Is your head getting in the way of what's for your highest good?

I recently had a woman come to me for the f.r.e.e. initial consultation I offer when someone contacts me about my services. After we reviewed her pains and challenges, her goals and desires, and what services I could offer to assist her to move from where she was "stuck" to where she wanted to be instead, she asked to "think on it" so she wouldn't make a "rash decision."

This, I have found, is the "kiss of death" for achieving our goals—"thinking" too much about it. That's when we start to listen to the voice that keeps us stuck. My goal is to help teach people to listen to their "inner voice"—the one that comes from intuition vs. logic/safety/fear.

Whether people choose to use my services or not, I want to encourage them to take SOME action after our consultation; to do SOMETHING different than what they've been doing.

Coming to me for a consultation—or even just contacting me—is a sign that someone is in a position of wanting to make a change and ready to do so; they're just wondering if I can be the resource to help them do that. They've realized that what they're doing/experiencing is not working for them and they want something different. But they feel they are lacking something that prevents them from doing it themselves—resources, accountability, support, mindset, a combination.

With one recent consultation, the person told me they had chosen a different hypnotherapist to work with. I congratulated him on taking decisive action by following through with someone, even if it wasn't me. In this other case, the woman "thought her way out of" working with me after she went home, yet didn't seem to have a "Plan B" that she was prepared to implement instead. I wrote her back and asked her to think of some of the things we discussed in the consultation:

* What do you WANT most?
* What is the single biggest OBSTACLE standing in your way right now from getting/having that?
* What is the biggest ACTION you could take right now to remove/move past that obstacle?
* How are you going to get new resources to help you do that?

Remember, nothing changes unless something changes. Too often, we put off assisting ourselves with challenges, hoping they'll just resolve themselves on their own, denying the amount of negative impact they are having on our lives. But all these "put-offs" do is deepen the problem and keep us stuck in a less-than-satisfying life.

What are you "tolerating" in your life right now? WHY are you tolerating it? The EGO voice tries to keep us stuck. Listen to the WISE voice that knows what you deserve and are capable of, and answer the questions I have posed here, then create some ACTION that will move you toward what you want, and a plan (and/or support) to keep you in action. STOP SETTLING and stop rationalizing not taking action or doing something different.
 
One final note: I have been in a "stuck" place many times, held back by my fear/ego voice that rationalized all kinds of "intelligent" reasons not to do something BIG or take a leap of faith to bring me to the next level. It sucked. Once I made a decision to do something BOLD, something different—often choosing to work with a coach or mentor as part of that leap (and ALWAYS with God)—everything changed for the better and I was so thankful for having done it.

Your move...

Live Fully!

    

I had a boss once that was THE WORST micromanaging, anal-retentive person I'd ever worked with!

I was SO on the verge of quitting so many times while she was my boss, waking up each morning dreading going into work, even though I loved my work and helping people with hypnosis.

I finally remembered what I knew about the law of attraction—what we focus on expands.

I realized I was making the problem worse by focusing on how miserable I was and how much I didn't like her. So, I switched my focus and began to focus on the aspects of the job that I loved and the aspects within her that I COULD like or admire.
I also asked to have a conversation with her to find out her thoughts on why she wanted things done a certain way so I could help her get done what she wanted to and not be fighting her all the time, as well as to get to know her a little more on a personal level. She said she really appreciated that I came to her and asked to have that conversation.

Things were definitely easier between us after that. Although I still didn't agree with a lot of the things she asked us to do or how she went about managing things, I understood her better and didn't get so upset by her requests (she'd had a lot of rejection in her life and therefore had a strong need to try to be in control; she also had low self-esteem even though she tried to come off as highly competent and "together").

Interestingly, as well, within a month of that time, someone else bought the franchise office I was in and she was transferred to another office!

Try to do the same thing with anyone in your life that you are having difficulties with. Have a conversation to learn to understand them (not to make them wrong or point out what you don't like about what they do). Especially try to get to know them on a personal level (being curious but not intrusive). You might be surprised at what you find out. They might even start to feel like you care about them and therefore act differently toward you (and others in the office if you work with them). Focus every day on their GOOD qualities and even compliment them on those. It will change not only you, but also them.

Live Life Fully!
Lisa
***************************************
"Creating healthy, natural, lasting change thru' the power of your mind"
Lisa Smith, MHt, CC, NLP
Life by Design, LLC
www.hypnocoachlisa.com
To contact me directly, call 757-631-9940 or click here to email: hypnocoach@cox.net

BEST OF THE BEACH, BRONZE WINNER 2009 FOR BEST WEIGHT LOSS CENTER

BLOG: Lessons on Living Fully http://blog.hypnocoachlisa.com

Get F-R-E-E stuff, like a healthy mind & body ezine, 25 Top Ways to Motivate Yourself, a relaxation audio/video, and MORE! www.hypnocoachlisa.com/Free_Stuff_.html

Visit my weight loss website:
www.WinningWithWeightLoss.com

FOLLOW ME:
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/FitBizCoach
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/hypnocoach
FB Fan page: http://company.to/LifebyDesign

    

Every day, consciously or unconsciously, we make "what if..." statements or evaluations to ourselves (and even to others).

It's how we complete that thought that determines our moods, actions, and results each day and throughout our lives.

If you follow "what if..." with negative predictions, such as
What if...I don't get that job?
What if...I try it and it doesn't work?
What if...they say no?
What if...they laugh at me?
What if...I forget what to say?
What if...I lose money?
You're going to be operating from a feeling and place of fear. That will put up a "red light" to positive action and therefore be less likely to yield positive results for you.

When you're in fear mode, you are reactionary instead of thoughtful & creative. When you're in fear mode, you have a whole different physiology (protection, weakness, neutrality vs. openness, strength, growth).

However, if your "what if..." thoughts are followed with positive predictions, such as
What if...they DO hire me?
What if...I try it and it works great?
What if...they say yes?
What if...they accept what I'm saying?
What if...I speak my thoughts effortlessly?
What if...I make gobs of money with this?
What if...if it could be easy and fun?
You're going to be operating from a feeling and place of peace and/or excitement. That will put up a 'green light" to positive action and therefore be more likely to yield positive results for you (or at least allow you to enjoy the journey of pursuit).

When you are in the mindset of "positive possibility," you are thoughtful & creative; your physiology is one of openness and strength, and allows for growth (physical and emotional). (In fact, studies show that optimists live longer, healthier, more successful lives than pessimists).

Everything that follows your "what if" is just a POSSIBILITY. None of the possibilities has happened anywhere yet—except in your imagination—so why not choose to predict a positive outcome?

PUTTING IT INTO ACTION:
The next time you find yourself in fear or procrastination mode, check in with your "what if..." thoughts. For every negative one you uncover, follow it with "but what if... (the opposite, positive possible outcome)" with a twinkle in your eye and a smile. Even visualize the positive "what if" outcome. Imagine what that would FEEL like. REALLY see it and feel it. Once you're in that good feeling state with a sense of optimism, your creative mind is engaged. Take the next best action that comes to mind to bring it about.

What if you could...

Live Life Fully,
Lisa

    

You know that saying, "I'll believe it when I see it"? What if that was backwards, and the real truth is that "you'll see it when you believe it"?

Let's explore the concept of looking at the world and the events in our lives in this new way and how it can make a huge impact on the experiences we have and the results we get in our lives.

Years ago I was listening to an audio interview of Dr. Wayne Dyer by one of my personal empowerment mentors, Tony Robbins. The title of the interview was, "You'll See It When You Believe It."

It was a very interesting concept; one which I had never considered before, but really made me change the way I thought about so much from that point. And as I continued my self-improvement studies (before I even knew that this was to become my life's work), I was exposed to more and more material and teachers who shared this same concept in different ways.

I learned early on in my training as a hypnotherapist that "the law of the mind is the law of belief." This means that what the mind can conceive and—with emotion—believe, it can and will achieve. This can either serve to help or hinder us. If the beliefs we hold are in alignment with what we want to create in our lives, then we will be experiencing results that we are happy with. However, if our beliefs are not in alignment with what we want to create, then we will experience frustration and dissatisfaction.

The subconscious mind does not know the difference between what we imagine vividly (with feeling) and what we experience in physicality. The same neurons fire, the same chemicals are produced, and the same experience is created. Therefore, we can scare ourselves to death (literally) simply by believing something to the extreme that stresses the body so much that the heart stops. Likewise, we can believe so strongly that we can heal ourselves that we activate the immune response in our body and change the structure of what was once killing us. These are not just old wives' tales. There are research studies proving this all the time. There's even a whole new field of research and study called psychoneuroimmunology that surrounds this whole concept.

The thing about our beliefs is that they cause us to either bring about, or "see," things in our environment or experiences that prove our beliefs as true. We do this by either becoming focused on what matches our belief or by distorting our perception in a way that matches the belief. And the brain can do some pretty amazing contortionist acts to bend things to match our beliefs.

Have you ever experienced a situation and then someone else who was part of the experience shared their interpretation of the experience in a way that was so far from your interpretation—even to the point of being convoluted to you—that you were wondering how they could have possibly come to that conclusion? That's because your belief systems were so different, often in a very dysfunctional and destructive way.

So how can you tell if your beliefs are helping or hurting you? Take a look at the various areas of your life.

* What is working for you? Where are you fulfilled? This is a sign that you have supporting beliefs
   in these areas. Keep believing and keep creating those results.
* What is not working for you? Where are you dissatisfied? There are most likely some limiting or
   self-sabotaging beliefs that are filtering your ability to create better filters, actions, and outcomes.

How can you change limiting beliefs? The first thing is to discover them, then replace them.

1. For each of the unfulfilled areas or goals, ask yourself what your ideas or beliefs are regarding that issue. You might find yourself with some dialog you heard your parents or other influential people in your life commonly use. For example, if you don't have financial fulfillment, perhaps some beliefs are:
   "Money doesn't grow on trees."
   "Money is the root of all evil."
   "Money ruins friendships."
   "If you have a lot of money, people will always try to take advantage of you."
   "Rich people are snobs/mean/selfish."
   "Money is hard to come by."
Dig deep and write down the good, the bad and the ugly that comes to mind.

2. Write a new statement for each, which supports more of what you want to believe and create (usually the OPPOSITE statement is good).

3. Post these new affirmations where you can see and read them at least twice a day. And when you do, allow yourself to imagine and see/feel what it would be like to hold that belief. Yes, it might be hard to do at first (after all, if you believed it, you wouldn't have to do this exercise), but just pretend for a while ("fake it 'til you make it").

If you do this consistently, with feeling, you should soon find yourself changing the experiences you're having in these areas. If not, it may be helpful to work with a professional who can use energy clearing and subconscious repatterning techniques with you to change some deep-rooted or unconscious beliefs that are resistant to changing on this conscious level.

I'd be happy to talk with you more about this topic and any struggles you may be having in changing limiting beliefs that are stopping you from having the life that you deserve. Contact me for a free consultation to learn more. Or at least start by grabbing some FREE goodies on my website at www.hypnocoachlisa.com.

Live fully!

p.s.—for those of you who were interested in seeing me holding a baby pelican, here is a picture.

    

HEALTH 101—RECOGNIZING HIDDEN THYROID ISSUES
***************************************************************
As you may have heard, Oprah recently revealed that she has been diagnosed with hypothyroidism. She didn't realize she had it and neither did her doctors. It was her fans who recognized the symptoms  she was describing and urged her to have her thyroid appropriately tested, even telling her what tests to have done to accurately diagnose it.

Oprah is not alone. According to the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists:
* 10% of Americans are affected by thyroid problems—more than the number of those with diabetes and cancer combined
* over half of those with a thyroid problem are not being diagnosed
* for those diagnosed, the standard conventional treatment is noteffective

Why is this? According to one of my mentors, Dr. Jonny Bowden, most American doctors are trained in diagnosing acute symptoms, relying on lab tests, and treating things with drugs or surgery. Therefore, "they often fail miserably when it comes to addressing subtle symptoms in your body that affect the quality of your life."

Keep reading to learn more about the standard vs. ideal tests (even one you can do easily at home) to recognize thyroid issues, symptoms to pay attention to, and ways to effectively treat (and even prevent) the most common thyroid problem—hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid).

***************************************************************
The thyroid is the "master of metabolism." Critical functions include:
* controlling metabolism
* controlling organ function
* controlling digestive enzymes and stomach acid production
* controlling breakdown of protein and fat
* controlling synthesis and release of hormones and white blood cells
* secreting calcitonin, which is required for calcium metabolism
* basically affects the operation of all body processes

Possible Thyroid Issues
- Hashimoto's Disease (an immune disorder whereby the body destroys the thyroid)
- Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid)
- Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid)

The most common thyroid problem is hypothyroidism. It is perhaps the most commonly occurring hormonal disturbance in America today. Although women are the most likely to suffer from this condition, it afflicts millions of men and women of all ages.

Why is Hypothyroidism Such an Epidemic?
Unfortunately, while this problem can often be genetic or hormonal (events such as puberty, pregnancy, menopause), or occur after physical illness or severe injury, the more common factors seem to be lifestyle-based.

Lifestyle Factors
Diet—low-fat/high-carb or vegetarian diets
      low-cal., nutrient-deficient
      insulin-resistance
      lack of protein, lack of fatty acids
      too many refined carbs and sugars
Certain medications (barbiturates, sulfa drugs, ainti-diabetic meds, aspirin)
Stress
Substances—alcohol, hydrogenated fats, excessive amounts of polyunsaturated fats (soybean, safflower, canola, corn oils), caffeine, tap water with fluoride and chlorine (consumed or absorbed through skin), fluoride in toothpaste, mercury from silver amalgam fillings, and excess estrogen (from birth control, synthetic hormones, herbal estrogens, pesticides, hormone-injected meats).
Goitrogens—a substance found in raw cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts; deactivate them by at least lightly steaming these vegetables.

What Are Common Symptoms of Hypothyroidism?
* Weight gain
* Chronic or cyclical fatigue/Poor sleep/Oversleeping
* Depression
* Muscle aches/weakness
* Low body temperature/Cold hands/feet
* Irregular periods
* Impaired memory & concentration/Mental slugishness
* Anemia
* Oversensitivity to cold
* Brittle nails
* Hair loss
* Skin problems—Dry, scaly, psoriasis, eczema, burning/prickling sensations

Testing for Hypothyroidism
Self-Tests
I recommend that you start with these simple tests you can do yourself that are highly suggestive of thyroid impairment. Armed with the self-discovery through these tests along with your list of common symptoms, you will bemore confident in having the discussion with your doctor and insisting he/she do not only the standard TSH, but also the more reliable TRH test.

Basal Temperature Test
Dr. Broda Barnes, a pioneer in thyroid research and author of "Hypnothyroidism: An Unsuspected Illness" developed the basal (resting body) temperature test and found through 40 years of research that a consistently low basal temperature is a dependable indicator of low thyroid function.

To perform the test, place a thermometer in your underarm area first thing upon awakening before getting out of bed. For digital thermometors, check when it beeps; for mercury, check after 10 minutes. Lie still and relax while taking.  Record the temperature and repeat for 3 successive days. (Note: if during menstruation, take on 2nd and 3rd day only; avoid all alcohol for several days before doing the test). Normal temps should be between 97.8-98.2 degrees F.

Resting Pulse Test
According to Dr. John Lee, one of the foremost authorities on hormone function, a healthy resting pulse rate should be about 85 beats per minute, though the national average seems to be about 72 bpm. A RPR under 80 can be due to hypothyroidism.

Medical Tests
The standard test done today is known as the TSH test. It checks T3 and T4 cell functioning, which are operators of the thyroid. Unfortunately, this is a less extensive test (i.e., quicker and less expensive) than the previously standard TRH test, and has been shown to have a 35-40% "false negative" result when compared to the TRH test (meaning, 35-40% of patients who were told the TSH test showed normal thyroid function despite their extensive symptoms yet were shown to have underactive thyroids through the TRH test). This is one reason why so many in this country are going undiagnosed.

If your list of symptoms and your home tests are indicating hypnothyroidism, trust what that's telling you and insist your doctor (and insurance company) allow you to conduct the more reliable TRH test. Take charge of your health or no one else will.

Treatment Protocol
Standard treatment for hypothyroidism is medications such as Synthroid (which, by the way, has to my understanding, never been approved by the FDA). However, the majority of people report little to no improvement of their symptoms and/or a list of negative side effects from the medicaton.

Alternative medicine practitioners, however, treat the condition by first working on intestinal health and digestion, including detoxification regimens and  instituting dietary changes, as well as a good exercise program. Natural thyroid-supporting nutrients such as dessicated thyroid or thyroid glandular (created specifically to each patient by a compounding pharmacist), iodine, B vitamins, various minerals, GLA, COQ10, and Progesterone (for women) or DHEA (for men).

Additional Resources
The more informed you are, the more likely you are to be able to talk to your doctor in an intelligent and confident way about your diagnosis and treatment options. Here are some additional resources that I have found or that have been recommended to me by those who have been suffering with hypothyrois issues and have found relief:

"Alternative Medicine's Guide to Chronic Fatigue, Fibromyalgia, and Environmental Illness," Dr. Burton Goldburg
"Thyroid Power," Shames & Shames
"The Thyroid Solution," Ridha
"The Ultra Thyroid Solution," Dr. Mark Hyman
"Hypothyroidism 101" at http://www.drhotze.com/EN/free_ebooks/
http://www.icarecafe.com/video/39
http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com

Most importantly, trust yourself and if your doctor is not helping you, find one who is educated and experienced in the subject, will treat you with respect, and help you effectively repair your thyroid!

Live Fully!

***************************************************************
Is there something you're not satisfied with in your life right now or something that has been an issue for a long time?
Have you tried many things to alleviate or improve the situation with limited or temporary results? If so, HYPNOSIS may be the
COMPLETE and FINAL solution. Call me at 757-631-9940 for a free consultation to learn more.

Receive bi-weekly tips, tools & techniques for a healthy mind & body with Healthy You! ezine at: www.hypnocoachlisa.com/Free_Stuff_.html  
  
Want resources for healthy, natural weight loss? Visit: www.WinningWithWeightLoss.com

To contact me directly, call 757-631-9940 or email: hypnocoach@cox.net

    

A client of mine this week emailed me that she was let go of the job she had just gotten 5 months ago after being out of work for some time and being the sole support for herself, her 2 kids, and her husband (who is sick and can't work). She is devastated and overwhelmed with worry and anxiety. She hasn't told anyone but me yet (not even her family), because she doesn't want to worry them and is hoping to find some work before the last paycheck comes in so they won't have to know.

As you can imagine, this is a huge burden she's carrying and she is making herself sick, crying all the time, not eating, not sleeping, constantly in knots, and nauseous. It is shaking her faith in God and creating a state of hopelessness. I have been in similar situations and know all too well that feeling. Perhaps you are in this situation as well, or at least know someone who is.

So what do we do when this happens? How do we change the situation? How can we keep from going deeper down into the pit of despair and hopelessness? Here is an excerpt from the email I sent this to assist her in shifting into a more resourceful thought process and feeling. This will better position her to take positive action that will serve her instead of reacting in fear with actions that are much less likely to create an effective outcome.

**********************************
I can tell you from experience that although it creates a lot of stress and worry, having a "crisis" happen often puts a fire under us that moves us out of a "comfort" zone where we're not growing and into massive action that gets results. I have definitely experienced this several times in my business (including taking the business to full-time in the first place). Everything goes in cycles—it's never ALL UP or ALL DOWN. But we can learn to anticipate and flow with those cycles more easily instead of fighting or reeling against them, which just makes it worse. What we resist, persists!

Also realize that everything is a matter of perspective. Life is 9/10ths perception. And when we get into a state of fear, we literally coil up and become protective instead of creative. This is the worst thing we can do. Instead, begin to infuse some positive ideas,
perspective, and hopefulness into your brain to counteract all the negative going on in your head right now. You cannot solve a
problem from the same mindset that created the problem.

Here are some AWESOME resources I recommend:
Go to John Assaraff's and James Ray's websites and sign up for their newsletter/blog, watch their videos: http://jamesray.com/resources/
http://www.johnassaraf.com/free_resources.php
Check out some of Jack Canfield's short but inspiring You Tube videos. His website has some great resources, too. www.jackcanfield.com
Listen to "Everything is Energy" radio shows: www.everythingisenergy.com which help you to understand how the energy you exude is the energy you continue to attract, and teaches you techniques to shift your energy.

Also consider this idea: Your boss letting you go had absolutely NOTHING to do with YOU, your work, or your value.
You can choose to think/believe THAT, or you can choose to think what you automatically concluded: "I did something wrong. I wasn't good enough. This is about me." You get to choose what you say to yourself about the experience. There is no TRUTH—only belief.

So, I would encourage you to refrain from blaming yourself and putting yourself down—it's counterproductive and takes energy and creativity away from looking ahead to what you CAN control and focus on, which is creating ideas, identifying resources and options, generating action steps, and taking action on them.

Worry is not productive, either. Worry is the negative use of the imagination. What do you think would happen if you got out of the negative "what if" scenarios going on inside your head and shifted into positive possibility? To do that, go to those resources I gave you above. Create a shift. That will make all the difference. Negative thinking creates negative energy that acts like a magnet, attracting MORE negative energy. Don't take any actions until you put yourself in the right mindset to take actions that will truly serve you.

So, take time each day to watch/read/listen to the resources I listed above. They are some of the tools I've used to help ME shift when I've gotten stuck in that state of fear, doubt, and worry, so I know THEY WORK. There are many more, but those are a great start.
—
Live Fully!


p.s.—I also have some release techniques I teach and use with my clients to facilitate this shift quicker. If you'd like to learn more about those, call me for a fr*e consultation.
***************************************
"Creating healthy, natural, lasting change thru' the power of your mind"
Lisa Smith, MHt, CC, NLP
Life by Design, LLC
www.hypnocoachlisa.com
To contact me directly, call 757-631-9940 or click here to email:
hypnocoach@cox.net

BLOG: Lessons on Living Fully http://blog.hypnocoachlisa.com

Get F-R-E-E stuff, like a healthy mind & body ezine, 25 Top Ways to Motivate Yourself, a relaxation audio/video, and MORE!
www.hypnocoachlisa.com/Free_Stuff_.html 
  
Want resources for healthy, natural weight loss? Visit: www.WinningWithWeightLoss.com

FOLLOW ME:
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/FitBizCoach
Facebook: http://profile.to/CoachLisa
FB Fan page: http://company.to/LifebyDesign

    

Customer: Got it. Hey! My heart is filling up with new files.Smile is playing

on my monitor and Peace and Contentment are copying themselves all over

My Heart. Is this normal?

Tech Support:  Sometimes. For others it takes awhile, but eventually everything

gets it at the proper time. So Love is installed and running. One more thing before

we hang up. Love is Freeware. Be sure to give it and its various modules to everyone

you meet. They will in turn share it with others and return some cool  modules back to you.

Customer:  Thank you, God.

God/Tech Support: You're welcome, anytime.

 

- Anon

Live Fully!

    

Are you eating less, eating healthier, exercising more, but STILL not losing weight?

You may be experiencing inflammation in your body that blocks fat-burning by consuming foods that you are sensitive to.

Learn more and how to get tested for food sensitivities in this great article about this by my mentor, Jonny Bowden.

http://www.jonnybowden.com/2009/04/are-hidden-food-allergies-making-you.html
—
Live Fully!
Lisa
***************************************
"For healthy, natural, lasting change."
Lisa Smith, MHt, CC, NLP
Life by Design, LLC
www.hypnocoachlisa.com
Lessons on Living Fully — http://blog.hypnocoachlisa.com

Visit my website for lots of F-R-E-E stuff, like a healthy mind/body newsletter, 25 Top Ways to Motivate Yourself, a relaxation audio/video, and MORE! www.hypnocoachlisa.com/Free_Stuff_.html

Want resources for healthy, natural weight loss? Visit:
www.WinningWithWeightLoss.com

To contact me directly, call 757-631-9940 or click here to email: hypnocoach@cox.net
http://www.twitter.com/FitBizCoach
http://profile.to/CoachLisa

    

One of the things I teach my clients seeking weight loss is that the old method of simply calculating calories consumed and calories burned is NOT going to help them sustain weight loss.

Yes, it will usually initially produce weight loss because you start consuming less food than you were previousl. However, there are so many more elements to the way that the body deals with those calories that need to be understood and utilized in order to reach your ideal weight and KEEP THE WEIGHT OFF.

What type of food those calories come from is of great importance. Your body will metabolize (break down and turn to energy to burn or fat to store) different foods in different ways (and the way your body does that will not necessarily be the same as someone else's body does it).

Five hundred calories of a processed sugar food (like candy) will create a whole different metabolic and hormonal response in the body than 500 calories of a healthy fatty protein (like salmon) will. The first will deplete nutritive stores and cause hormonal responses to store those calories (and satisfy appetite for a short time) and the second will add to nutritive stores and cause hormonal responses to burn those calories (and satisfy appetite for a longer time).

Here's an article I found by James LaValle from his Total Health Breakthroughs newsletter that explains a little bit more about this and helps you understand about the effect of sugary foods in the body: The Fallacy of Calories In, Calories Out

To understand the role of balancing your blood sugar as the Master Key to weight management and diabetes prevention, see my 3-part Healthy You! newsletter series from February to April 2009 here:
Part 1   
Part 2   
Part 3

If you need help curbing your sugar cravings from the emotional aspect, visit my website store to order your "Curb Your Carbs" hypnosis conditioning CD.
www.hypnocoachlisa.com/Store.html

Live Fully!

    

Hypnosis has had a long history and difficult transition into acceptance by mainstream society and the medical community. However, its continued effectiveness for millions who have used it and the mounting research that has been conducted with it over the years, are finally raising it up as a valid and useful modality for habit change, learning enhancement, and healing.

Conscious and Subconscious
Let me explain a bit about how the mind works and what we do know about the mechanism of hypnosis. The conscious
mind is the rational, mind. It deals with analytical processes (math, logic, reasoning), temporal awareness (time and
space), stores new memories and skills temporarily, and engages force of will ("willpower") to actions.

This level of the mind is very good at analyzing, organizing, making decisions. It is capable of incredible focus and
concentration. However, its limitations are that it can only perform one task at a time, can only deal with the familiar
and concrete, and is finite.

The subconscious mind is the creative and conditioned part of the mind. It deals with emotions and imagination and works through symbols and metaphors. It stores programs, patterns, and habits to create autopilot responses and actions to save us time/energy and to protect us. It stores memories permanently.

This level of the mind is creative, infinite, capable of performing multiple tasks simultaneously (e.g., regulate heartbeat, breathing, coordination, etc.). Its limitations are that it cannot make decisions/judge/evaluate, and everything in here is "truth" (according to how it perceived and recorded it at the time).

The Gatekeeper
In between the Conscious and the Subconscious levels of the mind is what's metaphorically known as "the gatekeeper,"
though the technical term for this filtering system is "the critical faculty." It's job is two-fold:
1) to take information from the conscious level and decide whether to pass it down to the subconscious level or not, and
2) to bring information up from the subconscious to feed the conscious mind into taking some action.

The critical faculty tries to keep things congruent as it passes from one level to another, especially with the information that it allows to enter and be stored away in the subconscious. It checks it agains emotional links, memories, and beliefs to protect current programs (these programs are designed to make things easier for us and to keep us safe). Therefore, if new information is incongruent with the "order" and information that is currently stored in the subconscious, it will either kick the information out (not allow it to enter the subconscious) or modify/alter it to match more closely what's in the subconscious (often grossly distorting it from its orginial form).

Any info. allowed past the "gatekeeper" is taken by the subconscious mind as absolute Truth, and therefore, can be very difficult to change.

Creating Lasting, Easy Change
We will almost always do what is familiar, to avoid internal conflict with our programs. To experience significant change,
we must alter the programs running at the subconscious level. To do that, we must bypass the gatekeeper—the critical
faculty. Once we do that, we gain access to the subconscious mind where we can implement, through suggestion, the selective thinking that will assist us in achieving our goal(s).

Hypnosis is the bypass mechanism around the Gatekeeper. It relaxes the gatekeeper from its hypervigilant state, which
allows fairly docile information to be allowed into the subconscious and new patterns to be conditioned. However, the gatekeeper is not completely "de-activated," which means that truly harmful or highly incongruent information/suggestions will still be able to be kicked out or modified by the gatekeeper.

This is not brainwashing. It is simply a way to allow beneficial information to be accepted into the level that is most effective
to initiate permanent change or to influence the body to respond in a certain way (e.g., boost immune system, change blood flow, ignore or diminish pain signals, etc.).

There are a large array ways that people (my clients, myself, others) have positively utilized the process of hypnosis to enhance their lives, often in seemingly miraculous and easy ways. Visit my website for more information and to watch/listen to a hypnotic process on line, then call for a no-cost consultation (can be done by phone if you are not in my area).

Live Fully!