Search of the Spirit

One of the most gratifying things is to check in with last year's Life is Sweet bloggers to see how things can change in a year. So lovely to have Marilyn back once again after last year's post on Discovering Her True Self to talk about what's been working for her in her journey to healing. 

Last year for the Life Is Sweet project, I wrote about the problems I encountered with treatment options when I was misdiagnosed. I was very confused and because of my “label”, so were all the alternative folks I sought help from. I had lost all sense of my identity and became an over medicated, middle-aged woman, forced into early retirement. So, I embarked on the search to discover my “true self”.

A new family doctor who helped me reduce my meds in order that I might think clearly was the first step. As I was a recovering alcoholic, part of my program was to find a “power greater than myself” who could restore me to sanity (Direct quote from 12-Step literature) Recovery Meetings helped for awhile but there was always the stigma of mental illness and I was not readily accepted.

I stopped going to Meetings and also stopped going to psychotherapy, after the Counsellor indicated that God would only help…”if you buy into that crap”. His time with me was also interrupting his nap as he fell asleep on a number of occasions during our sessions.

I had read a book by a well known female tele-evangelist on the spiritual approach to weight loss (made necessary by the side effects of the meds) and in it she suggested a loving church family for support and encouragement. While I considered that I started to read the Bible. From that it became apparent that my biggest problem was FEAR…..unwarranted FEAR.

Each time I traveled the bus from my home, I passed a church of the denomination of my childhood. One day I noticed the sign said the service was at 11a.m. on Sundays. So, the next week…there I was.Here were 200 or so of the most caring people I had ever come across and I was welcomed at once!

There were many difficult moments as I set out to “grow-up” in their midst but when I tried to push them away because of old fears, they hugged me closer. They spent time talking to me, they included me in all the social gatherings and some things that were being held that I couldn’t afford ended up being paid for me. Was I spoiled? A little but was I busy working on church committees to give back? You bet I was !!

Today I have turned a life-time of rejection and disappointment into compassion and care for our most vulnerable folks. I help out at Sunday School and volunteer at the local nursing home on day a week. My confidence and esteem are all growing and I don’t need to hide my feelings with alcohol, food, shopping or whatever.I know my limits and how to pace myself. I learned how to draw close and when to let go. I learned not to be so serious and to stop pushing and pulling myself around to please others. Best of all, I learned to laugh. My inner critic is now also silent.

HEY…….I think I’m getting well !!! 

Let the light shine in

I love having a lot of beautiful souls in my life who understand that depression is more than 'just a bad day' and have strategies for how to manage it. In today's Life is Sweet post, Ashley talks about her own personal experience with depression along with some of the ways she found healing in her journey. 

Depression is a hard concept to understand for those who have never experienced it. It cuts deeper than general sadness or grief, nor is it a feeling which comes and goes or passes after a few days.

I experienced depression more than a year ago now, and I still remember the uncontrollable sobbing, the dark fog and sometimes, the stinging numbness. I remember desperately trying to stop the tears and put on a happy(er) face when I had to function in public. At the time, I was finishing my designation to become a holistic nutritionist and was already a practicing yoga instructor. I felt ashamed by my feelings. I was the one who was supposed to have it altogether and be the example. Because of this, I was afraid to share my experience.

I know now, that I was not alone in that fear and shame.  There are so many people who are afraid to share or talk about what they are going through, and instead they plaster on a frozen smile. Depression shouldn’t be something that we hide or feel ashamed about. In fact, mental illnesses, such as depression or anxiety are not so subtle clues that something deeper needs to be addressed.

In our current society, mental illness is treated as a shameful disease and the individual is medicated with a ‘band-aid solution’ pharmaceutical drug which can be even more dangerous than the illness itself. I am not saying that medication should never be used, especially in extreme cases, but it shouldn’t be the only solution. Overcoming this illness can take bravery, looking into those dark corners of yourself that are triggering the depression or anxiety.

Listen to Your Feelings:

It is often a much easier to ignore what your emotions and pretend everything is ‘fine’ and you’re just feeling a little ‘depressed’. However, to really understand what are feeling and why you are experiencing these deep emotions you have to go a little bit deeper. Close your eyes and get quiet; look into those dark paces of yourself where the sadness, guilt, shame and anger are hiding. Only in acknowledging what thoughts and emotions you are experiencing, can you heal yourself.

Let Your Emotions Free:

Acknowledge and release that darkness to let the light shine in (or find the lightness and love which already exists within you). Whether it be taking to a trusted friend, family member or professional, let those feelings out without editing them. There is no reason to feel shame for experiencing depression. Continuing to internalize those feelings will only keep them trapped in the same ongoing cycle. If you are not yet ready to talk to someone, write your feelings down. Just keep writing without over thinking and don’t judge anything during the process.

Embrace who you are:

Are you an introvert trying to be an extrovert? Are you in a relationship that doesn’t light you up? Are you working in a career that goes against your true values? Trying to be somebody different than who you really are or not listening to your true values forces you to compromise yourself. Over time this can drain your energy; trying to fill a role that you are not meant to be in. You may feel as if you’re never good enough or can never live up to standards which someone else has set for you. Take time to explore your unique qualities, and what you truly want in your life. Be honest. By embracing what makes you truly unique, you can live by the standards and values which you create. You can get excited to share the best authentic version of yourself!

Move into Freedom:

Activities like yoga and dancing can help to bring movement into those areas of the body where we all store emotions. Finding movement through the torso, hips and chest (heart centre) can begin to free up stuck emotions. This freedom of movement can allow emotions to pass on their own or expose themselves if they were hidden.  Movement also brings the focus of the mind from the constant mental chatter to the physical body. This can distract you from constantly dwelling on stressful thoughts and emotions, bringing you periods of relaxation and peace.

Nourish Yourself:

We often crave unhealthy foods as a way to cope with or suppress unwanted emotions. Eating a diet of unhealthy foods will not provide the nourishment your body needs. Lack of nutrients in and of itself can lead to depression or mental illness. So start to walk away from the coffee, fast and pre-packaged foods. Learn to prepare and eat foods which uplift and strengthen the body. Drink lots of pure, filtered water and incorporate more fresh fruits, vegetables and clean protein into your diet. Providing yourself with the essential nutrients your body needs each day can have a dramatic effect on your energy and mood. It is one of the most wholesome forms of self love. 

I share these tips with you as they were all a key part of my healing path. The inner work can be scary and will take time to process, so don’t be afraid to share it or work with a professional. Eventually the light will begin to shine in again, and please, pay it forward. Share your journey and touch the heart of somebody who may be struggling. If I can touch even one person by sharing my experience with depression, it means the world.

As a yoga instructor and holistic nutritionist, Ashley encourages people to walk the path their true nature intended. This is a fancy way of saying that by choosing health you can feel awesome everyday, so you can live a life you love. Ashley left a career in interior design to pursue a more holistic path, knowing she wanted to make a difference in her own life and in yours. Specializing in emotional eating, Ashley thinks addressing emotions are just as important as the food we eat. Health and happiness are not just concepts to strive for, they can become your natural state of being.

The Silver Lining in Healing an Incurable Disease

Thank you to everyone who bought tickets to Life is Sweet, Even in February. Tickets are now sold out and I'm over-the-moon thrilled and overwhelmed and generally just really excited! I can't believe the show is a little over a week away!

The Life is Sweet project is about a few things for me: honouring my mom, getting people talking about mental illness and loss and also spreading the message that life truly is sweet, in spite of the challenges we face along the way. One of the people who most embodies that message for me is my dear friend Meghan who has been a great supporter of my journey and this project. I love Meghan's perspective on life and she continues to inspire me to keep pushing forward throughout any challenges that come my way. 

Are you always so happy?

This is something get asked more than anything else. It is a strange question as I can’t say that I wake up thinking- wow, am I ever happy today, or aren’t I lucky to be this happy?

My disposition isn’t something I think about, but I guess it’s the same with our physical health. We don’t give either much thought until something breaks, or begins to fall apart.

I definitely haven’t always had a smile on my face. In 2006, I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, a condition that is commonly believed to have no cure. I was given the options of surgery and medication for the rest of my life, without the potential of a cure. My doctor told me that diet would have no effect and that I would have to learn to live with it.

Not one to play by the rules, I decided to create my own rules and UnDiet my life. I chose a natural route that included meditation, yoga, acupuncture, rest and a diet comprised of whole, unprocessed foods. Within one month I was symptom free and remain so to this day.

What I realized in going through the process of getting my body healthy, was that my mind- my thoughts had to follow. The body is rarely in a state of illness without bringing the mind and spirit along- and vice versa. It’s all part of the same system. I realized that if I were to become truly healthy, happiness would have to be part of it.

I decided that getting well would have to be the most fun I’ve ever had. I continue everyday to work at being happy. I meditate, I exercise, I sleep well, I maintain and work to have healthy relationships in all facets of my life and I work equally hard to find happiness, joy and reward in the work that I do. Healthy food is part of the equation but no salad will heal our woes if we spend 12 of our 14 waking hours hating what it is we have to do and who we have to spend our time with.

I am firm on the fact that getting sick was the greatest thing that ever happened to me, and getting well has been the greatest adventure.  In overcoming and healing from my illness, I learned a lot. My mom calls it my PhD in life.

Five of the key lessons I learned that continue to support my health and my happiness are:

1. Take other opinions with a grain of salt.

It is just ourselves and our current situation that really matter. I received the opinion that I had an incurable disease and nothing I ate or did regarding my lifestyle would have an effect. I was called “crazy” for attempting to do what I was told was impossible. We can allow others opinions to offend, maim and harm us, but how does it serve us to to believe the negativity of others?

2. Yoga is more than twisting yourself into a pretzel.

I used to be one of those before-work workout nut heads who rolled into the gym at 6:00 a.m., kicked my own bottom for an hour until I felt drained and depleted. When high-impact workouts were no longer an option, I turned to yoga. Yoga is a gazillion times harder than climbing a stair master or doing crunches until you want to puke—because it makes you actually look at yourself from the inside and address what may not be working.

3. Wait out the storms and the sunshine and rainbows will appear- if you’re looking.

I have been accused of always seeking the silver lining, or not being realistic in my hopes and dreams for my life. That’s not to say that challenges don’t continue to drop on me. The change though is how I have learned to better cope and trust that something good will come from it- even if that good is just a wicked tough learning experience.

4. When something goes wrong in our body or in our mind— fighting doesn’t help us heal.

They greatest way to promote our own suffering is to continue resisting what is and the way things are. When we can learn to feed and nourish and give ourselves what is needed to work with the challenge rather than against it, that is how we heal.

5. I am better off happily creating than creating to be happy.

We think that if we work now, even if we hate it, that the benefits or payoff will bring happiness to the future version of ourselves. When I think back five years to the life I thought I was working towards, it is definitely not what would make me happy today. Wouldn’t it be a waste of precious time to take on misery now and try to achieve something that is only serving to satisfy and bring joy to a future version of myself? I would end up disappointed for a good portion of my life.

Things can change in an instant, with a diagnosis, a disaster—anything! The greatest gift we can offer ourselves is to wake up happy, excited about the day ahead, and go to bed pleased with the job that we did, accepting that the process itself is the outcome, and that we did our very best at every given moment.

Meghan Telpner is a Toronto based nutritionista and sought after media personality thanks to her refreshingly humorous, engaging and real approach to healthy living. Her online cooking courses and health programs are improving the health of people around the world. Meghan’s book UnDiet, Eat Your Way to Vibrant Health will be released North America wide in April, 2013. Join Meghan’s community on twitter @MeghanTelpner, or on Facebook at Meghan Telpner Nutritionista. For more visit MeghanTelpner.com.

Discovering her True Self

"Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is an anxiety disorder characterized by reliving a psychologically traumatic situation, long after any physical danger involved has passed, through flashbacks and nightmares". In today's Life is Sweet post, Marilyn shares her journey to healing through a wide variety of means en route to discovering her true self. 

My mental health or lack thereof, only became apparent after years of childhood abuse and trauma, being stuck in a high-pressure brokerage sales job (which didn’t fit my introverted personality), two divorces and subsequent alcoholism, which all resulted in a major melt-down and hospitalization in 1986.

Thinking I was safe in the hands of one of Toronto’s top psychiatrists and a therapist who appeared caring at the onset; I settled in and did was I was told…confident that my recovery was imminent. This was NOT to be the case.

First of all, I was not diagnosed properly nor medicated properly. I staggered around like a zombie for 10 years. My family barely recognized me and were appalled at the many bottles of meds I toted around with me. I also wasted four hours per month in “talk therapy” with a therapist who frequently fell asleep during our sessions.

A.A. solved my booze problem but I was still socially maladjusted. My trusty laptop and the Internet brought me to the site run by an expert in her field of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, where I found out what my real problem was. I suffered from panic attacks, depression and flash-backs…all treatable with guided imagery therapy and music therapy.

I joined Weight Watchers and lost 77 pounds. I saved my money and got a new set of dentures; which did wonders for my self-confidence. While at Weight Watchers, I discovered that I was gluten-intolerant and with the support and encouragement of my Leader became a gluten-free vegan. WOW!! Energy! Goodbye dermatitis & itchy skin. Goodbye junk food and laxatives!!

My next challenge was to find a new Doctor when my psychiatrist “retired” without warning. A local pharmacist referred me to a GP who has just opened a clinic in my neighborhood. The doctor was a quiet, devout Buddhist who wasn’t afraid to incorporate spiritual practices into his “prescriptions”. He helped me safely eliminate and reduce nearly all the drugs I had been on. However, as my brain chemistry had been altered, minimal doses of two drugs will continue for my lifetime but I was at last, alert and awake. He also prescribed a regular routine of yoga (purely as exercise) and that I return to my childhood faith.

I was fortunate to find a loving and supportive church family (also in my neighborhood) and returned to regular prayer and meditation on a daily basis. I was encouraged to help out at church and soon found myself back “working” after 27 years on disability benefits.

I am now able to recognize my “true self” that had been buried for years under a ton of emotional junk. I’m able to care for myself and put my needs first. I eat properly, sleep well, stay away from toxic people and negativity of all sorts. I check in with God throughout the day and conduct a “wellness inventory” weekly, just to make sure I’m staying on track. I now have lots of reasons to get out of bed in the morning, smile and, yes, even laugh. Because I love God, I am able to love myself and love others my life has meaning and purpose. That lack of meaning, purpose and a sense of value and loss of hope is the real mental illness. People are dying out there for lack of these essentials.

Drumroll please...

and the winner of the giveaway for a spot in Meghan's new Foods for Healing course is...

Vivian!

Congratulations! I've sent your details along and you'll get information about the course soon from the sweet gals over at Meghan's.

Still interested all the goodness packed into Foods for Healing? Don't forget that you use the code "dancingthroughlife" to get 10% off your registration! Today is the day, go check it out!!

Meghan Telpner's Foods for Healing

I was talking to some people in my office the other day about the way that I eat and the reasons why I do it. As I was talking about getting rid of gluten and dairy, I realize that it has been 4 years since my diagnosis with Crohn's Disease and more than three and a half years since I transitioned my diet to a version of what it is now.

Food has played a huge role in my healing, and I know that I wouldn't be where I am today had I not made the decision to start seeing a naturopath rather than injecting myself with lots of medication. Along the way I had people tell me I was crazy, making restrictive choices and that I should probably eat a steak once in awhile to stay healthy. I decided to ignore those people and do what made sense to me, and four years later, I am symptom-free. Not too shabby for a disease that has no cure. 

As I've mentioned many times before, someone who has played a HUGE role in this journey has been my favourite nutritionista, Meghan Telpner. I discovered Meghan's blog soon after my diagnosis, treated myself to some cooking classes and she's been a wonderful, sparkly fixture in my life ever since. It's been incredible to watch and be a part of so many of her amazing projects and initiatives, and I was even more excited for her to announce her brilliant new Foods for Healing course.

Foods for Healing details from Meghan:

1 in 5 North Americans suffer from serious digestive distress. Most of our modern health challenges have some level of inflammation involved. I personally, spent years suffering from serious digestive issues until in 2006, I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease.

I have heard from so many of you asking what I did, what I ate, how I healed, and then how I worked with my dad to help him kick cancer, and how I have worked with hundreds of clients to get them on their own health train. I am thrilled to be able to share this information with you!

 Foods For Healing is a course I began teaching here in my kitchen to groups of 20 at a time. As the demand grew, I couldn't stretch my kitchen any further and so we have created this unbelievable course. We had people flying in from across North America to get to this workshop as there is currently nothing like it available.

This course will explain from start to finish the path of disease, how these imbalances can take over in our mind and body and then what you can do about it. The information included empowers you to take ownership over your health, and learn how with certain foods and specific nutrients, you can play an active role in your own healing- or simply in maintaining optimal health.

The course includes: 
Over two hours of lecture style teaching with images, diagrams, and incredibly easy to follow explanations.
Accompanying handouts of the slides to follow along and take notes.
Additional documentation offering detailed information on specific healing protocols.
8 cooking demonstration videos showing how you can put what I share in the lecture, into practice in your kitchen and in everyday eating.
A full 7 day meal plan + over 30 recipes.
A full transition plan to help ease your way into a foods for healing mind set.
Options to upgrade and get consultations and amazing kitchen equipment.
Completely secure access to all your course materials.
Flexibility to watch the videos and download the print materials at your convenience.
Lifetime access to the course materials.

This course is suitable for: 
Individuals dealing with everyday common/acute conditions like frequent colds/flus, PMS, headaches, low energy, insomnia etc.
Individuals facing long term, chronic health challenges including inflammatory conditions like arthritis, asthma, IBS and IBD as well as heart disease or cancer.
Individuals looking to build up their farm based medicine cabinet, looking for natural solutions to common health challenges.
Natural health practitioners wanting therapeutic foods to play a more powerful role in your patient’s protocols.
Students or recent graduates of nutrition programs who feel there was a healing foods component missing from the curriculum.
Yoga teachers, osteopaths, chiropractors, trainers and other physical health experts looking to better support the progress of clients.

The Curriculum:
This program literally covers the full spectrum of information including the physical aspects of health and disease, the emotional connection, and how food and lifestyle can play an important role in the healing. Divided into nine modules with a bonus section of “Tools”, the course materials has been broken down in easy to follow parts.

Module 1: My story and how I healed.
Module 2: Understanding the root of inflammation, food as medicine.
Module 3: The role of the digestive system in total health, managing stress and it’s impact
Module 4: Making the connection with food, conscious eating, assessing common dietary recommendations.
Module 5: General guidelines for eating for health and healing, the universal approach to health.
Module 6: Specific therapeutic foods for healing, dietary recommendations for the three stages of healing, specific nutrients for healing.
Module 7: Lifestyle habits and natural solutions.
Module 8: Healing beverages, therapeutics foods in practice, cooking demos
Module 9: Healing meals, therapeutic foods in practice, cooking demos
Tools: Meal plan, recipes, transition guideline.

---

Whether you have a specific health concern or just feel like you need a bit of a tune up, this course has the potential to be totally game-changing for you. Meghan's style is ridiculously fun and easy to follow, the recipes are delicious (recipes from Meghan's classes are still staples in my kitchen), and you'll feel inspired and motivated to change your life. As someone who has healed a disease through diet and lifestyle, I can't recommend this course enough. Now is the time. No day but today.

Registration for Foods for Healing begins Friday November 9th, and as one of Meghan's affiliates, I'm able to offer you a 10% discount off the price of the course when you enter the coupon code "dancingthroughlife" at the checkout! So happy to be able to make it more cost effective for you to register and get your healing going. What are you waiting for!?

I'm also giving away one registration for the course!! For a chance to WIN, leave me a comment below telling me who has inspired you in your life so far. This is open to anyone worldwide. Contest closes at 11:59pm EST on Saturday November 10 and the winner will be announced on the blog on Monday November 12. Good luck!