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Emerson Publications
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The Family First
Newsletter In this issue:
Good morning!
We just returned from a wonderful vacation. I was without phone service in Aruba, so I was really able to get away from work, but the internet allowed me to have some form of communication with those I needed to stay in touch with.
I hope you had a nice Valentine's Day. In Aruba, today is a holiday because it's the end of Carnaval. Most people are home recuperating from too much partying over the weekend! In America, it's President's Day. Here's the government site that will give you a brief bio of each of our presidents. http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/ I hope you'll take some time to at least learn more about the presidents we honor today, Washington and Lincoln.
Enjoy your week. Please forward this issue to someone who may benefit from it!
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Eliminating Yeast for Weight Loss & Better Health by Joyce Moseley Pierce
My doctor put me on a yeast-free diet a few months ago to help with some annoying symptoms I was having. Most women are familiar with yeast infections, but I was having problems with lack of hormone production. Apparently when there is so much yeast in your body, it actually takes over and doesn’t allow your body to be as efficient as it should be.
I was faithful about sticking with this diet, and when I went back for my 6 week check up, I had lost 8 pounds. I had wanted to lose 10 pounds for a few years. I had tried some of the popular ways of losing weight, and nothing had helped. I hadn’t lost even a pound. I’m one of those people who find it easier to do without certain foods than to have an ounce of it, so this worked for me. Maybe it will for you, too. Try it for a month and see if you don’t lose weight and also feel better.
Foods to AVOID:
1. Milk and milk products. No cheese, yogurt, sour cream, ice cream, or milk-based dressings. 2. Bread or baked goods. No cereal, crackers, biscuits, rolls, flour tortillas. 3. Grains. No corn, wheat, rye, millet, rice or barley. 4. Pasta. 5. Potatoes 6. Mushrooms 7. Sugar. No honey or syrup. 8. Artificial sweeteners. No NutraSweet, Sweet-n-Low, Equal. 9. Soft drinks of any kind 10. Alcohol 11. Vinegar. No pickles, green olives, salad dressings, soy sauce, mustard, mayonnaise, ketchup, salsa, etc. 12. Vegetable shortening, margarine, or partially hydrogenated oils
If looking at this list makes you think you’re going to starve to death, then you probably have a yeast condition of your own!
The following list is foods that are yeast-free, so your diet for one month will come from this list.
1. Meats – chicken, beef, turkey, pork, lamb, venison, and seafood 2. Vegetables 3. Salads - but watch for dressings without milk or sweeteners. 4. Dried beans – black, red and kidney beans. 5. Eggs – boiled, poached, scrambled, or fried with olive oil 6. Oatmeal – slow cook or steel-cut brands used in recipes only 7. Lemons or limes 8. Avocados 9. Cold-Pressed Olive Oil 10. Black Olives 11. Nuts and nut butters – the ones without sugar 12. Herbal Teas – Celestial Seasonings has many choices 13. Perrier or Ozarka Flavored Waters 14. Coffee and Tea – no decaf 15. Xylitol as a sweetener
After two weeks, you may add:
1. Fruits, with the exception of fruit juice, grapes or bananas 2. Butter – use only real butter, not margarine
The first few times I went to the grocery store, I took this list and read every label. You’d be surprised how many items you use everyday contain sugar. For instance, I couldn’t find sausage of any variety without sugar. Who would think there was sugar in a meat product? If you’re going to do this right, you have to eliminate all traces of it.
After that six week checkup, I was told to start reintroducing different foods to my diet to see if they caused any symptoms such as headache. By doing this one food at a time, you can determine which foods you are allergic to, and which ones you’ll want to eliminate from your diet completely.
Six weeks later, I went back again, and had lost another 4 pounds. Although I wasn’t on the strict diet I started out with, my awareness of what I was eating had changed, and my metabolism had gotten a jump start.
I’ve now been following these guidelines for almost four months and have lost 12 pounds. The first 8 pounds came off at just under a pound a week. That’s a safe number of pounds and helps you establish a new lifestyle. If you want to lose more, just continue to eat that way and you’ll be surprised at the pounds that will disappear.
I feel great, and am more alert in the morning because I’m not eating a bagel for breakfast, and don’t have the mid-afternoon slump because I’ve loaded up on a burger, fries and shake. Instead, I’ll have an egg for breakfast, snack on raw almonds or cashews mid-morning, fix a salad for lunch, and then meat and veggies for dinner. Instead of ice cream for dessert, I have a piece of fruit. I drink a lot of water, and for a taste of something sweet, will add Xylitol and a squirt of lemon juice. You’d be surprised how sweet that tastes when you’re not drugging your taste buds with sugar and artificial sweeteners.
My next article on this topic will be “What is Yeast?” If you’re prone to yeast infections, or even have allergies, you’ll be interested in learning more about the dangers of having too much yeast in your body.
Joyce Moseley Pierce is a freelance writer and contributing author to the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. To learn more about eliminating toxins, visit www.familyfirst.fourpointwellness.com To read more of Joyce’s articles, and see what else she has to offer, visit www.emersonpublications.com Do Your Best My yoga instructor, JC, always begins class by reminding us that yoga is not about doing the perfect pose, but rather about doing the pose to the best of your ability. When I was new to yoga, I really appreciated him setting me at ease. Even though I had been exercising for years, yoga was a very different, and humbling, challenge for me. Knowing that it was OK to be less than perfect allowed me to be patient with myself and focus on doing my best. Now that I've been going to yoga class for a few months, and am making progress with my poses, I still like JC's reminder as we start each class that we can enjoy the process without having to be perfect. It's good to remember that our goal in life is to not be perfect. Even though we may try to be superhuman in our work, our workouts, our relationships and other aspects of our lives, in reality imperfection is inherent to being human. It can be frustrating, tiring and self-defeating trying to be perfect all the time. Why not try trusting that the imperfection is part of the perfection? Strive for excellence, doing your best and allow yourself to accept that it is enough. In doing so, you can begin to take yourself less seriously and enjoy life more. 1. Give yourself a break. How often do you have extreme expectations of yourself, and your own performance, that you would never have of another person? Have patience with yourself and do the best you can in each moment. Ask yourself: What will I do today to give myself a break? 2. Move along. When you make a mistake, get the lesson and move on. Hindsight is always 20/20; it is easy to criticize performance from the vantage point of looking back. Spending time rehashing a mistake robs you of precious time and energy that is better spent doing your best in the present moment. Ask yourself: Do I need to move along now? 3. Get the support you need to do your best. Set yourself up to do your best by creating environments that support you in having the tools, resources and information you need. Make sure you have someone to talk to, a trusted ally, mentor, or coach who will help you maintain perspective and encourage you to do your best. Ask yourself: Who will I ask to support me in doing my best? "Better to do something imperfectly than to do nothing perfectly." ~ Robert H. Schuller "Striving to better, oft we mar what's well." ~ William Shakespeare "Striving for perfection is the greatest stopper there is. You'll be afraid you can't achieve it. It's your excuse to yourself for not doing anything. Instead, strive for excellence, doing your best." ~ Laurence Olivier Pat Morgan, MBA and Executive Coach, helps clients maximize their potential in today’s fast-paced environment. Her unique coaching programs inspire clients to achieve goals they may never have thought possible. Pat Morgan may be contacted at http://www.chartingthecourse.biz or coach@chartingthecourse.biz
Don't leave your loved
ones guessing...guide them now.
Do You Care About
Someone with a Mental Illness?
My big brother, Tom, has challenges beyond my understanding. He struggles with schizoaffective disorder. Although I've never looked up his "diagnosis" in the official record of mental illnesses, the DSM, I know he has problems. I know this by his fixations on seemingly benign things that happened 20 years ago. Or the threats he might make from time to time to family members who love him.
Tom goes through cycles, ups and downs, which is typical for people suffering some types of mental dis-ease like schizoaffective or bi polar disorder. Despite his struggles, my parents have always required Tom to work and forge ahead as best he can. I lost track of the jobs he's had, mainly because there have been so many! Over the years my siblings and I have taken on various roles in his life. Most of us have simply drifted away from him ignoring his desire to spend time with each of us. My hunch is that many "affected others" ignore and stay away because they don't understand the illness or they feel compelled to "do" something to make "it" better. It can be very challenging and frustrating for the caregiver/ or affected other to interact with the person without feeling overwhelmed.
There are ways to stay connected to or participate in the life of someone struggling with mental dis-ease. My top 5 list includes:
1. Make a list of things you can offer the person. Maybe you enjoy the movies and will commit to taking him/her every 2 months or so. My commitment to Tom is to have him come stay with me for 4 days every 2 months. The important thing here is consistency and follow through. Try not to take on more than you can reasonably do. Remember, for someone who might have a small social circle, this date with you can be critically important to the person.
2. Try to let go of all wishes and desires for certain behaviors for the person. Simply meet them where they are and "be" with them instead of "doing" anything that you feel might "help" them or "heal" them. Now there are exceptions to this. One might be if you are trying to encourage better dress habits. Tom, for example hates wearing socks and underwear. If he is coming somewhere with me I make it a requriement that he at least put socks on!
3. Always check with the person before giving them something that you think they might want. I have found that many times we "think" the person would like something when in fact they don't. Don't be offended or try to encourage it, simply let it go and honor the answer you are given.
4. Have a solid set of boundaries for dealing with the person. If you are not able to give something, tell them. Don't treat them differently from how you might treat someone else. It takes too much energy and, quite frankly, it's unnecessary. Treating all people with respect and honesty is generally a good policy.
5. Send the person a card or make a quick phone call just to say "HI, I was thinking about you...". Nothing more, nothing less. Just a small but significant thing.
In the end, all relationships with people struggling with mental dis-ease can be a challenge. But caring for yourself and taking appropriate steps to protect your life will, in the end, help you to keep on giving.
Mary Logan is a personal coach and business woman. Her specialty is working with family members who are dealing with the mental illness of a loved one. "Are you an effective caregiver" assessment and inspiring audios can be found at
http://www.fromsurvivetothrive.com Mary Logan may be contacted at http://www.fromsurvivetothrive.com or fromsurvivetothrive@yahoo.com Get Paid To Shop At Home!
Tips for Successful Conversations with Humans on
Planet Earth
"Talk to Me, I’m Human!" Have you ever felt like telling (or worse—yelling!) this or a similar phrase to your boss, a coworker, or significant other with whom it seems impossible to have a conversation? In a world that prides itself for its advances in technology, we have surely gone backwards in some areas of communication, namely forgetting to use "the basics." I have found that we usually have no problems IMing (instant messaging) a cousin or brother across the planet but freeze up or utter the wrong words when we have to express ideas, confront conflict, or resolve interpersonal issues with the person working two cubicles down from ours.
But, do not despair; there is help! Remembering some fundamentals of conversations is a wonderful beginning, and you can be the initiator of change:
No matter what title or personality style, people like to be talked with… Regardless of the actions individuals exhibit, we are adults —even if sometimes we do not behave as such. And each of us has a responsibility to make dialogue happen in a constructive way.
Talk with—not to or down—other people on a regular basis, even if it means saying "hello" every morning. Developing relationships, building trust, and establishing good communication is a process not a single event.
Choose your timing wisely. Allow enough time and pick a date that is convenient for all the parties involved. We all have things in our minds, so, get into the habit of checking with the other person to see if the timing is right.
Select the right place. If this is a work-related conversation, depending on the tone you want to set, an office or conference room should be chosen for more formal occasions. Finding neutral, more relaxed environments where you can minimize territoriality issues tend to be ideal. Be mindful of privacy and comfort levels with locations. If this is a personal conversation, opt for the good, old-fashioned "going out for coffee" strategy. But, choose a place quiet and private enough to talk.
Have your discussions earlier rather than waiting until the last minute when it might be too late to address an issue or too emotionally charged. In other words, get into the habit of not letting things that bother you fester. Think about it as a wound. Unless you take care of it immediately, it will be much harder (or messy) to treat after some time.
Try your best to start your conversation with something positive, even it is "wanting to resolve the issue between you." If it comes from the heart and is true, you are increasing your likelihood of being heard and trusted. If this is a personal conversation, highlight how important the individual and the relationship are to you.
Talk to the whole individual, not just "the person you have an issue with" or "the worker bee." Humans bring their physical and emotional self everywhere they go. It is extremely hard to leave the emotions at home or to forget about work after hours. Honor this fact. In reality, you do not know what is going on for this person at work or in his/her private life.
Be clear about what you would like to discuss with this individual either before or at the beginning of the meeting, so you can focus on what needs to be resolved and do not go off on tangents. It is very easy to look for distractions, particularly for people who are not comfortable talking.
Stop the conversation if you find yourself being distracted, need to leave, or it gets out of hand. Resuming your talk later is better than to be rushed or regret something you might say but not mean.
Get into the habit of doing most of the listening and less of the talking.
Pay attention to the verbal and non-verbal cues that the other person has demonstrated in other occasions as well as during your conversations. Oftentimes people will say one thing with words but the body language communicates something different. Remember that over 90 percent of communication happens non-verbally.
"When in doubt, check it out!" Assumptions are the worst conversation enemies. When you hear something that you are not sure about, particularly something that bothers you, ask the person what they meant or request further clarification. Do not automatically think the worst!
Intentionally communicate with your whole self. If you can and know how to do it, match your body language cues to what you are saying or you risk losing credibility.
Find ways to show genuine interest in what the other person has to say.
Practice "quieting your mind." You do not have to have an answer ready at all times. And it’s ok to say, "I don’t know but I’ll find out and will get back to you," if necessary.
Humans prefer to communicate in different ways. These preferences are usually at the core of each individual’s being, and, oftentimes, he or she might not even be aware of them!
"Know thyself first." We tend to see the world through our own set of lenses, unless we make a conscious effort to see things from someone else’s point of view. This takes practice and comes naturally to only a few privileged people. The rest of us need to work at it!
Unless you communicate on the same—or at least similar wavelength—it will be hard to get your messages across and get to a positive outcome that will produce lasting behavioral change. The effort can start with you!
There is enough pain and suffering to go around nowadays. Think about it: in the scheme of things, what we tend to be offended or argue about on a regular basis is very trivial. The next time you are facing a conversation challenge, pick two or three of these suggestions and put them into practice. You will be amazed at the results and how some simple things can have a huge impact—here—on planet earth.
For almost 20 years, Eugenia has held several leadership and managerial positions creating and heading training, professional development, and human resources programs as well as has consulted for Fortune 500 corporations and non-profit agencies in the United States and Latin America. Her educational foundation includes a Masters degree in Counseling from Seattle University and a Bachelor’s from California State University, Hayward, with a degree in Human Development. Eugenia's unique creations, including employee and career development resources, workshops on numerous topics, interpersonal communication tools, and innovative training materials, have earned her numerous awards and recognition. Her latest innovative products, "Talk to Me... I'm Human"™ Interpersonal Communication Tools and the Career Journey Toolkit™, are a reflection of her commitment to providing individuals with practical products for personal and professional growth.Eugenia Tripputi may be contacted at http://www.globalcareersintl.com or etripputi@globalcareersintl.com MOMS MAKE MORE! Support Family First - visit our sponsors and friends To view past issues:
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