Category Archives: Awareness through Eating
Awareness through Eating Life Hack: Kitchen Grain Mill
Health & Wellbeing
Small kitchen mill for flour and spices. When getting stones to grind grains into flour at our family organic wholesale operation I learned the differences between freshly ground grains and prepackaged flours. This has been on my bucket list since learning of these differences. This little kitchen mill came with no instructions and was easy to explore. This is the first attempt and it was successful. I typed into Google, “What can I make with two cups of soft wheat flour? The recipe that came up was chocolate chip cookies. It’s been years since having them and they were great! Here is the link to this mill on Amazon – https://amzn.to/4eCtpdJ. @insideawreness.com
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The individual behind the Awareness through Eating learning pattern….
Yesterday I introduced a theme that compared food choices that mimics the same effects of Ozempic. Ozempic is a current trend for weight loss. It has some sister pharmaceuticals that mimic the results. It is an expensive pharmaceutical that eliminates the person’s appetite. Someone injects themselves in the tummy about once a month and afterward experiences a complete loss of appetite and I am told this includes interest in food.
As an empathic practitioner focusing on behaviour, I notice that people absorb Ozempic-type products as a strategy, and that it is not only their appetite that is altered. There are observable appearances in one’s physical expressions and emotional behaviours. The physical expression and the emotional behaviours filter one’s thoughts. Thinking shifts under any influence. Influences are environmental stimuli. This includes healthy foods. These are an environmental influence on physical, mental and emotional function. Someone taking Ozempic-type products is someone wanting ‘rewards without effort,’ and they are unaware of the full range of influences altering their experiences.
In this post, the phrase ‘rewards without efforts,’ means one is turning a faucet off, rather than retraining their brain function and physical, mental and emotional behaviours. It just shuts down eating. This means it is also shutting a function down. It just happens to be a function that feeds all functions needed to experience the ultimate potential for optimum function. From my perspective only, it is reducing mental health and wellbeing and will have long-term effects. One that is immediate as their is no nutritional values to function. The second is that it will have the same physiological type behaviours that long-term addictions have. It will be another addiction to detox from. Only one will be rapidly gaining the weight back as there have been no conscious, unconscious and subconscious shifts in behaviours. The only change has been a strategy injected into the body to turn a switch off.
Since writing this I did meet s student who is using Ozempic responsibility.
During Functional Integrations with students, (Awareness through Movement one-on-one) I would become aware of their nutritional lacks. It was evident in their physical, mental and emotional behaviours. This is where the phrase, ‘the brain is lazy,’ made a big impact. Students would disclose having many supplements and capsules of the nutrition they needed, yet didn’t have the focus to make the effort to take the lids off and take them each day. They may for 2 or 3 days then forget them and before you know it their cupboard is packed with full bottles. The conversation would become a stalemate as I discovered a nutrient they needed from their story would become a statement like “oh yeah, I have that already”, when I made any suggestions. They had become hoarders of the trend in the moment and yet that trend was sitting in a bottle in the cupboard. It had no functional health benefits. It had become and mental and emotional nightmare though.
I came up with a strategy that changed my life. It was for my student’s benefit, yet it became mine personally. I decided to create a garden of edibles, cultured and wild, leading up to my door they entered. They would walk through a pathway. I hoped the influence would stimulate them through environmental influence. It shifted mine! Some pictures below of the environmental influence along the pathway to the doorway.
As an empathic experience, the biggest disconnect in life has been in those who speak with authority yet have none through experience. It’s all in thought only. As an empath, this is experienced as someone speaking who is disconnected. It is an actual experience. Especially when someone reads a book or watches a program and then is the authority. It is a huge ball of confusion an empath must untangle until they understand it. For this reason, I have chosen not to give advice unless I have done it myself. This meant researching nutrition through natural sources myself first with the garden mentioned previously and with cultures and ferments like kefir, sauerkraut, yogurt, pickling, kombucha and apple cider vinegar, etc. Once again the mind is lazy. It doesn’t want to change. It actually resists it. It will spend time, effort and money on a strategy however not put in the effort to transform the behaviours. I put a lot of effort into supporting these students to try and create a spark from creating samples to try, offering to provide the resources to sharing the benefits I was experiencing. It was a big output of energy however without success. The potential was there yet I discovered the majority of people want to complain about things, yet not do anything to change it. (Consider this on a bigger stage of the global conditioning)
This experiment had an amazing result. Transforming the eating plan by introducing a few foods ignited inspiration and motivation. The only way I can describe it is that some nutrition I was lacking through the new food item transformed my mental, emotional and physical states. This was the connection to the shift in inner self-direction. In the connecting to inner self-direction deepening the motivation to increase and add healthier foods and habits came naturally. It wasn’t a strategy based on authority. It was a natural spontaneous development and action. In other words, it wasn’t a thought or through being told to change. I can only describe it as a growing experience of spontaneous change.
Pictured above are three things I eat daily. Small amounts, yet packed with nutrition. As an empath I do not have an encyclopedia-type mind, therefore I can tell you what organ function I am feeding when eating these foods versus giving you a list of their nutrients that have been memorized. For example, the Brazil Nuts pictured above are for my thyroid. It’s a good source of selenium and I used it as a replacement for the bamboo leaves I was growing. The cranberries are for my urinary tract, kidney and bladder and sesame seeds for my bones. I specify this as when I eat them I want to have the thoughts that focus on what part of the body I am feeding. Why? This is the message I want to brain to receive. This is the message I want my brain to send to those body parts. Many shift their focus to the outside and separate from a deeper connection and receptiveness available in the human function. Science took the focus outside to solutions that mimic the body’s potential abilities. Some empaths do not function in the world’s mainstream this way. I happen to be one of them. I never unlearned to separate from the initial learning pattern of absorbing information. However, you can read here that my mind is very scientific through exploration and receptivity. I have seen advantages of both, exploration and solutions, however, the difference for me is presenting learning patterns for an individual to have free will versus locking in on it as the authority.
Here are Google Coles Notes on these three nutritional foods. I get these in bulk through Amazon. They have been the freshest at reasonable prices and in resealable bags. All food is touched by many sources however when I was in the organic wholesale food business the dried goods would arrive in bulk and be handled only by the packager. I trust that is what is happening with Yupik. The differences with a markets bulk section is that their products are touched by many hands on the way to my table.
Brazil Nuts
Here is Googles Coles notes on Brazil nuts:
- Rich in the mineral selenium.
- Source of mono-unsaturated fat.
- Good for the brain.
- May support healthy cholesterol levels.
- Good for thyroid health.
- Strong anti-inflammatory properties.
- May support mood balance.
- May support the immune system.
Cranberries
Here is Googles Coles Notes on Cranberries:
- Rich in antioxidant compounds. …
- May help prevent urinary tract infections. …
- May help promote skin health. …
- May support heart health. …
- Has anti-bacterial properties. …
- May protect against certain cancers. …
- May support eye health and vision. …
- May promote a healthy immune system.
Sesame Seeds
Here is Googles Coles Notes on Sesame Seeds
- Sid blood sugar control
- Combat arthritis pain
- Lower cholesterol
Slideshow
Awareness through Eating: Seasonal Food Shift
Pumpkin Soup
If you can’t view TikTok Video – Please see below for original.
Here on the southern tip of Vancouver Island Fall comes early. This year I noticed it began to shift in the last few days of July! It starts with the foggy haze rolling in during the early hours. For some somaticĀ dominant experiences, this may mean a shift in the focus of attention on food choices that came earlier this year. I have observed that somatic experiencers are inherently more naturally in tune with the shifts in nature. In this little TikTok video clip, the food of choice was a can of pure pumpkin.
Pumpkin is low in calories, heart-friendly and great nutrition. Adding spices like ginger and cinnamon becomes a good choice for watching weight. Both spices are well known for curbing appetite and increasing the body’s metabolic rate to speed up digestion. Cayenne is a well-knownĀ spice to increases inner heat and is good for rolling into fall.
The recipe for pumpkin soup using canned pumpkin makes it quick and easy to make. The ingredients are probably ones already in the pantry that include; onions and garlic, plus spices and maple syrup. The recipe called for heavy cream which this writer doesn’t use or have on hand. Many will though. A couple of ingredients this writer added though were mushrooms, nutritional yeast and rice dream. The rice milk was a substitute for the heavy cream and won’t be used in future. It isn’t necessary.
This is a lovely soup for the fall and can be added to any meal or be the center of a meal. It’s seasonal and aligns with the current harvest in nature north of the equator. Along the southern tip of Vancouver Island, it is almost time to see fields of pumpkins emerging as the foliage dies back that once hid them.
In this post, the focus is on the seasonal shift in eating patterns that reflects the cultivating of awareness in the Awareness through Eating patterns here @insideawareness. There is also the dynamics of current food costs. This writer has stopped buying soup at the market due to a reaction to the prices. Pre-covid lockdown cans of soup that were a buck are now $4.00 or more. Each can of soup is being sold as a designer brand however they aren’t. This can of pumpkin was the cost of a can of soup and is far healthier meeting more functional needs in the alignment of body, brain and mind functions that generate emotional responses. This recipe is easy and fast and warms the heart knowing it is packed with ingredients that increase health and wellbeing.
Canned pumpkin on Amazon ranges in price from our local markets. One may want to invest time into getting a raw pumpkin, however there is the time and effort that would go into processing it. The consolation is that it makes more soup that can spread over 2 or 4 meals depending on the number of people. The link to Amazon is below. If you come across more economical pricing, do let us know here @insideawareness – contact. What has been of value for this writer to get from Amazon are Pumpkin Seeds. They are usually cheaper and fresher. Once again if you have insight on a cheaper source than you find fresh drop us a line or connect on social media. YuPik is the brand and size I normally choose.Ā Ā
Spice Tea to reduce cravings
Here are some spices that seem to reduce cravings and balance out digestion. I find they even reduce hunger at meal so the meal sizes naturally become smaller.
Spice Tea – These spices are a natural way I tap into for reducing hunger between meals and meal sizes. They are also packed with nutrients missing in our fast food and eating out phases. It is also good for digestion. Fenugreek was recommended for mothers breastfeeding to help babies with digestion too!
- If you need to stock up your cupboard here are links to Amazon Spices:
Overthinking lacks balance of functional alignment: example are diets
Recently I had to admit the bread substitute I was purchasing wasn’t my favorite and it was too expensive. Admitting this to myself created an incentive to consider something different. Then I forgot about it. Online, a recipe and picture crossed the screen and I was attracted to it. It had few ingredients and would provide a protein source for my eating plan. There was no energy put into thinking, strategizing or searching except in my own cupboard prior to bed last night. That involved putting the lentils on to soak. Here is the result. Will it taste okay? Have to wait until it cools. However, it leads to a topic I have been wanting to introduce with a more concrete focus………..
Making a decision to explore living foods about 8 years ago led to a discovery that wasn’t in my mind’s eye when making this choice. The focus was on what foods are available in front of us that we are overlooking. In the course of taking this action, the exploration led to creating recipes that were knownĀ such as growing cultures and making sourdough bread, apple cider vinegar, sauerkraut, kombucha and kefir. As these cultures began to coincide with more fresh greens through edible weeds and homemade dressings something odd began to happen. All old cravings vanished and something else replaced it. There was a physical incentive that inspired organic motivation that was new. When recognized as a shift in behaviours I knew it wasn’t a familiar one when it came to food choices, preparing food and even making time for it. My experience has been that when someone is developing a career or hasĀ been food shamed or controlled by a partner this experience mentioned above is not an organically felt somatic experience. It is certainly one I appreciate.
Having this experience and entertaining it for a good length of time allowed it to manifest as a baseline experience. One that I began to observe and engage with when working with functional integrative sessions with students. I began to observe the connection between food and function. As a communication mentor and empathy coach, I extended this same observation to behaviours. I discovered there is a correlation to the balance of health and well-being connected to functional movement, emotions and mental focused dominance when it came to food and diets.
The main takeaway has been that when the diet has a scientific or trending focus the likelihood for success in integrating it into a lifestyle is minimal. It remains an outside strategy versus the inner incentive that motivates one into long-term habitual changes. However, I can say that a habitual lifestyle diet can be interrupted by a change in influences. For example, being on holiday and eating completely outside of ones wheelhouse for an extended period. The discovery is that it only takes a short period to develop new food habits and it somehow shifts an inner messaging system towardĀ that last pattern of eating. What you put in for extended periods is what the body wants to continue eating. Diets focus on the mental and emotional states of being that lend themselves to self-judgements and those of others. However, it is a physiological condition as I discovered. However, each time one taps back into the foods that feed their organs and body functions the easier it is to get back into it. The mental, emotional and physical aligns to make it easier to achieve through experience versus a focus on thinking about what it should be, and how it should be, it seems more organic. My goal is to grow this in my own experience.
I can only imagine this is how people once connected with their food and landscape before organized food availabilities and current luxuries. They would gather what was available and create meals with it spontaneously unless dried and packed along with them on their journey.
This journey of food discovery that began as a personal eating plan has given more insight into environmental influences through coaching others and shifting my own lifestyle habits that I will share over time. I hope you will be motivated to join me in this exploration.
ATE: Healing gut with Inulin, Berberine, L-glutamine
ATE:Ā AWARENESS THROUGH EATING
After becoming an empty nesterĀ IĀ had time and energy to ‘explore living food’ versus dieting.Ā With only a question in mind (no rules and no should’s), I started to explore what nutrition was available in my own backyard.Ā The focus was on weeds, trees, plants and grasses.Ā Organically it flowed, in that familiar pattern I have learned fromĀ FeldenkraisĀ® Awareness through MovementĀ® Lessons, so I have fondly begun to refer to it as Awareness through Eating.Ā My great regret is not having this focus with kids at home!
Along the journey of growing, gathering and consuming many backyard plantsĀ I discovered new sensations of physical wellness.Ā This new feeling of aliveness if fueled and motivated by endless curiosity and exploration.Ā Ā Life-changing as these actions integrate a deeper inner and outer connection to the natural world.Ā A connection I wouldn’t have known by previous experiences.Ā This journey led me to a new definition of ‘being connected’.
Instead of following old patterns of gathering food resources, I began to create new ones.Ā Ā That was the first step.Ā The second step was creating these backyard resources that led to new relationships with them.Ā Eventually leading to an interest in exploring fermented foods in my own kitchen.
Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay
Immediately there was an improvement of gut health and brain function.Ā Increased vitality and stamina followed with a decrease in emotions of anxiety, fear, pain and frustration.Ā This experience led to a deepening connection to my environment with more clarity of the existing plants and animals.Ā For me, this means being less distracted and more present in the moment.
Recently I was intrigued by a video’s content that was created by a celebrity.Ā Someone I had witnessed years earlier being overweight with obvious movement and breathing issues.Ā Now this same person was slim and seemed to be in better health.Ā He had partnered with a new product.Ā A product created to mimic foods he ate to become healthy.Ā Curious IĀ took time to listen to the ingredients that supported their healthy change.Ā I was happy and surprised to hear that it was the same foods I had unknowingly introduced into my eating plan with similar results.Ā Only they decided to create a supplement with those same nutritional values instead of continuing with the healthy real foods.Ā Ā I was disappointed to hear that as my perspective differs.Ā Ā I believe that taking a supplement doesn’t allow for the integration of new behaviours.Ā It simply contributes to the fix-me attitude.Ā Mentally it increases the chatter of self-judgment and of right and wrong thinking.Ā Ā This mental focus doesn’t have the opportunity to shift into the awe of the exploration as how this celebrity and I both experienced.
However, in support of some of my students these past years, who have taught me that sometimes they simply can’t take the time to explore the basics and integrate,Ā I am going to share the top three nutrients that made the most significant change in gut and brain health.Ā These three nutrients can be eaten each day to heal your gut which not only improves your brain function, it improves your immune system and both emotional and physical function.Ā Ā Included are the top real food sources of these nutrients.
Chicory Root & Sugar Beets
Inulin
- Chicory Root
- Sugar Beets
- Leeks
- Asparagus
- Onions
- Garlic
- Dandelion Root
- Elecampane Root
- Bananas
- Wheat
Berberine
Oregon Grape Leave & Roots for Tea
- European Barberry
- Goldenseal
- Goldthread
- Oregon grape
- Tree Turmeric
Sauerkraut
L-glutamine
- beef
- chicken
- fish
- dairy products
- eggs, vegetables
- like beans, beets
- cabbage
- spinach
- carrots
- parsley
- vegetable juices
- wheat
- papaya
- Brussels sprouts
- celery
- kale
- fermented foods
- miso
- kimchi
- sauerkraut
- kefir
Remember:
We are what we eat
Whether we eat out or have groceries delivered organized with recipes for preparing them,Ā that food becomes the invisible pathway stimulating an immediate experience (reaction) and future eating habits.
The environment created by food choices
When hearing the use of the term environment one’s thoughts may immediately go to the forest, sky, ocean, animals and plants.Ā Many of us may not consider the food we consume is a part of the environment that stimulates us physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.Ā Food is the environment that fuels all your functions and each function has different nutritional needs.
Renee is taking new coaching clientsĀ
for those interested in improving their lifestyle, relationships & health patterns
More on eating programs:
- ATE:Ā Cultivating Awareness of Eating for all moving parts
- ATE:Ā 4 more starting points to eating for all moving parts
- Communication Coaching
- FeldenkraisĀ® Coaching
- Somatic Movement Coaching
- Goal Setting Coaching
- Lifestyle Coaching
- Relationship Coaching/Family Coaching (Mediation) Workplace Coaching
About Renee Lindstrom, GCFP
One important aspect of goal setting programs is cultivating awareness in a unique way to increase insight into behaviour and experience. Her intention is to support breaking free from inner restrictions blocking a happy life.
Awareness Through LivingĀ Mentoring Programs Available:
Ā 1st Level ā Getting Started (Introduction & Pattern)
Ā 2nd Level ā Getting Intouch (Experiencing & Connection)
Ā 3rd Level ā Integration (Embodiment)
Follow the journey onĀ Twitter,Ā InstagramĀ orĀ Facebook
Inside Awareness Center for Integrative Somatic Learning 