Career, Life, and Wellness Coach

Recently I was� speaking with a woman who lost 50 lbs over the course of this past year. This woman just looked fantastic. She exuded a glow that told the world, "I really feel ALIVE!" When I asked this woman how she lost this much weight, her response was, "I found happiness!" I then learned this woman made some significant changes in her life that helped lift a black cloud of depression that had been a constant companion in her life for some time.

As I listened to this woman's story, I could definitely relate to a lot of what she went through in regards to her weight and the amount of happiness she was experiencing in her life. When I truly feel ALIVE, weight loss is effortless. I eat what my body needs, have tons of energy to workout, and don't feel the need to eat crap food that makes me feel like hell. On the flip side, when I am dealing with a fair amount of discontent in my life, it's as though the life is sucked out of me. I move sluggishly through my days and tend to numb myself with comfort foods that�?� causes a�?� piling on of�?� the pounds.





Whenever I start to gain unnecessary weight, I realize changes need to be made in my life. I ask myself the following questions: 1) Why do I feel unfulfilled? 2) What is draining my energy? 3) What painful feelings am I trying to stuff with excess amounts of food? 4) Why aren't I loving myself unconditionally and nourishing myself with foods that give me energy? 5) Is my life in my alignment with my soul's purpose?

For a lot of women, and some men as well, food is symbolic for so many other things rather than just pure nourishment. We can try all the diets in the world but only until we find true happiness and peace, we will struggle with our weight and our relationship with food.

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Before I dive into this blog post, I would like to suggest two books to read if you are having trouble losing weight:

http://www.gabrielmethod.com/�?� (The Gabriel Method)

http://geneenroth.com/women_food_and_god1.php�?� (Women Food�?� And God)

Why am I recommending these books? Because both books address the key ingredient to successful long-term weight loss and weight management: emotional eating. The majority of diet books tell you how many calories to eat, or what foods to eat or not eat, but these diet books fail to address any of the emotional triggers that are causing weight gain.



A few months ago I met a young woman who had gained 70lbs in the last few years. "WOW I said!" What do you attribute this weight gain to?" The woman quickly replied, "I just don't know. I have tried everything from acupuncture, to hypnotherapy, to different diets, but I can't lose this weight." As I spent more time with this woman, I realized she was totally disconnected from her body and was terrified of being alone. She went through life in a total flurry of activity and never paid attention to how she was feeling. As a result, the extra 70lbs she put on was a result of not allowing herself to really feel anything but numbness.

In order for weight loss to be successful, individuals must connect to their bodies, which means connecting to what they are feeling. When we embrace our feelings, a funny thing happens, we are no longer afraid of our feelings. As a result, we no longer mask our painful feelings with emotional feelings. Why? Our desire to overeat dissipates when we get in touch with what really is going on in our lives.

There is actual physical hunger and then there is emotional/spiritual hunger which both Geneen Roth and Jon Gabriel address in their books referenced above. When we are dealing with emotional/spiritual hunger, no amount of food will fill the voids we are experiencing in our lives. We are just eating and eating in order to stuff any painful feelings that are trying to surface within us.

In order to help anyone who may be struggling with weight issues, I would like to offer a few tips for you:

1. When the urge to overeat arises, take a moment to reflect on what is going on emotionally. What feelings are you trying to run from? Why are these feelings so scary? What would happen if you befriended these feelings and offered these feelings loving kindness?

2. What role is excess weight serving in your life? Jon Gabriel said we are overweight because we don't feel safe. This is such a pertinent point. As soon as you start feeling safe and secure in the world, the weight will start to melt.

3. Start eating whole foods that will nourish your body. What's interesting is that so many of us (especially in American considering 60% of the population is overweight) are overfed and undernourished. What does this mean? We are eating excess calories from processed foods that aren't providing adequate nutriens our bodies need to thrive. When we start eating whole foods from fruits, vegetables, and quality proteins, our desire for junk foods diminishes greatly or completely goes away.

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If you have been plagued with digestive issues only to be told by doctors, "you have IBS," it may be time to start looking at the possibility of SIBO. I would highly recommend visiting this website: http://www.siboinfo.com/. Dr. Siebecker provides comprehensive information on her website about symptoms of SIBO, various types of treatment, and the best diet to eat. If you don't live in the Portland area (where Dr. Siebecker's practice is located), she is available for phone consultations.

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This post was inspired by a trip I took to Whistler, British Columbia during Labor Day weekend of this year. Whistler is hands-down one of my favorite vacation destinations. From the awe-inspiring mountains to the myriad of trails for athletic adventures to the international culture, Whistler is a magical place for me.

When I left for my much needed vacation, stress overshadowed the excitement I would normally feel when embarking on a trip, especially a trip to the mountains. I found myself plagued with worry about a project I was working on and I was having trouble "letting go" and trusting everything would work out. Fear of all the "what ifs" brewing in my mind were inhibiting me from truly immersing myself in the present moment and being able to enjoy the adventure that was about to unfold before me.

On the third day of the trip, my good friend and I decided to take the Peak 2 Peak Gondola ride up Blackcomb Mountain. After overcoming a bit of uneasiness over the height factor, I allowed myself to finally "let go" and take in the expansive formations before me during the ride.

I thought about how mountains have always inspired me, given me strength, and fueled my soul with hope. It's hard to explain my strong heart connection to mountains and I often wonder if my love affair with mountains stems from the fact I was born in the Rocky Mountains.

During the Gondola ride, the mountains once again gave me a clarity that was clouded with fear.  The breadth of the mountains reminded me there are a wide-range of possibilities in life if we only allow hope to transcend fear. What I realized is that the source of most people's unhappiness is a lack of hope.

When we are immersed in fear, we feel "stuck", claustrophobic, and in many cases, depressed. By allowing fear's positive counterpart to play a role in our life, all of a sudden we can have a brand-new outlook on life. We realize the specific painful situation or feeling we are dealing with isn't permanent.

After I had this realization, there was a major shift within me. Instead of seeing my specific situation with drapes closed, I decided to allow the sun to shine through and provide me with hope and inspiration. When fear was disregarded, it was as though my whole world opened up and I felt this strong sense of peace within.

My trip to Whistler served as a stark reminder that hope must serve as a constant companion in one's life. All too often we readily allow the black cloak of fear to suck us in and prevent us from seeing the all the peaks we have the opportunity to climb in life.

 

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While there are many reasons I love living in Seattle, the lack of sun is definitely not one of them. Before relocating to Seattle, I had only visited the Pacific Northwest during the summer months. I thought Seattle was absolutely beautiful and couldn't wait to be surrounded by mountains and water. It seemed the sun was always shining (15 hours/day during summer) and I didn't really take people's comments about the cloudy days that seriously. Little did I know how much I would struggle with one gloomy day after another during the winter months in Seattle.

Typically I am a very high energy, happy, and motivated individual; however, when I don't see the sun for extended periods of time, I become down, lethargic, and�?� unmotivated. When these feelings initially surfaced during the grey months in Seattle, I became quite concerned. I didn't know what was wrong with me and I wondered if all of a sudden a depression had overcome me. It was rather disconcerting to feel this "dark" person had�?� invaded my body.

After doing some research, I realized I wasn't going crazy but instead I was dealing with SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). Even though I was used to darker winters after having grown up in the Midwest, I wasn't used to such long stretches of absolutely no sun. My first winter in Seattle was quite challenging and I questioned if I could live here long-term. A native of the Pacific Northwest told me it usually takes transplants about two years to adjust to the gloomy weather. Two years seemed like a long time to feel the way I did but this PNW native ended up being right. My second winter in Seattle was easier for me to deal with for two reasons: 1) I embraced the gloomy weather 2) I devised an action plan to deal with SAD.

Before I provide a list of remedies that have helped me deal with SAD, I would recommend consulting with a Natropath if you are dealing with serious depression during the winter months. Taking anti-depressants is one alternative but it should really be the last�?� alternative, unless you are dealing with suicidal thoughts. I have had one client and friend after another tell me anti-depressants were a mere band-aid that prevented them with truly dealing with their feelings. A former client, who happens to be an MD, realized that after taking anti-depressants for five years, it was time for her to stop taking drugs and start finding the happiness that naturally resided within her. For SAD, I have found natural remedies to be effective, although I realize everyone's bodies respond to various�?� therapies in different ways.

Here�?� is�?� the action plan I devised in order to�?� counteract Seasonal Affective Disorder during the winter months in Seattle:

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1) Exercise - The so-called "Runner's High" isn't a myth. When you exercise, your endorphins kick in and all of a sudden your mood is elevated. When I wake-up in the morning around 7AM�?� �?� or 8AM and it's still dark outside, am I motivated to exercise? Not really to be honest. When it's sunny out, I�?� usually jump out of bed and can't wait to lace up my New Balance running shoes and head out for a run. However, when darkness lingers day and night my motivation and energy levels plummet.Once I get to the gym however or head east to enjoy some trail running, I feel so much better. It's the initial "getting out the door" that is really the hardest part.

During the winter months I would highly recommend trying new activities you enjoy. My friend and I just started taking regular yoga classes and it has done wonders for my mental state during the overcast month of January. Instead of running outside when it's pouring, I may take a spinning class at my gym instead. I find the energy of the people and the fun music to really lift my spirits.

2) Get a Sun Lamp - It may seem odd to sit in front of�?� a lamp that emulates fake rays of sunlight but let me tell you, sun lamps really work. They do so by affecting brain chemicals linked to mood. I typically sit in front of my sun lamp for 30 minutes first thing in the morning. If you are interested in learning more about light therapy, here is a thorough Q&A on the topic:�?� http://www.columbia.edu/~mt12/blt.htm. I bought my sun lamp for around $70 on Amazon.com.

3) Have your Vitamin D Levels Tested - Low Vitamin D levels are typical for individuals who live in the Pacific Northwest and other "sun starved" areas. When an individual lacks optimal levels of Vitamin D, depression and lethargy may result. I would highly recommend taking a Vitamin D supplement if your levels are low. If you have an interest in learning more about how Vitamin D affects your overall health, I suggest�?� reading Dr. Dowd's book The Vitamin D Cure. Here is a link to his website:�?� http://www.thevitamindcure.com/.

4) Eat Clean - After doing quite a bit of research on nutrition and learning from my own trials of tribulations, I�?� strongly believe�?� that what you consume has a tremendous impact on your overall well-being. Do you want to feel amazing and have tons of energy? Eat a diet that consists of whole foods, with extra emphasis on fresh fruits and vegetables. When you have low energy and feel depressed, your body will crave sugar, carbohydrates, and caffeine. All of these things will give your body a "quick" pick-me-up but unfortunately you will then crash and feel depressed and lethargic again. The key is to eat pure foods that are minimally processed. Instead of eating a fat-laden, high-sugar pastry from your local coffee shop, eat piece of fruit or make a smoothie. If you are prone to downing one cup of coffee after another, try drinking green tea or avoiding caffeine altogether. My high school cross-country coach once said, "Eat crap. Run like crap." His words have stuck with me to this day. So, for you blog readers, here is my message, "Eat crap. Feel like crap." Here's to eating clean!

5) Connect with Nature - Today was really quite miserable but I�?� still felt inclined�?� to get outside and go for a hike. During my drive to the trailhead, it started pouring rather heavily. I contemplated turning around and calling it a day but I decided to be tough. There were tons of other hikers out and it inspired me to bundle up and just get out there. As a sidenote, something I admire about people from the Pacific Northwest is that no matter what kind of mood Mother Nature is in, it doesn't stop people from getting outside to go running, hiking, biking, or doing whatever�?� activity they enjoy. People in the PNW are seriously hardcore, which has helped me be a little bit more hardcore, although I definitely have�?� a ways to go.

Back to my hike today, once I started on my journey, I didn't even notice it was raining. Instead I noticed the trees covered by a green shag carpet�?� and the babbling water making bubbles. I then came upon a lake and felt a sense of wonder at the beauty surrounding me. Nature is therapeutic and calming. It lifts your spirits and clears your head. A main reason winters in Seattle are easier is because I now make it a point to get outside on a regular basis.

These are the main ways I have dealt with SAD and they have helped me feel like a normal person during winters in Seattle. Once you take action and figure out ways to deal with the gloomy weather, you will be much better off and you may even learn to love (or maybe just like) the grey days.

Colleen Canney is a Career Coach based in Seattle, WA. For more information on her coaching services, visit her website at www.colleencanney.com�?� or contact her via colleencanney@live.com.

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People sometimes sneer at those who run every day, claiming they will go to any length to live longer. But I don't think that's the reason most people run. Most runners run not because they want to live longer, but because they want to live life to the fullest.





-Haruki Murakami

"What I Talk About When I Talk About�  Running"





Around this same time last year I was telling one of my close friends I just didn't feel like myself. My spirit was flat and I felt disconnected from my most authentic self. My very wise friend said, "The reason you feel this way is because you haven't been running." Initially I wasn't sure if my friend was right but as soon as I started running again, my spirit soared and I once again felt connected to my true self.

During the hour or so I run each morning, I am able to put life into perspective. As I look out at the water and experience the vastness of the universe, all the daily stressors that can sometimes weigh me down seem to dissipate with each stride I take. My world opens up and my spirit is revived. There is nothing that brings me more joy than running.





I think there is a certain rawness that is exposed while running. Life is stripped down to the bare minimum. There are no outside distractions, except maybe at times my iPod, to prevent me from confronting any truths that are eagerly trying to get my attention. During many runs I have had epiphanies about my life. A crystal clarity comes flooding through because I am an open vessel for answers.

Life can often seem overwhelming if we aren't careful. Our thoughts can race out of control causing us to feel anxious, depressed, and fearful. Our life may get so busy we lose sight of who we are and where we are going. We may feel pulled in so many directions we just don't know which way to turn. When this happens, it's imperative to find something, whether it be long walks through the woods, a regular yoga practice, or daily meditation sessions, to help ground us and bring peace to our lives. When we quiet our minds, all of a sudden we hear our own voice guiding us with each step or stride we take.

For myself, I will continue to glide along and allow life to unfold with each step I take.

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First off, I realize my heading should be titled "Juice Feasting Tips" since technically speaking, fasting is considered the absence of all forms of food and caloric liquids. In this blog post however, I am going to discuss using fresh vegetable juices to detox the body. Personally I just haven't quite taken to the tearm "Juice Feasting." It sounds like a Thanksgiving juice binge.

Before I delve into my juice fasting tips, I would like to discuss why I decided to embark on my own juice fast. For the past 4.5 years I been dealing with digestive issues which have led to chronic fatigue and overall feeling of "just feeling like total hell." I used to be an avid long-distance runner but since these digestive issues started, I haven't had enough energy to run much. During these past four years I have spent thousands of dollars and seen every type of healing professional you can imagine. I had one ND tell me, "You are one of the most perplexing cases we have every seen." Unfortunately she had no idea what was causing my digestive issues.

It's been a long healing journey to say the least. The root cause of these digestive issues is still a mystery. When my digestive issues began, I was taking Yasmin, which caused my body to become completely out out whack. Once I stopped taking Yasmin, a number of issues I was dealing with suddenly disappeared, except for the digestive issues. In taking a step back and looking at these digestive issues from a spiritual perspective, I think my illness was a wake-up call that I needed to make some much needed changes in my life.

After doing a lot of research on my own, I decided a juice fast may be my answer to healing my digestive issues. My goal is to give my gut a break from food so it can heal. I also wanted to slowly incorporate food into my diet after the juice fast in order to determine what foods are causing my body the most grief. Before starting this fast, my stomach was distended 24/7, even though I ate a very strict diet of only gluten-free grains, vegetables, and meat. My body had become sensitive to so many foods that these three food groups were the only ones that caused the *least* amount of problems.

With this background information about my reason for doing a juice fast, I would like to now offer some juice fasting tips. While I can imagine there are lots of tips to include, these are the most important tips I came across during my research.

1. Do your homework.

Before you embark on a juice fast, I strongly recommend you read different books written by qualified who have extensive experience with fast. One of the best books I read on fastingdetoxing was Dr. Roni DeLuz's book "21 Pounds in 21 Day "21 s." Here is Dr. DeLuz's website: http://mvdietdetox.com/. While the title of this book focuses on weight loss, I found the book to be more about making permanent lifestyle changes after the fast. Also, since Dr. DeLuz healed her own body through fasting and she is an ND, I found her to be a credible source on fasting. If you have the financial means, you can partake in fasting at her detox retreat on Martha's Vineyard. Another good  book I recommend is "Juicing, Fasting, and Detoxing for Life" by Cherie Calbom. As in the case with Dr. DeLuz, Cherie Calbom also healed her own body through fasting. She also has a Master's in Nutrition from Bastry University in in Seattle.

A good website to review is: http://www.juicefasting.org/

If you want to complete a successful juice fast, it is imperative that you are well-educated about the juice fasting process. One of the most important points I learned is to ensure you drink enough juice throughout the day. Since I am working while doing my juice fast, I had to remember to bring enough juice for a full day at work. If you don't have juice on hand, you enter what Dr. DeLuz's calls the "Danger Zone." One enters this zone when hunger sets in and you want to eat everything in site and then some. If you have juice on hand, you can quickly drink your juice and your hunger will be satisfied.

2. Consult with an ND or MD before starting a fast.

For some individuals with certain health conditions, fasting may not be appropriate. At the same time, fasting is sometimes the only cure for people with health conditions. I read one account after another of people healing their bodies after doctors have told them they would never regain their health.

Since not all "traditional" MDs are supportive of fasting, it is important that you find an MD or ND that has experience with fasting and is willing to be supportive of your fasting efforts.

3.  Don't fast just to lose weight.

While weight loss can be one the reasons for wanting to fast, it shouldn't be the main reason for fasting. The reason is because fasting then turns into a superficial means of losing weight quickly. People will do a fast, drop weight, and then resume to their old ways of eating. The result: all the weight, and maybe even more, is gained back. When you embark on a fast, it is a spiritual, emotional, and physical journey that can be life changing. Some of the reasons should want to fast are:

*Healing the body of illness/disease
*Greater mental clarity
*Closer connection to the universe/god/your authentic self/etc...
*Total body detox
*Increased energy and vitality
*A means to transition into a healthier diet

4. Make sure toxins are being eliminated during your fast

A friend of mine did the Master Cleanse and she felt like hell the whole 7 days (she opted not to do the full 10 day Master Cleanse) because her body was reabsorbing the toxins it was releasing. During a fast, toxins can be rapidly released, which can cause us to feel "sick" if our body isn't able to eliminate these toxins quickly enough. As a means of keeping the colon clean, one should do enemas and colonics during the fast. Dr. DeLuz discusses these two procedures in "21 Pounds in 21 Days." If you are unable or unwilling to do colonics and/or enemas, the next alternative would be to drink a laxative tea such as Smooth Move, along with fiber and bentonite clay. The tea will help stimulate the bowels and the fiber and clay will ensure the toxins are moving out of the body instead of being reabsorbed.

5. Fast at an ideal time in your life

In order to fast properly you need time to prepare your juices daily, rest if needed, and allow yourself space to deal with emotions that may come up during the fast. If your work schedule is chaotic or you are dealing with lots of personal issues, it may not be the best time to fast. Since my work schedule is very flexible right now and my personal life is stable, I have found this to be an ideal time for me to fast. There are days when I feel like a superstar on speed and I have tons of energy to workout and go on about my life as usual.  On other days however, the life is sucked out of me and I just need to allow my body to rest. During a fast you never know what may come up for you so it is important your schedule isn't overly demanding.

For those of you suffering from health issues that don't seem to go away no matter what you have tried, juice fasting may be your answer. What gave me hope was all the accounts of people I read about who have healed their bodies through fasting. If you feel called to fast, I wish you the best of luck on your fasting journey.

Here's to vibrant health!

Colleen Canney is a Wellness Coach based in Seattle, WA. For more information on Colleen, please visit her website at www.colleencanney.com. To schedule a FREE consultation with Colleen, please contact her at colleencanney@live.com.

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**Mention this BLOG post and receive 50% off your first coaching session**

When I was contemplating my next blog post, the universe was nudging me that I really needed to write about the importance of having dreams. First, a new client in her 50s contacted me and confessed, “I have never had any dreams. I have just done what my family has expected of me.” My heart grew sad thinking of this woman who spent 50 years of her life never pursuing her own dreams. After working with this client for a number of months, she took a risk and followed her dream of becoming a small business owner. The client recently contacted me and said, “I have never been happier in my life.”

Then this past weekend I was at the hair salon and my stylist told me she had a dream of opening her own day spa on a farm. She then went on to say, “Everyone’s gotta have dreams!” You could just see this woman light up when she talked about her vision for her own day spa. My soul glowed because I knew someday this stylist’s dream would come true.

As I was thinking about following dreams, I was driving in Seattle and all of a sudden I noticed a STOP sign with the words, “Never Stop Dreaming,” written in big letter across it. What a strange coincidence I thought to myself. The universe was definitely suggesting I needed to encourage people to follow their own dreams.

Dreams keep you engaged with life. They give you hope and make you excited about getting out of bed in the morning. What is important to remember however is that dreams are not always easy to achieve. I think the universe will test you to see how badly you want to achieve your dream. Are you willing to work hard? Are you willing to deal with setbacks? Are you willing to give a 110% effort to make your dream a reality? Are you willing to fail?

Even if your dreams never become a reality, at least you will look back on your life without having any regrets. Here’s to dreaming!

Colleen Canney is a Career, Life, and Wellness Coach based in Seattle, WA. She coaches clients via phone or email from all over the US. If you would like more information on Colleen, please visit her website at www.colleencanney.com or contact her directly at colleencanney@live.com.

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