What's "Right" In Your Life?

Do you remember being told by your teacher (or parents) to focus? I can still hear the words, "focus, focus!" being shouted at me. Concentration wasn't something I came blessed with. Often when I was practicing violin or piano or reading several chapters of my homework my mind was off somewhere else.

Do you know where your mind is most of the time? What do you think about, what thoughts occupy the bulk of your day? Do you spend all your time keeping score and writing a mental list of everything that went wrong or didn't happen the way you wanted it to? Do you spend time engaging in idle gossip or talking about people you don't like and what they do that irritates you? Some people get caught up in everything that goes wrong at the office. How they are mistreated by their co-workers and not appreicated. (I hear that one a lot.) Then they spend time scheming how they will outsmart or get back at someone who "did them wrong". Could it be your children that keep you in fits of anger, frustration and score keeping on how awful and misbehaving they are?

Ever stop to think about where all this focus takes you and what it does to you? Not just mentally, but physically. Many individuals don't think they are "negative", but their conversations say otherwise. By continually focusing on everything that's wrong you will continue find lots of things wrong. And you'll increase the amount of stress in your life because of the state of agitation you exist in. This also affects your ability to be happy because when we continue to keep score of all the wrongs it's hard to even connect with what's right or working.

What if you Flipped it? Make a conscious effort to make mental note throughout the day of all the things that feel good, turn out better than expected, and appreicate what's right in your life.

Start when you first get out of bed in the morning. Take a minute to consciously position your mindset for the day. Make a choice to look for a little surprise everyday. Maybe it's someone you meet who has information you were looking for or can introduce you to someone who can help you. Maybe it's as little as being on the freeway and getting to your destination quicker than expected despite the traffic. Or your child surprises you by cleaning up their room without being asked. If you change your focus and look for a daily surprise you'll find they are always there.

The benefits of this approach is that you'll feel much better both mentally and physically. When you change your focus to notice the things that make you feel good and what's "right" you'll eliminate stress, improve your relationships, your self-esteem and outlook on life.

So Flip it!

In peace, balance and health,

For more information on how to apply these principles in your life visit www.Learn2Balance.com. While you're there subscribe to our newsletter and be entered to win an MP3 copy of It Started With Pop-Tarts!

Five Steps for Guaranteed Success to Achieve Your Dreams in 2009

As 2008 draws to a close, the promise of a New Year is in the air. A fresh slate, a time for reflection, time for planning, time to set your sites on accomplishments for the New Year. What is it you want in 2009? What would bring you happiness, peace and harmony in life?

Forget about New Year's resolutions. Many people set New Year's resolutions and treat them like a wish list. That is, something they would like to do if they were only strong enough to stick with it. There are other much more effective ways to help you reach your goal, attain the success you desire, find that perfect relationship, and free yourself from the grip of addiction be it drugs, alcohol, nicotine, eating disorders or any other type of destructive path you might currently be on.

• First create a list of what you DON'T want.
• Then make a list of what you DO want.
• Take some time and get into the feeling of what it would be like to have what you want right now! What would it feel like to be free of your addiction and live life "normally"? What would it feel like to have that special someone in your life? What things would you do, where would you go, what characteristics does this person have?
• Spend 5-10 minutes a day creating a new script about what you want. Visualize it and feel the feeling of having it right now! You get what you focus on whether your time is spent stressing about the lack of what you want, or having what you want. Two good times to do this are when you first wake up and right before you go to sleep at night.
• To help you with your visualization and feeling exercise create a goal or vision board. The local discount store has poster board which works great for this. Pull pictures from magazines or print them from the internet and paste the pictures on your board. Keep it simple and not overcrowded. Symbols work well too. Use a picture of a watch to represent spending more time with your lover, significant other or friend. If your wish is to remodel your kitchen or bathroom collect pictures of the granite, tile and cupboards you will use. How does it feel to cook in your new kitchen? Put a picture of that sports car you always wanted and when you look at it feel what it feels like to sit in the seat, touch the steering wheel, feel the wind in your hair as you drive. Make it real! If your goal is to lose weight or recover from an addiction find a picture of yourself at a better time, or paste your head on on a picture of what you want to look like - make it realistic! What does it feel like to live life without being a slave to food, alcohol or nicotine. How do you feel when you wake up in the morning, how has your energy changed? How is your outlook on life different? Be in that place and feel every little detail you can. Bask in the new you.

If you follow these simple steps and keep your focus on what you want instead of obsessing and worrying about the things you don't want or want to change you will succeed. Focus on what you want with the same intensity of emotion that is evoked by the fear and worry of what you don't want. Instead of worry about money and the "downturn" in the economy, keep in the feeling of having the money you need to pay your bills and having some left over.

By reprogramming your subconscious mind you will attract what you want in life. Whatever input your subconscious gets it takes as a command. The trick is not to let your conscious mind take over and cause conflict by doubting. You have to believe, what you believe gets plugged into the subconscious and it will bring it to pass. It's the Universal Law of Attraction.

If you have ever played golf you witness live examples of this. A golfer hits a shot into the water or sand and says "I knew I was going to do that." It happens all the time. If that is the last thought before the shot, the subconscious mind makes it so.

On the flip side, during the NFL playoffs it's the teams that have the most belief in themselves that win. By watching the sidelines you can tell who believe and who is losing the faith in their abilities. Why is home field advantage such a big deal? Because of the energy of all the people in the stadium that believe! Our thoughts and our mindset are very powerful on the outcomes we get in life.

So as you head into the New Year take the time to think about those changes in life that would mean the most to you. Then decide to bring it into your reality and follow the steps above to make it happen. When doubts creep into your mind, immediately shift your thoughts to something positive, something that makes you feel good. Think about a favorite place, person or event that makes you smile.

For more information, please visit http://www.lori-hanson.com/.

Sign-up for our newsletter and you could be this week's winner of It Started With Pop-Tarts...An Alternative Approach to Winning the Battle of Bulimia audio book in MP3 format.

Happy New Year! In peace, balance and harmony,

It Started With Pop-Tarts MP3 Version Available Now!

The audio version of It Started With Pop-Tarts...An Alternative Approach to Winning the Battle of Bulimia is now available! Listen as I tell my story personally. This recording has the usual dose of "Lori" energy, intensity and entertainment. It also includes snippets of the music behind the lyrics I wrote as part of my healing process. (Yes, that's really me singing!)

This is a great way to learn about a powerful, alternative approach to winning the battle of eating disorders. My approach includes acupuncture, several forms of body work, meditation, nutrition and supplements, creativity and working with the sub-conscious to improve self-esteem and change negative thoughts and beliefs. It offers hope, inspiration and direction to those who at "are at risk" and individuals who are submerged in this chronic cycle of abuse.

For parents and loved ones, it provides a candid look into the depths of obsession a person suffering with an eating disorder is experiencing.

This MP3 version was prepared especially for those who don't have time to read, don't like to read or just plain prefer listening through their iPods.

It Started With Pop-Tarts... goes beyond eating disorders it's packed with great information about chemical imbalances that cause cravings and binges, and provides great strategies for creating a healthier lifestyle if you're struggling with your weight or unhealthy habits.

Get your copy now, only $9.95!

http://www.lori-hanson.com/index.php?page_id=285

For those who prefer to purchase the CD Audio Book it will be available later this month, both on my website and Amazon.

In peace, balance and health,

Lori Hanson

Four Easy Steps to Help You Reduce Sugar Cravings

Do you fight food cravings? Are you constantly hungry and nibbling? What do you nibble on? Or do you even know?

Many people are caught up in unhealthy habits that are compelled by their daily diet. Yes, sometimes you eat because of emotional reasons (nervous, anxious, stressed, depressed, etc.). But what many people don't realize is that the combination of a diet filled with fast food, pizza, pasta, breakfast pastries, and other "white" flour foods with sweets (candy, cookies, chocolate, pies, ice cream, etc.) on a regular basis can contribute to your body actually craving sugar. So before you know it, you're reaching for second or third cookie at work, or having a candy bar for a snack without even thinking about it. By the time evening rolls around, you may be mindlessly eating a bag of potato chips or cookies in front of the TV after you finished diner because you still feeling the "need" for something.

Even though fruit is "healthy" for you, fruit that has a high concentration of sugar (fructose) will also contribute to these cravings. This includes fruit like honeydew, cantelope, banannas, apples, pineapple and nectarines to name a few. Concentrated fruit juices (e.g. orange juice), most pre-packaged juices you buy at the store, even "juicing" have a high amount of sugar and will can also contribute to cravings. And here you thought it was healthy!

Here are four easy steps to help you reduce your cravings and constant need to nibble.

1. Awareness
The first step to changing your behavior is understanding it by being aware of what it is. Keep a food journal for a week. Don't change anything about your eating habits, just keep track of what you eat, how much you eat and when you eat. It can also be helpful to note your emotions at the time. Are you feeling happy, sad, depressed, lonely, excited, anxious? The point of this is NOT to beat yourself up, only to take note of what your eating habits are.

2. Analyze Your Journal
After keeping a food journal for a week take some time and evalute it. Do you skip meals?, are you taking in some form of sugar and coffee first thing in the morning? (Note many Starbucks-type coffees are filled with sugar!) How much coffee do you drink? Are you eating any vegetables or any brown flour foods (wheat bread vs. white, brown rice vs. white)?

3. Create a Meal Plan
After analyzing your food journal take some time to create a new meal plan for the next week. Create a plan that includes:

• A balance of carbohydrates and protein at every meal
• Make healthier choices and limit the amount of fast food in your diet
• Substitute lean meats for hamburgers and fatty beef
• Include vegetables with at least two meals everyday. Be sure to include one green leafy vegetable a day
• Substitue wheat flour choices for white flour (bread, pasta, etc.)
• Don't go more than 3-4 hours without a meal. Eat a healthy snack between meals. (Avoid low blood sugar which can contribute to cravings
• Reduce your coffee intake, or try substituting decaf for a few cups of java. Caffeine (including decaf and chocolate) contributes to cravings.
• Increase your water intake. Drink 6-8 glasses of water a day. This will make it easier to avoid constant snacking.

4. Reduce Simple Sugars From Your Diet

• Exchange high sugar fruits for berries (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries)
• Reduce your alcohol intake. Limit wine and beer to one drink a day. Better yet, drink white liquor (vodka, gin) instead of wine.
• Reduce the number of sweets, candy and desserts. If you're used to having three or four a day, try limiting yourself to one a day, then continue to reduce your intake to a one or two times a week.

These four steps will help to reduce the amount of concentrated sugars in your diet and curb the sugar cravings. The result? You'll feel better, have more energy and probably lose a few pounds! For more detailed information please visit my website, http://www.lori-hanson.com/ and contact me directly.

In peace, balance and health,

Do You Ask For Want You Want?

It's a simple thing - really. But how many of us ask for what we want or share our expectations with others on a daily basis? Sure, if you go into Starbucks for a double frap espresso something or other you know how to ask for what you want. But, what about the important stuff? Sometimes it's difficult to spit it out!

I remember as a young girl around 8 or 9 years old being asked to go into a store and purchase a grocery item for my mother. When I couldn't find what I was supposed to get I froze with the thought of having to ask someone where it was! I was so incredibly shy as a kid. Okay, so that has changed over the years! Now I'll ask if I can't find something within the first minute as I don't want to waste my time looking all over the store for something.

In certain relationships, those we work with, our parents, our significant other, or even our kids it's more difficult to be honest and ask for what we really want. Sometimes it may just be that we need patience and understanding as we go through a difficult time in life. Other times we may need someone to really get in our corner even though they don't agree with us and be a loyal supporter or friend. Maybe it's just letting your significant other know that you'd like more help in the kitchen after dinner, more help with the kids or help buying groceries. For men maybe it's a need to not get blasted with dialogue the minute you walk in the door. So you need to ask for a little chill time when you get home.

At work this is sometimes tough as there are often politics in play. I know for me personally navigating the corporate politics was something I didn't do well! I don't like playing games even for the sake of "x". Nevertheless, it's important to let others know what YOU need to do your job, be more effective and meet that deliverable.

If you are someone who suffers from anorexia, bulimia or other eating disorders, like I did, you probably aren't good at expressing your wants and desires. But it's an important step in empowerment.

Regardless of the need or want. It's important to speak up (in a polite way) and tell that someone what it is you need, today that will make a difference. Try a softening statement such as, "I'm confused, I thought we had agreed to do "x"m or Maybe I misunderstood, but I thought you said (or we agreed) you were going to do this yesterday and it still isn't done. Did I miss something?

Defining boundaries and asking for what we need are important to healthy self-esteem and building confidence. Start with small things and work up to larger issues. Don't let other people "assume" you are doing fine when you aren't. Don't let your date assume you're fine with an activity or something they did if you aren't.

As a child I was taught to be seen and not heard and my midwestern upbringing encouraged me to always be politically correct. To not upset other people or say things I might regret. As an adult it's sometimes difficult to find the boundary on where that advice is valuable and where it isn't serving you.

So ask for what you want! And don't forget to reciprocate...ask what you can do to help someone else. You might just make their day and have a new BFF!

For more information on improving self-esteem please visit my website www.Lori-Hanson.com.


In peace, balance and health!

Do You Have Control Issues With Eating?

For some it's chocolate, others cakes and candy, for another it's that late night eating they can't resist that kills their resolve and figure. It can start at any age. As young children our diets are controlled by what our parents feed us. Some kids get too much sugar and in other households its a hallowed and infrequent treat--it's a controlled commodity.

For some people the food awareness doesn't kick in until teen or college years. But at some point many of us learn behaviors to "control" the food intake. Many others "try" to control it and have issues doing so. They end up overweight and obese.

I recently heard the story of a women whose mother put her on a diet when she was just five years old! Early priming for food issues.

Why then do some people end up with eating disorders and others just gain weight? Then there are those "normal" size people who look great but survive on a diet of junk food. Eating disorders evolve as a result of a number of factors. Having an eating disorder is vastly different from being 100 pounds overweight. Both individuals have issues with food. Both individuals are using food and their behavior to avoid dealing with issues in life. Or else they wouldn't have a "weight problem". With an eating disorder there is a significant distortion of body image from reality.

Eating disorders typically appear in adolescent or young adult girls. However some women develop eating disorders later in life. Women aren't alone, an estimated one million men also suffer from eating disorders. An eating disorder is identified by extremes. An obsession with body and weight, eating very little or eating extreme amounts. In addition many people with eating disorders usually follow rituals or patterns to control their food intake.

The two most common eating disorders are anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. A third type is called eating disorders not otherwise specified (EDNOS) which includes variations of other eating disorders but with different characteristics.

Some typical contributors to eating disorders include issues with:

• Low self-esteem and self-worth
• Family relationships
• Control
• Abusive relationships
• Sexual abuse
• Chemical imbalances

Many times young girls who begin the behaviors of anorexia or bulimia don't realize how dangerous their habits can become. Or that they can be life threatening. The physical problems that result from continued eating disorder behaviors can be devasting. A few of the complications include:

• Cardiovascular and neurological complication
• Impaired physical development
• Brittle hair and nails
• Cardiac arrest
• Electrolyte and fluid imbalances
• Chronically inflammed neck and throat
• Worn tooth enamel and sensitive teeth from throwing up and stomach acid
• Intestinal distress such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) from laxative abuse
• Burned out adrenal glands
• Poor brain/mood function

Treatment for eating disorders must address psychological issues in addition to restoring normal weight and eliminating self-defeating behaviors and thoughts. Many individuals with eating disorders are in and out of treatment for long periods of time and costs can range from $10,000 per month to $100,000 or more per year. Insurance coverage for eating disorders many times falls short of the individual needs.

Alternative treatments are evolving. Many clinics now have a mind, body, spirit approach to their treatment. Alternative treatments can cost far less than traditional treatment programs. Through yoga, meditation and body work individuals improve self-esteem, release destructive habits and patterns, embrace their bodies and return to a normal healthy lifestyle.

For more information visit http://www.ItStartedWithPop-Tarts.com/.

In peace, balance and health!

Eating Disorders, Obesity, Alcoholism, Addiction, Superwoman, Workaholic – Is There a Link?

I find it intriguing as a society how differently we view each of these behaviors. Some are more acceptable or shall I say less offensive than others. And each comes with its own share of judgments and prejudices by onlookers.

The truth is, I can’t remember the last time I met someone who doesn’t have a little (or big) secret in their closet. A mechanism they use to cope with life…or a way to numb out and avoid it. We’ve just all chosen different paths of manifestation for our insecurities and/or poor self-esteem. Whether it’s at a conscious or sub-conscious level, we’re all searching. Looking for peace, happiness, health—our purpose in life.

The problem is most of us don’t even realize we’re using these behaviors to fill a void. Or what the void is. We all came into being without baggage. But as young infants and children we each picked up our share (some more than others) of baggage as we grew up. Our life experiences and the level of love and attention we received as youngsters began to shape our perception of and reaction to the world and our surroundings. We begin to react to circumstances through the filters we created to view the world based on our experiences. Ever heard the saying perception is reality? My perception of life viewed through the filter of my bulimia was completely different than how others saw me.

It’s so hard for many of us to accept and love ourselves, so we go looking for that acceptance and love in the form of food, alcohol, kudos from the boss for working 70 hours yet again this week, or being the envy of all the other mothers because of our abilities as superwoman. But these behaviors only help us to numb out and ignore the real issue.

In our current society this is made much worse (in my opinion) by the new addictions to cell phones, text messaging, iPods and the over stimulation that being attached and available to everyone 24x7 brings. As humans we need to shut down on occasion! We need to give our bodies the much needed rest, solitude and down time to reflect on life. (Just like our cell phones and computers need to shut down and reboot on occasion.) How can we get in touch with our inner voice, that deepest part of our soul that knows why we’re here and what our true needs are when we’re always running and hiding?

Funny thing is whether it’s an eating disorder, being overweight, alcoholism, drug addiction, excessive gambling or sex, superwoman, workaholic or egomaniac…there is a common thread. We’re all looking for validation, comfort, love and acceptance. And all things we need to give ourselves.

For more information please visit my website: http://www.lori-hanson.com/.

In peace and health,