Apatite

In the ironic column of life, the apatite stone is used for weight release! It helps to digest proteins, sugars and fats in the small intestines. When the digestion of fats is promoted, fewer fat reserves can accumulate. It also helps the immune system, helping to relieve colds, flu, runny nose- all without the side effects of many medicines.

I love the beauty of these stones and carry one with me especially when I go to restaurants. They can be used several ways. You can carry them or soak them in mineral water overnight and drink the water (check with someone who knows how to do this) . I also use them as a trigger for my weight release hypnotherapy clients. Many people use triggers - "when you hold this______you will feel full and satisfied" so why not use a trigger that energetically helps in digestion as an added bonus?

Eating while cooking

Eating while making dinner. I never really thought about it before. After several clients complained that that was a hard time for them, I started watching my own habits. I was always proud of the fact that I eat smaller portions at dinner. Well of course I do... I eat while I'm "tasting for seasonings". By the time we sit down, I have probably already consumed at least half a meal! I had no idea how much I ate while cooking. Chop a carrot, eat half. Needs some salt ... taste it 3 or 4 times, just to make sure ...what... that it tastes good everywhere in the pot? Browning the meat...better make sure it's done. Need to taste the soup...grab the serving spoon. Don't even get me started on holiday meals. What percentage of stuffing do you think actually makes it into the bird?

So what's a cook to do?

Chewing gum is a good way to keep your mouth busy. Check out the article on WEBMD http://bit.ly/aQEofx that talks about sugarless gum and dieting. That can be a great deterrent. It keeps your mouth busy and having to take the gum out every time you want to nibble is a pain. However, if you are a serious cook, and do need to taste frequently, the gum could interfere with your palate. Fortunately, most of us do not fall into the category. You can also chop up some veggies into cute little bite size pieces. It's healthy, and it keeps us from mindlessly eating the other stuff. Tasting - one bite/sip is enough. When you use a spoon, make it a teaspoon - not the ladle. Keep a glass of water by the stove. Drinking water is a great way to keep from nibbling and it cleanses your palate so when you do taste, it will be fresh.

So keep an eye on how much you eat while cooking and keep some healthy alternatives around.

And if you would rather not change your cooking style, then make your portion size at dinner smaller. Eat healthy and happy!

Fate vs destiny

My previous discussion fits right in with Fate Vs. Destiny.

My fate was to find this office; right place, right time, right square footage etc. Now things are stuck in red tape. What I decide to do is the destiny part. We always have free will. Perhaps I will throw in the towel and leave a place I was destined to be in-and my path will go in another direction. Or perhaps I'll stick it out and be where I was given many signs to pull out of. Option 3 of course is I stick it out and it's exactly what I should have done. Hard to say. I agree with my friend barb that I will be exactly where I need to be. Sometimes we don't end up there right away because we have lessons to learn along the way. I hope I am just learning patience right now (I REALLY love this office). I also hope I am not letting my ego get in the way of pursuing this.

Fate puts many things in our paths and it's up to us to choose or not choose. I was always fascinated with the children's books where you could pick multiple endings. Remember those? Go to page 53 for the first ending, page 92 for next etc. That was so cool. Life is like that. We may miss a path or two but if we are lucky fate will give us a few different routes back! Sometimes those alternate paths can be fun and exciting. Here's to the many paths!

When to let go

It's hard to know when to let something go and when to fight for it. If something is difficult to obtain (my new office for example), do you let it go (the "Let go and let God" theory) or work harder to get it (the "God helps those who help themselves" theory). 6 1/2 weeks ago I signed a Letter of Intent with my would-be landlord. Today I got the lease and much of it had nothing to do with what we had agreed on. After this long a time period, I was beginning to wonder if this was right. This morning I decided that I indeed wanted the place. 10 minutes later my real estate broker called and said we had the lease in hand. Ah serendipity. Then, when reading the lease, it had things in there like: utilities were only included Monday - Friday 10-5 and Saturday 10-3. I guess if I have a client on Sunday, we're out of luck with the heat! So if it's meant to be then I will be working things through. If not, hopefully I will know when it's time to give up the ghost. I will keep you posted!