The Wild Divine Newsletter
January 2008 - Issue 34
Well, we have finally gotten 2008 started and everyone here at Wild Divine wishes a happy and healthy New Year for you and your loved ones. With short, cold days to deal with, this time of year can get one a bit down. Being stuck inside can also open the door to eating a bit more than we have resolved to do---the refrigerator door, that is.
Here are some useful articles on overcoming the winter blues and sticking to those New Year’s resolutions. With no yard work to do, or soccer games to attend, now is actually the perfect time to focus on a creating a happy mind and healthy body. If you would like some help from us, please visit us at www.wilddivine.com.
We all wish you the best in 2008!
3. A New Way to Look at Resolutions
—Dean Ornish, M.D.
Positive Reinforcement
Maybe you overdid it a little during the holidays. Or maybe a lot. But don't beat yourself up and feel guilty as you make New Year's resolutions. There are many more effective and fun ways to bring about change.
For the past 30 years, my colleagues and I have proved that the progression of even severe coronary heart disease can often be reversed with comprehensive changes in diet and lifestyle. We know what works in motivating people to make and maintain lasting changes.
Perhaps the most common misconception is the belief that you have to choose between what's fun for you and what's good for you. As the old story goes, a man asked, "Doc, if I give up wine, women and song, will I live longer?"
"No, but it may seem longer," his doctor said.The man quipped, "Well then, I may give up singing ..."
We approach food the same way. But you don't have to give up what you enjoy. You can eat from a spectrum of foods that taste good and make you look and feel good. Why have any limitations if you don't have to? Why not eat and do everything you want? Because some choices lead to health and joy, while others lead to illness and suffering. Choosing not to do something helps us define who we are. Setting limits liberates us. It enables us to do things and express ourselves in ways we otherwise might not be able to. For example, practicing scales may feel a little tedious for musicians at times, but it enables them to play beautiful music. Many people think we have to choose either a moral, spiritual life that's boring or an immoral, secular life that's exciting. But that isn't the choice. Morality can be fun: When we decide not to do things that we could do, it makes them sacred and exciting. A sacrifice can be a gift, such as opting to eat healthier to be more energetic and fun for our loved ones. In that context, making resolutions can be a joyful practice rather than something that leaves you feeling deprived or depressed. Instead of changing out of a sense of deprivation and guilt, it's better to be motivated by feelings of love, joy and giving. The choice is ours.
Before You Make Any Changes ...
It's easier to keep resolutions if we view them not as sacrifices but
as an opportunity to transform our lives. Awareness is the first step.
When we become aware of how our choices in diet and lifestyle affect
us, we can make different ones. In my experience, people are not afraid
to make changes if they understand the benefits of doing so and how quickly
they may occur.
For example, some of the behaviors that many people think are fun and sexy --
smoking, overeating, abusing alcohol and other substances, being stressed out
-- leave them tired, depressed and impotent. Is that really fun?
A meal high in fat, sugar and calories may cause arteries to constrict, reducing
blood flow. So can chronic stress or nicotine in cigarettes. You feel sleepy
after a holiday feast. Why? One reason may be that your brain, heart and sexual
organs receive less blood flow and oxygen. Change your diet, start exercising,
practice stress management and quit smoking, and your brain gets more blood flow,
so you think more clearly, have more energy and need less sleep. Your skin gets
more blood flow, so you look younger. Your heart and arteries get more blood
flow, so heart disease may begin to reverse. And your sexual potency improves.
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