In this issue: Being Mean...Body Image…Organic vs. Conventional

Do you have judgemental, critical thoughts about others, even those you love? Are you sweet on the outside, but feel a bit rotten on the inside? Would you be afraid if your thoughts were played over a loudspeaker?

I would! Sometimes I’m appalled at the snyde little quips that come into my mind when I’m feeling stressed or short of time or patience. Thankfully, I rarely allow these thoughts to form into audible words, yet I still feel bad about even having them. But I’m not immune to letting my acerbic remarks slip out to those closest to me either. I know how to be NICE (emotional eaters have a PhD in “nice”), but my insides don’t always match my outsides!

This was the conundrum that drove me to seek help from my mentor, Roy Nelson, many moons ago. It wasn’t the food I was eating, as much as it was the thoughts I was thinking. I felt so bad about being mean and hating people I was supposed to love, and not being able to change it. I knew that if I didn’t do something about this, the guilt I felt would always drive me to punish myself with food, or some other form of self-destruction. Of course with Roy’s help I was able to address a host of fear, pain, resentment and guilt that was keeping me trapped in the obsession with food. I learned that I wasn’t as evil as I felt, I was in pain and the pain was seeping out all over, especially through my thoughts. My healing from this pain produced a much happier, healthier and kinder me. Thank God!

But I’m not yet pure as the driven snow. I have times when I’m not the person I know I could be and which God made me to be. But I have compassion for myself when I’m not. What I’ve learned is when I’m being critical of others it’s usually because I’m being critical of myself. Roy taught me that others simply get the spillover of what I’m doing to myself, and the best chance I have of being sweet to others is to be super-sweet to myself. This isn’t always easy of course, which is why when I’ve been beating up on myself for something, Roy has lovingly reminded me that “I’m not that good at being bad”!

So next time you’re struggling with mean thoughts, actions or words toward others, have compassion for yourself. (Chances are you’re getting the worst lashings of all.) Take some time away and seek some peace. Let go of the stress and know that you are GOOD and you are LOVED. Responding from that place of LOVE will allow you and everyone around you have a better day!

With Love,

Tricia

Dear Ask It:

I hate my body! I look terrible in a bathing suit and I’m constantly in pain about the weight I’ve gained. What should I do?

~ Miserable in Missouri

Dear Miserable:

I have news for you: hating your body isn’t going to make it thinner! In fact, it will probably perpetuate your weight gain. When we fight our bodies, we create negative energy within us that is not only exhausting and self-defeating, but actually propels us to eat more to soothe the turmoil.

You can turn the tide by beginning to think just a few positive thoughts about your body each day. Say: “My body is beautiful as it is, right now!” You won’t probably believe this, but it doesn’t matter. You have to stop being in a fight with yourself. Try thinking only positive thoughts about your body. Affirm all that you LIKE about your body…your strong arms, your capable legs, your dependable heart and lungs that function without your even asking them to!

Loving our bodies the way they are right now doesn’t mean that we have to settle in, never seeking change. It simply means that we foster a healthier relationship with our bodies, which in turn produces a more loving, self-caring environment in which to make changes. Just like everything else in life, our bodies respond much better to love than hate.

Tricia offers private "Heal Your Hunger" coaching sessions for those desiring maximum results with "weight loss from the inside out". For a fre*e 30 minute session, email Tricia at tricia@healyourhunger.com

(Have a question for Ask It? Please email me at tricia@betotallyfree.com)




(Please forward to everyone you know!)

“You Are What You Eat!”

Eating the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables listed below will expose a person to nearly 20 pesticides per day, on average. Eating the 12 least contaminated will expose a person to a fraction over 2 pesticides per day.

Adjusting your eating habits can lower your intake of pesticides -- sometimes dramatically so. Substitute organic for conventional produce that is consistently contaminated with pesticides. When organic is not available, eat fruits and vegetables with consistently low pesticide loads.

Peaches lead the list of most contaminated fruits, followed by strawberries, apples and nectarines.

Spinach, celery, potatoes, and sweet bell peppers are the vegetables most likely to expose consumers to pesticides.

Should I stop eating certain foods?
It is recommend that you eat plenty of fruits and vegetables because they're essential to a healthy diet. But you can and should cut back on pesticides--just as you might cut back on fat, calories or cholesterol.

What about washing?
Washing will not change the rank of the fruits and vegetables in the Guide. That's because nearly all of the data used to create these lists comes from the USDA Pesticide Data Program (PDP) where the foods are washed and prepared for normal consumption prior to testing for pesticides (apples are washed and cored, bananas are peeled, etc.).

While washing fresh produce may help reduce pesticide residues, it clearly does not eliminate them. Nonetheless, produce should be washed before it is eaten because washing does reduce levels of some pesticides. However, other pesticides are taken up internally into the plant, are in the fruit, and cannot be washed off. Others are formulated to bind to the surface of the crop and do not easily wash off. Peeling reduces exposures, but valuable nutrients often go down the drain with the peel.

The best option is to eat a varied diet, wash all produce, and choose organic when possible to reduce exposure to potentially harmful chemicals.

8/18 Susan Reed, RN, author and speaker has both personal and professional experience in the weight loss field. Working at a weight loss clinic brought her face to face with her own addiction. Join her to find out how she maintains a 60 lb. weight loss. She will speak at 4:00 p.m. at Erewhon Market. More more information, click here.

8/25 Tricia Greaves, "Heal Your Hunger" coach and founder of Be Totally Free! shows you how to identify and heal the root causes of emotional eating. Join her for a fun and effective gathering that will help you "Heal Your Hunger". Presentation 2pm-4pm, Erewhon Market. More more information, click here.

After overcoming her own lifetime battle with compulsive eating, drinking and weight-without the use of diets, pills, medication or excessive exercise-Tricia Greaves founded Be Totally Fre*e!, a non-profit organization that offers a unique and permanent solution for overcoming all addictions. To learn about the hope we offer to those who have tried everything to stop, visit www.betotallyfree.com.

Tricia is also a speaker, author, and private coach helping emotional eaters move beyond diets to lasting change. To learn more visit http://www.healyourhunger.com.