TREASURE YOURSELF WEEK 4 AND 5

Week 4 of The Treasure Yourself Project was a difficult week and it sent me into a tailspin, and a crash of the emotional kind. I suppose it was bound to happen after feeling so high during the beginning of this project. A bad cold, tooth-ache, infected wisdom tooth and a severe migraine over the course of the week had completely demotivated me, and Ill admit it I just felt really sorry for myself and didnt think I deserved it. Everything felt too hard and how quickly my previously positive, focused attitude disappeared and my life was unorganised and overwhelming once again. And that made me angry. I felt I was putting it so much effort over the past few weeks and made so much progress mentally & physically, and I had basically sprinted just in the opposite direction right back to the start line. It was depressing.Not surprisingly, my mindset affected me physically because after weeks of what seemed like endless energy and motivation, I suddenly could not for the life of me keep my eyes open past 8.30pm, and daily tasks felt so draining. I stopped exercising, and funny enough my sugar cravings came back in full force. So, I had a mini break-down involving me making a cheese sandwich for dinner and sitting in bed crying because I didn’t have the energy to cook or clean or blog whilst surrounded by mess and so many tasks I had to complete but didnt. You know when you have so much to do and its completely overwhelming so you just do nothing at all? (All this self-analysis has forced to admit I am fairly bloody dramatic). The next morning, I was talking about my ‘problems’ to a (wise) friend, and she said they were ‘first world problems’, and how I needed to hear that.I have medicine to take away my pain. My family and I have so many clothes to keep us warm that I cannot keep up with washing them all. My toddler has a house full of toys to learn and play with that I can’t seem to ever put them away. We have a fridge full of fresh food that I can cook healthy meals for my family with. I have a partner who works incredibly hard to provide for us, meaning most days he isn’t home until dark. I have two healthy, perfect children who love me and want to spend every single moment with me. Oh, and I have a blog that people actually want to read which means I have to find time to work on it. POOR ME. I felt pretty damn silly that I had sat in bed crying about my ‘problems’. It was a ‘get a grip woman moment. Despite my challenging fortnight, I am still noticing so much change around me, especially in the form of my friends. Changing our perception to be grateful for what we have and talking about our goals and progress means we dont have much time to talk about other people, pass meaningless judgements and complain about things that dont really matter. And excuse me for saying but in hindsight we really did talk about of shit. One of my friends has had such a massive turn-around in her thinking and general well-being and I can’t wait to share her story with you, another friend has had a huge realisation and is taking steps to change her behavior. I am so proud of them for being so motivated and open to changing their lives. So, this past fortnight I am putting it down to be presented with problems and situations that I CAN fix myself, and I will. Its a FRESH START. WEEK 4: YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT WEEKGetting back to project for Week 4 of TYP - it was You are what you eat week, focusing on eating good food, learning new recipes and gaining knowledge. On the Friday night I invited a group of girlfriends around to test out some recipes from the I Quit Sugar Cookbook. We made pumpkin pie, raw cheesecake, lots of different yummy salads using Quinoa and the smash hit of the night was the Granola...oh wow. So good. I did take some photos of the night but we drank quite a bit of wine so the food looks too ugly to share and yep, I managed to burn my contribution of Pumpkin Pie. But it well and truly proved that sugar-free food is as rich, enjoyable and tasty as any sweet treat, and it tastes even better when you wake up minus the sugar hang-over the next day (and just have a wine hangover instead). I thought as part of You are what you eat week I should share with you some of my new favourite food blogs & websites (some of which I have discovered through our TYP facebook group so thank you!) Supercharged FoodThis is probably my favourite. It has some amazing recipes, shopping lists, and what I love the most is its LEARN section - explaining additives, good fats, why you should go organic...a great read and so important if you want to actually learn the benefits of using food as medicine instead of just following someone elses plan. Coconut and Ginger Ice-cream Sarahwilson Obviously this was going to be on my list but she has a section Recipes I Love which have heaps of yummy sugar-free recipes that are not in her cookbook. However you can buy her cookbook here. (Sugar-free Macaroon Slice)SPROUTED KITCHENI found this website through my love of Stone Cold Fox - created by the sister of one half of SCF - Sprouted Kitchen have recently published their first cookbook and whilst they are not all sugar-free, they use whole foods, the photography is food-porn-worthy and it looks delicious!Yoghurt, Strawberry & Cranachan My New RootsThis was suggested to me by a friend (thank you Sarah!) and I love it. The creator is a holistic nutritionist and vegetarian chef and she has cooking videos available on the website also which are great!Raw Brownie (I say I dont have any sugar cravings and look at the recipes I have just chosen! Can you tell it is late at night?!) WEEK 5: PHYSICAL WELL-BEINGWeek 5 was dedicated to focusing on your physical well-being, whether that be sticking to your usual fitness regime or trying a new exercise. My goal was to try meditation however I unfortunately didnt get the time to attempt it last week so it is my aim before I end the project. In keeping with the physical well-being I wanted to share with you my experience with the exercise that works for me and I hope to continue to practice until I am eighty years old.Bikram YogaI have a love affair with Bikram Yoga. I discovered it almost six years ago, and I can honestly say it changed my life. Standing in 40 degree heat for a 90 minute practice of 26 postures - it is, without a doubt - pretty hardcore. I have watched incredibly fit men fall to their knees in Bikram and I cant say I havent enjoyed watching it. You push your body to its limits and you literally looks like you have dived into a swimming pool afterwards from the amount you sweat and it feels SO good. The best way I can describe Bikram is that it is a release. I always know when I need to go to Bikram and as I have said before, I walk in stressed and negative and float out, every single time. I dont know if it is the sweating, the concentration, or staring at yourself in the mirror for 90 minutes and being left to your thoughts but if I have a problem, I have usually worked it out by the end of the practice. In fact I came up with The Treasure Yourself Project in a Bikram Class. It clears your mind, gives you mental clarity and of course it shapes your body like you wouldnt believe. Everything feels crisp and sharp after a Bikram class. It gives me life balance. I think one of the aspects I am addicted too is as you are practicing, your yoga teacher explains to you the benefit of each and every pose. One is described as the yogi facial for its glowing benefits and another as the emotional pose - an extreme backbend that always brings up any emotion you are feeling - I have choked back tears many times, it is quite amazing how it affects you.One experience I will share with you and I dont want to put you off, I am just trying to explain how powerful it is. A few years ago now I went to Bikram after a few months break and during this time I must have been abusing my body with bad food & alcohol because it hurt. It really hurt. Straight after the class I managed to drive myself home and collapsed on my bed before vomiting for a few hours straight with a severe migraine. I have no doubt that was my bodies way of purging all of the toxins in that had been stirred up by my practice. Please dont let this put you off though, unfortunately that is just how my body reacts!If I can give anyone one suggestion throughout this entire project - it would be to try Bikram yoga. I feel so passionately about this I could just keep going on and on but I wont...however I will give you a few tips to make your experience a little easier if you do attempt it! *Make sure you are very well hydrated before hand. I try to drink at least two litres of water during the day before I go to class. *Eat a light lunch. Whatever you have eaten will come up - trust me. You can taste it.*If you are a coffee drinker - only have one in the morning! If I have a second coffee before Bikram I feel nautious and dizzy the entire class.*You will feel nautious the first few sessions, it is completely normal - lay down on your mat until you feel better. Some days I spent alot of time on the floor!*Wear the least amount of clothing as possible. Its hot in there. Crop-top and shorts are the norm.*Dont forget water! Youll need it.*You are left to lay down after the class and I always go through everything I am grateful for in my mind - it is the perfect way to finish! *And finally, make sure you get a coconut water on the way out. Such a yummy, healthy treat to look forward to at the end of the class.*Oh, and dont think you can just pop into the shops after class - you face looks like a tomato for a good hour afterwards. People will stare. Here is a link to my local: Gold Coast Bikram Yoga.Bikram Yoga is a dynamic series of 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises practiced in a room heated to approximately 40deg c. Practiced regularly, this 90-minute class will strengthen, tone and detoxify your body and mind. Each asana (posture) prepares you for the next and will help to loosen any tightness in your body, while building mental focus and concentration. Bikram Yogas twenty-six posture exercises systematically move fresh, oxygenated blood to one hundred percent of your body, to each organ and fiber, restoring all systems to healthy working order, just as Nature intended. Proper weight, muscle tone, vibrant good health, and a sense of well being will automatically follow.The room is heated intentionally to warm the muscles which allows you to work deeper, prevents injuries all the while burning over 500 calories per class. You will be left feeling exhilarated and energised having worked every muscle, tendon, and ligament, joint and internal organ in your body.(source: Bikram Yoga Gold Coast & Bikramyoga.com) GRATITUDE GRATEFUL FOR PERFECT WINTER MORNINGS DOWN THE BEACH WITH MY LOVES. THIS IS MY HAPPY PLACE. xx