us from focusing on the positive, or ultimate goal, and snatches our focus away from it. As I am writing this post, I am realizing what my interpretation is of the perspective on fear my friend shared. For me, it is about giving up control. Yes, of course we need to take a certain course of action such as preparation, health, and wellness in order for us to reach our goal. But at the end of the day....that is truly all we, as humans, are able to do. Unforeseen events, circumstances, or karmic energies are completely out of our control. And the moment we are able to realize that, I think is the moment we are best able to devote our attention on what we want and go for it. There are many naysayers to this theory, and I respect your opinions. For me...everything happens for reason. So lesson learned here- the point at which we are able to give up control, and put our faith not only in ourselves, but also whichever higher power we seek, is the moment we stop fear in its tracks...and "just live ya life." Easier said than done of course, but certainly a great goal to start the week off with :)
xoxo AA

The Wise Lady

Happy February 15th! I am still feeling the love and am going to keep this feeling going :) Anyhow- yesterday I had the pleasure of chit chatting with grandma on my way into work (reality: as I crawled in traffic to work) and she had some profound insights I wanted to share and possibly unpack. On the subject of food- we began to discuss the wide spread obesity epidemic and its bratty little cousin, diabetes, in this country. Not realizing how difference her perspective might be, my grandmother began to explain that in the 40s and 50s, soda was essentially non-existent in her household. She explained that refined sugar itself was truly not a popular food item of the time (with the exception of a sugar cube in your coffee). Additionally, nothing in her home came from a package. Though possibly putrid in color, green beans paired with a meat and potato was a most common dinner delight. Again, these foods may not be high in nutrients, but saw no preservatives present in their contents. I am certainly not glorifying the health methods of the 40s and 50s in our country (drinking in your office and smoking while your pregnant...how did these slip by?!) but what my grandmother so eloquently made me realize was that her generation was never trained to eat these sorts of foods. Let me explain. For years on end, the American human body became accustomed to the foods that were readily available to feed it. When this happens over time, our bodies form a hereditary relationship with the foods it is able to eat, process, and digest. With the explosive introduction of refined sugars and preservative loaded foods into the diet in later years- our bodies naturally went into shock. Never having consumed high amounts, or any amounts at all of these ingredients, the body went into shock, not knowing where or how to process these ingredients. Case and point, diabetes, obesity, heart disease. Additionally, how was anyone to know these foods were bad? Like I said, people were throwing back scotch and taking a drag in the delivery room- oh my stars! In present day- preservatives and refined sugars have become a main stay in our diets. Foods containing sugar and preservatives have become almost addictive in nature to us. We are constantly bombarded by pictures of cute cupcakes, commercials sensationalizing taco flavor chips, and diets claim the health benefits of chocolate coconut water (which contains nearly 20g of sugar per serving). It can sometimes feel like we are being chased and there is no escaping! Here is my solution- and proof...open mindedness. My grandmother- being of an age I will not speak because she would kill me, and because it would surprise you looking that damn good- has opened her mind to new food ideas. Celebrating the Chinese New Year with her gals yesterday, they enjoyed East Asian dishes for lunch and are constantly experimenting with different types of grains, veggies, smoothies, and whole food big city (Queens!) restaurants. If they can do it- we can do it! We haven't been here long enough to be set in our ways, to be "too long gone." So the quest for healthy foods- that feed and nourish your body- not deplete and cause disease  is possible! And can be fun when done with a few old friends :) Where to start? Try a new fruit or veggie! My new fave veggie- bok choy! Try to cook dishes  in your own home that you love to eat- so that you know EXACTLY what ingredients are going into your dish, and then into your body. Remember, you've only got one...so treat it well :)
xoxo AA

Let the Love In

Hello World! Today is Valentine's Day...you must have known you were going to get a post :) A day entirely dedicated to love is clearly one of my favorite day's of the year. I mostly believe this because I am a Pisces- a dreamer, lover, romantic at heart...oh and because this is my birthday month! Any who- this Valentine's Day, I am more than grateful to be spending a 2nd consecutive Love Day with my man in uniform :) Something else has also been stirring inside of me today that I had to share. I am learning that the difference of speaking and acting love are entirely unique concepts, and when experimented with, can be life changing. Let me give an example. Many of us (myself include) have come into the habit of saying we are going to do nice things, or think about doing nice things. Many of us read nice quotes and may even view nice project ideas for loved ones on sites like Pinterest. But how often do we act on these nice ideas? How often do we ask someone a questions like "Hey, how are you?" and genuinely listen for a response and interact? Better yet, how often do we just hug a friend....for no reason, or touch our hand to another's in conversation? The need for human touch, love, and affection- all relationships and holidays aside, are imperative for human survival and happiness. For some reason, in our culture, though sex may be glorified, personal non-intimate touch is, well, never really "touched" upon. When I 1st landed in Florence for my study abroad program years ago, I will never forget how odd it seemed to me that women would stroll down the streets, hand in hand...and were not in fact dating one another. And men too! Point being, humans have a lot of love to give- it is within us, and it is something we not only need to give but receive. Today, I was reminded of how good a hug feels when thanking someone for something as simple as a card. Or actually engaging someone in conversation; without checking email and Facebook simultaneously. Today, my message is to just spread the love. Very similar to the pay it forward idea. Putting love out into the universe not only enables us to open and expand our relationships with others, but also fill the need of human interaction, connection...oh and hugs :)
xoxo AA

Green Smoothie Mayhem

Well folks, it has been a week and I successfully consumed a green smoothie before work everyday this week. Additionally, I went 2 or 3 days without any meat (fish, red meat, chicken). I also started reincorporating vitamins into my daily regimen. Here are my results- I have a sinus infection! Seriously...but, that is not the only thing (and there has been a bug going around the office). This week I felt more satisfied and full then over before. And for those of you that know me- I didn't have a stomach ache all week (that is a really big deal)! My findings lead me to believe that I was less hungry as the day went on because I was eating more in the earlier parts of the day- when the body is more able to digestive foods successfully, and had less cravings because I was feeding my body nutrients, not crap. For example, many times, when we are craving chips, our bodies are actually craving salt, and associate salty foods with chips. Because I was essentially pumping my body with nutrients, my cravings had subsided almost completely. I continued to eat my normal oatmeal breakfast, but this week incorporated a larger lunch that was higher in calories, healthy fats, and nutrients. For example, I prepared a quinoa tofu stir fry with veggies. Because the meal wasn't high in oils or unhealthy fats, I did not feel weighed down come 3PM and actually felt more energized. By dinner time, I found that I wasn't sprinting through the door after work in complete starvation, throwing whatever food in my mouth that was most readily available. Instead of mindless eating, I took the time to prepare my dinners, and when it was ready, I was hungry and enjoyed each bite. I also only had dessert once or twice this week, which is HUGE for me, and manly just because I wasn't hungry. One of my favorite findings from this experiment is that I didn't feel left out! Because my cravings had subsided, I didn't feel as though everyone else was partaking in the fun and I just wasn't allowed to join in. I had no desire to join in. And in fact, I brought my own meal over to friend's house this weekend (the gluten and dairy free version of their meal) and was able to be social and enjoy with everyone, but still feel great afterwards! Many people asked what I was eating, which sparked an interesting conversation that I was happy to take part in. My main lesson for the world through this experiment- try incorporating something that is high in nutrients into your diet, without replacing anything else- and see how you feel. Begin to investigate your cravings and what they really mean (are you craving sweets because you are tired and looking for a boost of energy, or because they are a comfort food to you and you've had a bad day). Exploring with these kinds of foods can enable you to feel great, get to know your body better...and feeling left out will no longer be :)
xoxo AA