One of my favorite analogies for reaching wellness goals goes something like this (a la Jerry and Esther Hicks)…
If you’re in Phoenix, Arizona, and you want to get to San Diego, California, you need to look at a map and plan your course. When you start your journey, you face in the direction of San Diego and start heading that way. As long as you’re moving toward San Diego, you’re on your way. If you change directions, change your mind, ignore your map, or turn back toward Phoenix and then back to San Diego and then back to Phoenix again (you get the picture)…you aren’t on your way and you won’t get there.
Rest assured, if you face toward San Diego and move a little bit each day, you will eventually get there. It’s more important to head the right direction than to make big sweeping leaps all at once (and often with big leaps, you end up broke and back in Phoenix anyway!).
It applies to wellness quite easily. Decide what goal you want to reach, and day by day, step by step, inch toward your goal. If you experience indecision, lack of determination, or unclear values…you’ll find yourself confused, frustrated and back at square one.
I see this phenomenon in my own life, and also with clients and students. If we can resist the urge to make leaping sweeping changes, and just go with our values and head in the right direction, we feel better and are more likely to succeed in reaching our goals. Over the past seven years, I’ve done some inching and I’ve done some leaping. The leaping has had its own value, but the real progress has happened slowly and in little bits with a positive attitude and lots of strategy. Personal wellness is at least a part-time job.
My understanding of nutrition continues to evolve. I’m currently reading The Gerson Therapy, just finished Kimberly Snyder’s new detox book, watched two health documentaries (Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead and Food Matters), and have been teaching several classes on nutrition and supplements…
My current understanding revolves around Micronutrients. Of all the times I’ve focused on the macronutrients (carbs, fat, and protein), I’ve ended up looking too much at calorie intake. The restrictive and deprivation mindset is uncomfortable and ineffective for most people.
However, the idea of adding quality foods (high in micronutrients–vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and more), with specific goals, is turning out to be groundbreaking for both myself and several of my clients. Regardless of the method of micronutrient enhancement (juicing, blending, eating lots and lots and lots of salads…) the end result is the same.
Better body, better thoughts, fewer health complaints/symptoms, and no more disease. For some people, the effect shows up more in their energy level, and for others it shows in measurable numbers (weight, body fat, cholesterol, blood pressure)…truthfully, I think micronutrient loading will always address both the quantifiable and qualitative aspects of wellness.
I’m currently doing my own micronutrient loading through green juice (and I’m drinking kombucha too because it feels like a big treat). In less than three days, I can already tell a difference in the way my body feels and through my increased energy level. I’m working on this micronutrient perspective as a foundation for working with clients, and have a couple people already chomping at the bit to do it Cleanse-Style (i.e. leaping instead of inching!). I’ll be a facilitator for both methods because it will yield results either way.
Have you ever approached health and wellness through micronutrient loading (even if you didn’t call it that)?
I’m not exaggerating when I tell you that I am feeling totally euphoric today. I credit my attitude and my micronutrients 🙂
Hope you’re euphoric today too!
What if i'm in NC and want to be in cali? hehehe i kid i kid! <3 well i really do but i'll take what I can get! anywho! i'm being silly
I love your super optimistic super cheery outlook =) this post put a smile on my face! annnnd made me want citrus kombucha! <3
xoXOxo
Jenn @ Peas & Crayons
Your green juice looks amazing and I LOVE kombucha havent tried citrus yet but I need to !
This blog made me smile! I love the Phoenix to San Diego example. I've been feeling a little overwhelmed with my wellness goals lately. Four months of malaria pills, antibiotics, sea-sickness meds, and 4 continents worth of toxins still leave me feeling “off my game” now 5 months returned. I need to be more realistic about reorienting the body to it's optimal state. It's not going to happen overnight. When I'm done with school towards the end of May, I'm going on an all out juice “feast” Wishing I had a spiffy green star like you, but my Mom's hand-me-down should work. I'll have to pick up Kim Snyders book as well. Get my mind in the game too. Thanks lisa for another great post!
Interesting analogy! I've never gone the macro or micro route. I just try to eat balanced meals. I've always been afraid to get too focused on numbers . I'm afraid I have the personality to go overboard.
The green juice looks so good! I didn't know much about micro and macronutrients! I always feel like you give me so much good healthy living knowledge!
you'll be getting some more kombucha soon! The post office said my envelope to you should arrive by tomorrow! yeay!
i AM in a great mood today, too, lisa! had a solid morning of errands and work around the home and am now in toronto to spend the rest of the day and eve with the nieces. ALWAYS makes me joyful!
i've never tried a micronutrient approach, only macro. your reasoning does sound solid! so glad you have noticed a such a positive difference already!
i love your travel analogy that you use at the beginning of your post. i've done both the inching and the leaping in diet and in fitness. esp in running, inching is more the way to go!
enjoy that 80 degree weather! such a mood enhancer!
Just looking at that fresh juice and your kombucha makes me feel a bit better — no lie! I definitely feel brighter and more energized when I focus on getting tons of fruits and veggies in my diet.
It is 80 by you?!? I am so jealous I have returned to 50 degrees and raining. I am sooo sooo sooo over it! While I dislike the taste of green juice yours looks so pretty and refreshing!
I've never really looked at micronutrients….might have to start doing that! Great post! 😀
This is a great post. Love that you are reading Gerson Therapy. I totally agree with your idea of micronutrients. I am including more and more things into my diet that are loaded with micronutrients. One the the things being algae and specifically Ocean's Marin Phytoplankton. One area that I am learning this from is David Wolfe. Anyways loving all of your green juice. That is awesome.
It is 80 here…but not for long! Even one day of 80 and sun means there's
hope though 🙂
Hope it warms up where you are too!
oh citrus, how I love thee as well! Don't you think that GT needs an aloe vera flavor?!
🙂
I'm finding the micro approach is pretty easy—I'm not keeping track of
numbers, but just emphasizing eating lots of produce (in any form) and that
ensures my micro count is high.
I know what you mean—I can easily go overboard too!
Juicing is definitely upping my game 🙂
If you lived nearby, we could just have a juice party!
I love Kimberly's book—I didn't actually learn anything new, but it
reinforced a lot of things for me and I love how she describes everything in
the body in terms of the effects (she focuses on “beauty”).
Citrus, strawberry, and grape are definitely my faves! Guava is good but
for some reason it costs a dollar more than the others, so I don't usually
indulge in that flavor 🙂
Oh I haven't had the citrus kombucha yet… it looks delicious!
Yum all the juice looks terrific! I just had a GT's kombucha today – strawberry serenity if my fav flavor – so delicious 🙂
great attitude! i agree that saturating a diet with healthy micronutrients is the best way to achieve wellness. restricting is miserable!
It's amazing 🙂
Oh, I think you're onto something here! Next time I brew kombucha, I'm
definitely trying that 🙂
I'm a big fan of David's! I love how he just owns his health-nuttiness and
works to spread good information to people even if they are skeptical.
Based on his recommendations, I have tried so many amazing superfoods! I
have the phytoplankton too 🙂
Maybe it's just something in the air today 🙂
Hope you're getting nice weather “up north” too for your time with the
little ones! A huge thunderstorm just swept through here…I'm thinking the
sun is back in hiding for a few days. But we're on the upswing!
oh yes, keep posted on the outcome. I'll defintely give it a whirl too!
Lindsay Cotter
Nutrition Manager & Fitness Consultant
lyndzut@sbcglobal.net
http://www.cottercrunch.com
________________________________
“Plan like an eagle; work like a mouse.” Be sure you can see the big picture and you know where you're headed, then concentrate on the one small task right in front of you.
I love that! Thanks 🙂
This is very interesting. Is this the same as the cleansing diet?
Hi Maris,
It's not an actual cleanse or diet…it's the “plan” I've come up with for my specific needs based on approximately nine million wellness resources I've read 🙂
But I'm sure there are similarities between what I'm doing and other cleanses!
Yay!! I am so glad you are feeling happy/high on juice:)) I need to work on the whole micronutrient thing. AND macronutrients. Often I am finding I am extremely full volume-wise (of pseudograins, legumes, seeds, nuts, kale/spinach) but am still so hungry for protein. I don't want to rely protein powder so much to fill me up, do you have any suggestions? Talk to you soon love!
I have yet to try kombucha, although I find myself more and more intrigued with every blog post that I read. While I haven't approached wellness through micronutrients, it really does make sense! I find that I do better when I think of “must-eats” rather than “shouldn't-eats”.
This is such a great post. In my life I've found that true change only comes slowly but surely, something that drives me nuts sometimes, but at least gives lasting results. And you're so right that personal wellness is at least a part-time job!
Haha I love the high that comes from kombucha and green drank!
Lisa I love this post!
Love this concept, a totally different approach. And as they say, the slow and steady wins the race. Your posts are always so informative
Lisa I love this post! I think that I try to eat in a micronutrient loading type of way every day by getting lots of veggies and other plant foods into my diet. I have to say I tend to shy away from juicing because I like to chew my meals rather than sip them. Additionally I hate the waste all that fiber! However, I think that getting a green drink in at least a few times a week could really add to my overall nutrient intake.
I LOVE kombucha but I need to try and make some at home because they are so pricey!
LOVE that analogy and LOVE that you put your Kombucha in a wine glass…I need to fancy mine up like that 😉
I have loaded on micronutrients, but never thought of it that way!
Great post, thanks! Agreed that Kombucha feels like a treat, just wish it was cheaper! I need to use my juicer more, but time has been an issue for cleaning it.
I try to get at least 4-5 veggies a day for this reason, but don't do as well with fruit. I buy frozen fruit a lot so I don't have to worry about it going bad. I suppose sometimes I intentionally eat foods for the benefits, but a lot of time its just guesswork!
Great post Lisa! I have seen alot of people talking about Kombucha….what is it?
It's a fermented tea (which sounds scary, but it's not!)…The bottled
variety is usually mixed with about 5% juice, so it has some flavor. It is
high in probiotics and other beneficial compounds…and by itself has a
slightly vinegar-y essence.
I am planning to brew some at home again this summer!
You're right! A glass straw makes ANY drink look desirable… 🙂
I've never tried Kombucha before. But after reading your post I sure will!
These drinks make me smile! They look so healthy and delicious!
that kambucha looks so much better on your blog than it does in stores lol I want to go get one now
I love Love LOVE my daily juicing, and the euphoric feeling I get sometimes too 😀 I also love me some Abraham-Hicks and I love this post!
What a great perspective. Inching can get you a lot further than leaping sometimes. Think of the tortoise and the hare! I have to get back into juicing. Time to dust off that juicer. You're so right – it gives me loads of energy and just feels good. Thanks for the inspiration!
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