Defining Self-Awareness

What is self-awareness?

Self-awareness is the ability to rationally acknowledge, assess, and understand the inner, private self.

"... a conscious knowledge of one's own character, feelings, motives, and desires." -Oxford Dictionary.

Self-awareness is the foundation which needs to be laid in order for you to make habit changes, behavior changes, and to develop self-efficacy and self-control.

Public self-awareness of is when you are aware of (or think you are aware of) how you appear to others. It is the urge you feel to be accepted and approved of by your tribe and community. It is a natural and functional awareness, and necessary for your own survival in society.

In its correct place, public self-awareness should be of secondary importance to your private self-awareness. When making decisions and judgements, what you believe and know about yourself is far more important than what you believe and know about what others think.

Self-awareness is not the same thing as self-consciousness. When people talk about “self-consciousness” they are commonly referring to an overdeveloped sense of public self-awareness. Those who rely disproportionately on the fluid and unscrupulous public or popular opinion tend to develop a controlling, and sometimes debilitating, sense of being watched, judged, and found unacceptable in some way by their tribe.

“To ‘know thyself’ is a warning to pay no attention to the multitude.” -The Suda-

If you desire to make changes in your life, the best place to start is within yourself.

Start by making a list of your strengths and weaknesses. This forces you to confess your shortcomings and also view, perhaps for the first time, all that you have to offer. Look back over the last few years. Which accomplishments are you most proud of? What values and beliefs about yourself do your answers reflect?

Mirror photo by Ali Marel on Unsplash

Crowd photo by José Martín Ramírez C on Unsplash

How Parents Can Live in the Moment

People say all the time to “live in the moment.” I can’t tell you how

many older parents have said to me, “enjoy them while they are

young; the little years are over so quickly.” I have to admit, my

frazzled brain secretly scoffs when I hear this well intentioned

advice.

I’m in the trenches. Most days I don’t even look in the mirror much less

pause to appreciate all of the little blessings or smell the roses.

On the other hand, I know they are right. Along my fitness

journey I’ve experienced and benefited

from this same truth. The destination means nothing without the

quality of life achieved by the journey. If you think about it,

living is the only point in goal setting.

I want to see this better in my role as mother. My kids are much

better people than me. They are more honest, more forgiving, and

more trusting. They have so much to offer me

and the outside world. It is just really hard to see and hear it among

the din of laughter over butts and poop and farting.

 I think the key is to determine what my reigning beliefs about child

rearing are and keep those beliefs always in the front of my mind.

I need to have parenting goals that I am trying to reach in relation

to understanding my children and showing appreciation of their

individual strengths.

“To journey happily may be better even than achieving the desired destination.”

Jordan Peterson

Angus is seven. He is the most affectionate human being I’ve ever met.

He is a high energy fellow, but not in explosive power as much as in

endurance. He has a fire in him that I love and admire so much. He

will grow up to be a powerhouse worker and friend. He is intelligent

and driven and we are constantly reminding him of

“stranger danger”. He is just too friendly. Unfortunately, his brothers

don’t really appreciate this power like I do. Angus annoys and pesters

a lot of people.

Angus knows how to live “in the moment.” He loves people without

reservation, he expects the best of them. He is not easily burned or

beaten. He is quick to laugh and quick to hug it out. Angus lives fully

in every moment.

I think living in the moment and enjoying the journey comes down to

gratitude and mindfulness. I need to slow down and just watch them

play and work, and look in their eyes when they ask for my attention.

I need to play games with them and work alongside of them.

Living in the moment is less about snapping pictures and taking cute

videos and more about nourishing the bonds with your kids that you

can’t exactly see, only see the signs of.

How can you savor the little years when
the kids are the most needy and the little troubles grate constantly
on your psyche? The answer is to fully accept the challenge of
parenthood by realizing that the only way the future carries any hope
with it is when you see every trial, every challenge as just as important
as the the destination.

Family Fitness: Quick Tips for Working Out With Your Kids

Getting frustrated trying to squeeze in a workout with the little ones around you? Consider trying a new approach several times a week by inviting the kids into your world.

Depending on our goals, many of us require several days a week of structured, progressive workouts. Don’t despair if you can’t find time to “get away” for a workout. Your kids can probably already out-run, out-swim, out-push up, and out-pull up you already. You really couldn’t ask for better workout buddies. Here is the catch, though: it has to be structured, consistent, simple, and progressive (meaning, every few weeks you push yourself to do more).

1. Start a workout record (include movements like push ups, squats or jump squats, jumping jacks, sprints from point A to point B and back) and put you and your spouse at the top along with all the kids underneath you. To begin, you’ve got to know what you’re capable of. Can you do one push up? That’s okay. That’s where you’ll start from. Every week everyone will try to best themselves. Fix an end date and individual goals for everyone. Kids and adults alike need to know that exercising and getting stronger and faster can be a lot of fun. It will build your character, your children’s character, and will serve to build the team mentality in your family.

2. Make physical fitness and nutrition a part of your children’s education (and yours!). A daily fitness routine will teach you and your children self-discipline, how they can influence others, the value of hard work, self-denial, and determination. Keep your chosen workouts really simple. Humans need to run, climb, jump, balance, and bear heavy loads. Learn good form when performing moves like pushups and squats. During exercise, like in all parenting endeavours, good example and leadership is vital to success.

3. Kids have an insatiable appetite for fun, and we should too. Include one or two games in your shared routine. Consider hopscotch, jump rope, and leapfrog races etc. in addition to the more structured exercises. It is so exciting for everyone, especially preteens and teens, to test themselves and find out what they’re capable of in a fun, friendly, safe environment, free from criticism. Fitness is a wonderful way to learn about ourselves.

Tip: through this process, keep in mind that if you want your kids to keep from criticizing each other and themselves, you need to be a great leader. Keep the fitness zone free of self-deprecating thoughts and comments. They are not helpful or beneficial, and they will only manage to negatively influence the way in which your children process their own abilities. Don’t dwell on what you are able to do today, but keep your eyes on what you’d like to be able to do in the future.

Plan on a fun warm up of yard games before beginning the real work. Since you’ll be working out with kids, plan on keeping the “play” portion 20-30 minutes and the “work” portion of the workout no more than 15-20 minutes depending on how many kids are in your family/want to be involved. I would never suggest that you force any children to participate if they don’t feel comfortable. Some personalities need to see to believe, so to speak.

After completing the first workout and logging what everyone was able to accomplish, sit down for a stretch and to set some goals. Be realistic, and help the kids decide what they think they can accomplish in the allotted weeks. Encourage them to workout on their own throughout the week and take good care of their bodies with healthy food and a sleep routine to see better results on their chart each week. Follow your own advice. Show the family what dedication and hard work looks like. The completed chart will bear witness to the hard work that each member of your team put in.



Head over to my website, here, to get a free printable basic workout log for you and your family!

Nutrition and Your Cycle

How are you doing on your New Year’s resolutions? Unfortunately, successfully accomplishing goals that you’ve set depends much more on thorough planning, realistic goals, and the support you surround yourself with than your strength of will.

The very best way to begin implementing changes in your life is to know yourself, your habits, how you’ve been responding to the world around you, what kind of patterns you’ve fallen into, and where you are starting from. Before stumbling through another set of good intentions, consider keeping a log of “you”. Track sleep habits, entertainment/internet/Netflix habits, your eating and exercising habits, and how much time you spend strengthening bonds with your loved ones. It's important that your logging is judgement-free at this stage, so resist bringing down the verdict on yourself over habits you're ashamed of. Find out how you’ve been ticking before trying to make changes.

I am happy to welcome holistic nutritionist, Sarah Steward, back to the blog for a quick word about nutrition and our cycles. Check out Diet and Hormones 101, here.

As women, we often feel at the mercy of our body’s phases. Knowing what to expect every month, and why, is an important part of “knowing thyself.” Maybe there is a way to eat optimally to give your body the best chance at balance during the most challenging times of the month.

Diet and Hormones 101

Part 2

Optimizing nutrition though our cycles

Hormones fluctuate in our bodies as we go through our monthly cycles so it makes sense that we may require more of specific nutrients. Eat plenty of anti-inflammatory foods and lessen gluten, dairy, and refined sugars.

Here are some items to support your body during your cycle:

Dark leafy greens

Iron in dark leafy greens helps with our energy levels and support our bodies during blood loss. They contain Vitamin K an important vitamin during the bleeding process.

Whole Grains

Full of fiber and important nutrients that will combat craving and balance our blood sugar. Quinoa, millet, brown rice and buckwheat are all great sources of whole grains. Keeps our blood sugar stabilized and can even help the body eliminate excess estrogen.

Fiber

Increasing Fiber helps eliminate waste. Eating foods with fiber like vegetables, fruits, and whole grains will help remove excess estrogen, This will help with moods, period regulation and reduce the probability of PMS symptoms.

Good Fats

Will help with vitamin transport and help you feel full longer. Good fats help with energy levels during menstruation.

Water

Helps flush out your body, being hydrated will make you feel better, helps with elimination, keep the body hydrated throughout all phases.

Probiotics

Foods containing probiotics can help break down and rid the body of estrogen.

Consider including sauerkraut, kefir, kimchi, tempeh, yogurt, and kombucha during menstruation. 

Raw veggies

Contain glutathione an important antioxidant and helps the liver detoxify the excess estrogen in our bodies.

Iron

Foods with iron will help build the blood. Eat plenty of lentils, eggs, dark chocolate, black beans, and brocolli.

Vitamin A

Help the liver break down Estrogen. Due to blood loss, the focus after your period should be building the body back up, building the blood, detoxing and incorporating foods to energize you.

Magnesium rich foods

When we get those chocolate cravings our body is signaling for magnesium, so we can also eat magnesium-rich foods or get a high % cacao chocolate to just eat in moderation.

Decrease during all cycles

Refined sugars

Processed foods

Alcohol

Caffeine

Fatty Meats

Dairy

Fried Foods

Sodium

Artificial Sweeteners

The more processed the food, the harder your body must work when digesting. This alone can make you feel fatigued and awful. Have you ever felt exhausted after eating a meal? Often it is because our digestion system is using up so much energy to digest what we ate, that it leaves us feeling zapped..

If you would like to learn more about the holistic approach please visit my website www.nutritionsteward.com or contact me sarah@nutritionsteward.com

*Disclaimer* I am a Holistic Nutritionist and received my education and training from the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition. I am not a medical doctor and cannot diagnose or treat diseases and disorders. I do not claim that any of my recommendations will cure or heal any ailment. I do not prescribe any medicine. The information and materials I share are not intended to be a medical diagnosis or treatment. My job is to equip individuals with the tools they need to have a healthier lifestyle and provide recommendations from a holistic perspective. 

Sarah Steward RHN has had a lifelong interest in health and nutrition. Sarah approaches health from a Holistic perspective, recognizing that everyone is biologically unique and individual experiences shape the someone's current state. She believes that the mind, body and spirit work together to achieve better health. Sarah’s main desires are dispelling health myths, taking the confusion out of nutrition, and simplifying care of the body. In 2004 she began her studies in Theology through the University of London correspondence program and received her degree in Theology in 2010. Soon after she began pursuing a career in Holistic Nutrition at the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition and received the designation of RHN (Registered Holistic Nutritionist). Her business The Nutrition Steward provides nutrition services, from a Holistic approach, in and around the Charlotte, NC area. Sarah grew up in Williamsburg, Virginia and now resides in South Carolina with her husband, step-daughter and 2 dogs. In her free time she enjoys creating healthier versions of common recipes, crafting and taking walks with her husband.

Sources:

http://drhyman.com/blog/2012/06/13/ten-reasons-to-quit-your-coffee/

https://annarborholistichealth.com/blog/2015/4/30/estrogen-dominance

https://www.drweil.com/diet-nutrition/nutrition/is-coffee-inflammatory/

http://www.healthguidance.org/entry/15893/1/List-of-Human-Hormones-and-Their-Importance.html

Journal photo by Estée Janssens on Unsplash