– by Eliza Ceci
“Your body is the harp of your soul. It is yours to bring forth sweet music or confused sounds.” – Kahlil Gibran
As a woman it is instinctual to want to feel beautiful, desired and magnificent. Over thousands of years of evolution and change women have remained the constant to the ebb and flow of life. Feminine energy remains the yin to the masculine yang balancing the abrasive edge of the ‘man’s world’ with intelligence, beauty, grace and creativity.
With the day to day stresses of the modern woman’s life it is no wonder women are feeling disempowered, unfulfilled or lacking when it comes time to evaluate their health, happiness and overall vitality. We are running the show, wearing multiple hats and overextending ourselves by staying late at the office, volunteering or saying yes, yes and again yes to obligations inevitably to be accepted and appreciated. This overextension of our time and energy creates stress and often dis-ease in the form of headaches, digestive issues, PMS and complications with our menstrual cycles, adrenal fatigue and even emotional eating and bingeing.
We all know nutrition plays a key role in the way we look and feel (but what about our internal state?) Why do we sabotage our opportunity for vibrant, fabulous skin, hair and bodies on a regular basis?
As a culture we seem to have an antiquated ideal of beauty. We have been taught to admire cover girls on glossy magazines but what if our feminine role models of beauty were women like our mothers and sisters, daughters and best friends? Women who exude health and vitality and seem to have a natural, healthy glow, fun lives and creative minds? Clarity and self-love seem to be the ‘new beauty’ emerging all around us. Overtime with care and dedication we will embody unconditional love and actually be seen physically more attractive to ourselves and others.
Now, what steps can we take to begin this process?
1. Seek Gentle Awareness
We first need to sit and acknowledge without judgment where we are in the present to make confident choices that will lead us to our ultimate goal achievement. What are your deepest frustrations? If you are currently unhappy with your weight, skin, energy, etc take a note of this. How is this issue affecting you, your relationships, career and even what you may be eating?
2. Empower Your Internal State To Transform Your External State
You’ve heard self-help gurus say this time and again but scientifically this is fact. How you perceive and view yourself and the world will be mirrored back to you. If your internal tape recorder is stuck on repeat with negative affirmations such as “I’m too fat, I don’t have enough time to cook, I always feel sick,” etc. these will surely become your reality.
I challenge you to step outside of your comfort zone and choose loving, beautiful statements.
Here’s one of my favorites: You can do anything and you can start today.
3. Feed Yourself Beautiful, Alkalinizing & Nourishing Foods
For most of us this can be the trickiest part of the puzzle. Sometimes this is where people get confused and the excuses begin flooding in. Simply nourish your temple! Imagine you are a glorious Priestess admired by everyone. If you truly felt wonderful about your body would you still continue to mistreat it? After all, your heart never skips a beat and your stomach dutifully digests whatever it is fed. Return the favor by feeding your body natural, whole foods.
Try adding a healthy mix of fresh vegetables, fruits, sea vegetables, (such as kelp or wakame excellent sources of essential minerals like iodine and vitamin K) whole grains, (such as quinoa or millet) adequate amounts of proteins whether it’s from greens, nuts, or seeds, (or grass fed organic chicken, wild salmon or a mixture of these if you haven’t moved to a vegetarian or vegan path yet). Begin by adding in at least one healthy choice per day.
Adding a fresh vegetable juice to your morning routine will give you added energy and sustain you through to lunch time – something no amount of coffee or processed foods could ever do! Adding fabulous foods will help restore and alkalinize your blood. Your body will heal and detoxify at a much healthier rate enabling you to recover from sickness faster and even boost your immunities.
4. Move That Booty
Women beat themselves up over exercise and there is really no logical reason for it. It certainly is not healthy to add strict and obsessive workout routines to your life, just as getting no exercise can also be dangerous. We do not need a heavy amount of exercise for our bodies to come back into balance.
My favorite exercise that you can do in front of the TV with your kids or dog next to you is bouncing on the mini trampoline (or rebounder as it is often referred to). Rebounding is excellent for lymphatic drainage, your heart and circulatory system, and is great for toning both the muscles of your arms, legs and abs and also the muscles in your face giving you a healthy, rosy complexion! Jumping for just ten minutes in the morning will give you a quick energy boost and get you going for the day.
5. Amp Up Your Self-Care
Let’s not forget to take time for ourselves. After all if we do not take proper care of ourselves how can we expect to be present in our lives and the lives of the people we love? In order to live a peaceful, compassionate and fulfilling life it is essential that we take time to give back to ourselves and do so immediately! You may be surprised what ten minutes per day doing something that makes you feel amazing can do for your self-esteem, your skin or your love life!
A few of my favorite ways to give back to me are preparing a beautiful bath with Epsom salts and a few drops of lavender essential oil, creating a sanctuary space in my home where I feel safe and can escape noise or stress from my day. Or, indulge in a hot oil scalp massage or spa pedicure or even a night out with your girlfriends; you will surely feel better after a good night of laughing.
6. Meditate, Breathe, and Reflect
Still your mind for five minutes every morning upon waking and miracles will happen in your life. This may sound hokey but showing up for yourself on a daily basis will bring instant peace of mind, less anxiety and surely your intuition will begin coming back to you.
Our intuition can be our greatest gift. If you have ever been to yoga class you have surely been introduced to this concept of quieting your thoughts. Here I assure you there is no right or wrong way to meditate. Simply inhale deeply through your nose and exhale deeply through your mouth keeping your mind quiet of mental chatter such as who you need to e-mail, what you will have for breakfast, who your morning meeting will be with when you get to work and so on.
Taking this quiet, self reflective time in the morning will help bring you back to balance and harmony with who you are on a much deeper and spiritual level.
As women we want to have it all and who says we can’t? I certainly believe there is time and space for all the things that impassion and nourish us. The key to living our most authentic and beautiful lives is to find balance. We must take time for ourselves (and no, this is in no way ever selfish), eat fabulous and lovingly prepared foods, create beauty in small ways and live lives that enrich us while embodying the beauty we would like to have shining back to us ten fold. Make a WISH for all women.
Encourage fellow mothers and daughters, sisters and best friends to live this way so they too can radiate their inner beauty. Our new role model has arrived and she is staring you back in the mirror.
Eliza Ceci is a holistic nutrition and wellness coach, motivational speaker and blogger. She is the owner of Peace on My Plate and enjoys providing support to her clients around detox, emotional eating, PMS and pre-pregnancy preparation. Eliza’s passion is empowering women to understand their worth, creating passionate lives and taking control of their health one green juice at a time. http://peaceonmyplate.com