So My Clothes Feel Tighter & I Know I Am Starting To Gain Weight?! What do I do?!

Perfection is impossible.  I've read that many times but somedays I just need to hear it again and again to remind me that I'm human!  I've shared with you all how I've felt when I'm soaring.  Now I'd like to share how I feel when I'm struggling!  Hopefully it will be helpful and most importantly, I want to make sure that I don't give you the impression that maintaining and continuing my weight loss is easy for me!  It isn't!  So if you struggle--let me tell you, you are not alone!!


As I have said many times in the past I don't weigh myself very often--the scale is an instrument of my disease of compulsive overeating, so I judge my health by how I feel and how my clothes fit.  Over the last two weeks I've been feeling my waistband on my pants getting a bit tighter.  I ignored it at first, but then as time passed and I wasn't feeling more comfortable, I knew I was gaining weight.  In the past this would have been cause for mass panic and an indication that once again I had FAILED another diet!  The result would be a massive week of restriction and then as result, BINGE craziness for the next month at least.  But not any more.  


I have found that beating myself up is a waste of time.  My compulsive eating recovery program's 12&12 book reminds us that we MAKE mistakes but we are NOT A MISTAKE.  This was very hard for me to understand at first.  I think that my disease wanted me to feel like I was a bad person who deserved to be fat.  I hate that word but that is what I was:  fat, obese, angry, hating myself inside.  I could blame my weight gain on medication or depression or painful things in my past, but program has taught me to focus on MY side of the street.  I have to own my own behavior in order to be willing to give it up and change it!!  So, I take responsibility for 100% of every single pound of excess weight on my body.  I ate myself there, no matter what the cause,  I know that most have you have read my "Dear 268lb Me" post and it contains the rawness of my existence back then--and the emotional pain it caused me.  But to expand on the reflections in that post, I realize that I've spent a lot of time in my life looking harshly at what I'm doing wrong and ignoring what I'm doing right.  


I operate differently now because I have learned from my 12 step eating recovery program friends that "shaming" myself is not healthy or motivating--it is just self-sabatoge.  So instead, with my HP's help, I choose to remain sane and not just react impulsively because I'm scared of becoming heavy again.  

• I calmly review what I've been eating and note any changes in my eating habits/patterns.
• I look at what foods have made me feel ill  
• I look at how much I'm eating & how that has made me feel
• I look at whats been going on in my life outside of the food--emotionally, spiritually, etc.  
• I look at whether I've been using the tools & the techniques I have been taught in my compulsive eating recovery program, in particular reviewing whether I've been writing down my "food plan" for the next day ahead of time
• In other words, in the language of the business world:  I troubleshoot :-)

But I also look at what is working for me.  

• What am I doing right that I should continue?  
• What were my best food habits in the past?  
• What activities and behaviors brought me the most serenity?  
• Am I spiritually and emotionally centered--because I know from experience that a lack of balance in me gives my disease power through emotional chaos.  

So, looking back at the last two weeks, I started making lists of my reflections to help me find clarity and a path forward. 

What isn't working for me:

1) I'm eating take-out more & it has a MUCH higher fat and oil content than what I prepare at home!

2) I'm cooking with more oils/nuts & have gotten a bit unmotivated about cooking in general.  As you may have noticed, my eating plans each week are becoming too ambitious and I get overwhelmed cooking too many new dishes.  In addition, I've lost some motivation because my husband & I are working different food plans at the moment and its harder to be enthusiastic about cooking for one!

3) I haven't lost my abstinence, but I'm eating a much larger quantity of food--particularly starches and eating A LOT less veggies because I haven't been making time to buy enough produce & frozen veggies. 

4) I'm not going to as many 12 step compulsive eating recovery meetings as I could

5)  I'm not meditating & praying as often

6)  Its becoming easier for me to ignore my "full-meter" when eating and I've noticed that I've started snacking during meal preparation!

7) I'm not planning my meals the night before

8)  I'm using food as a "drug" to relax me because I've been very anxious about my exam last week

What IS working for me:

1) I've started exercising more

2) I've been doing my compulsive eating recovery program's readings daily and writing more compulsive eating recovery reflections

3) I've been keeping my house cleaner which makes it less chaotic (despite his work commitments, my husband usually is the primary household manager but I need to contribute to!). 

4) I've been spending more quality time with my husband which makes me feel good :-)

5) I've been sleeping better and trying to implement my therapist's recommendations for establishing good sleep hygiene because I ALWAYS feel SO much better with 8-10 hours of sleep.  I've been hitting that goal at least a few time each week for the last two weeks so that is such an improvement.

6) I've been giving service to my sponsees 

7) I've been more organized with my schedule & "To Do" lists

SOLUTION (determined after prayer & reflection): 
(and note that I am attempting to be gentle with myself--in the past the solution would be: "you MUST do this EVERY day."  That just sets me up for failure!  So instead, I try to make it a gentler path than that!)

1) Limit take-out to no more than once per week
2) More 12 step compulsive eating recovery meetings & continue my service to sponsees 
3) Continue exercising more--not every day, but more days than not each week
4) Continue my 12 step compulsive eating recovery readings & writings but add back prayer & meditation for just a few minutes a few days each week.
5)  SIMPLIFY--take a step back from all the cooking and start eating my way through the freezer. 
6) No snacking while cooking or prepping.
7)  Buy more produce and eat 2-3 cups of veggies per meal
8)  Continue my commitment to sleep appropriate amounts
9)  Each night, take a few minutes to plan what I'm going to eat the next day
10) Continue my commitment to helping my husband keep a tidy house
11) Schedule fun time with my husband
12) No seconds--revive the "one plate method" I talked about in my past post


And finally, I discuss all of this with my sponsor!  I've started implementing the solutions today so I'll let you know how this works!  It should--it has in the past!  If it feels like too many things to change or if it isn't working well, I will go back to the drawing board, pray and consult my sponsor!  Eventually, I will find the right combination!


The real key for me is more 12 step compulsive eating recovery meetings--the more I go, the calmer I feel & the more I seem to be able to accomplish!!  In my disease, I need the social support that group offers.


So that is the simple approach I use to re-center and continue on my journey to healthier living without shame, blame or self-sabatoge. I'm very grateful for having learned this method from others! 


I know it seems like a lot of work for me to stay abstinent, stay slim and stay strong but when I compare my worst day today with my best day pre-recovery, this new life wins EVERY TIME.  The work is SO worth it! (and trust me, I put a lot of work into getting heavy too--its nice to put work in the other direction!) 


Thank you for allowing me to be honest and share my struggles as well as my successes--this is such a wonderful, warm community of readers and I feel so grateful to have all of you in my life!


Are any of YOU struggling?  


What works for YOU when you start to struggle with your weight?  Any pearls of wisdom to share with other readers?  The service of you sharing your story will really help others so I appreciate any comments to guide other readers!!


The medical information on this site is provided as an information resource only, and is not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes. This information is not intended to be patient education, does not create any patient-physician relationship, and should not be used as a substitute for professional diagnosis and treatment.  Please consult your health care provider before making any healthcare decisions or for guidance about a specific medical condition. The Happy Rehab Doc expressly disclaims responsibility, and shall have no liability, for any damages, loss, injury, or liability whatsoever suffered as a result of your reliance on the information contained in this site.  By visiting this site you agree to the foregoing terms and conditions.

MONDAY MEDITATIONS FOR HEALING: Character & A Commitment to Self for Caregivers

Good Morning!  

Here is today's meditation to inspire your spirit to self-healing this week!  

Have a WONDERFUL week!

Today's Quote 

"The best index to a person's character is 

(a) how he treats people who can't do him any good, and 

(b) how he treats people who can't fight back."

~Abigail van Buren (Pauline Esther Friedman)

A Commitment to Self for Caregivers 

(whether you are a healthcare provider or a family member caring for a loved one): 

Sometimes while we caregivers deal with the daily stressors in our own lives we forget to be kind to those around us.  We feel badly when we treat our friends & family with sharp words, but do we notice when we direct unkindness to those in our lives that cannot fight back?

The cashier at the grocery store, the waitress at the restaurant, the janitor at the office, the teachers aide at the preschool, the customer service phone representative.  We know that it is unlikely that any of these folks will be able to help us succeed professionally or personally.  So we treat them with indifference or even rudeness.

This week I will remember that no matter what is going on in my own life, I will learn to pay attention to the people in my life.  ALL of the people.  Particularly the ones that provide me services.  I will remind myself to be grateful for the small services that go unnoticed by so many.  

I will do my best to find something kind to say to let each person know that I SAW them--to let each person know that their place in the universe matters to me.   

I will remember that by with just one kind word, I can alter the quality of someone's life by making them feel valued.  

I can be a person of character, one day at a time, starting now.

Healing Your Skin with Food!! Part 2 on "The Clear Skin Diet"

Yay!  Spots Gone!:-)

Today I want to follow up on my previous post "Ok Lets Talk Skin!  New Book to Recommend:  The Clear Skin Diet!"  Since that post two weeks ago I have continued to follow Drs Logan and Treloar's nutritional program to feed my skin the right nutrients it needs to heal!!  I'm delighted to report that after applying my dermatologist recommended products, completely eliminating soy from my diet since mid-December and strictly adhering to my omega-3 fatty acid supplement regimen, the "spots" are gone!! I actually was complimented twice this week on my skin sans makeup!  Whoohooo!  

For my omega-3's, I'm taking a multi-pronged approach.  It turns out that there is soy in a lot of those algae-based vegan omega-3 supplements!  So they were out for me.  I started doing more research and now I'm targeting components of omega-3's:  both DHA and EPA.   After reading several studies on brain function associated with DHA and the difficulty vegans sometimes have in converting EPA into DHA, I decided to splurge and get Dr. Fuhrman's liquid pure DHA.  Its expensive!  I put a few drops into my food or drink each day and consume that.  I also have been eating a lot of chia seed (which, like flax I think I'm now having a reaction too--argh!) so I'm heading back to my good old fish oil supplements for necessary EPA.  If what I just wrote sounds like a foreign language (and it would have been to me a few weeks ago!) then check out the following:

1) an excellent post from The Vegan R.D. about vegans and omega-3 fatty acids.

2) a fantastic series on fats by the Vegan Epicurean:

• http://veganepicurean.blogspot.com/2011/10/fats-101-first-in-series.html
• http://veganepicurean.blogspot.com/2011/10/fats-101-part-two-and-patrick-stewart.html

The additional omega-3's have been amazing for all of my skin in general--the winter dryness has decreased significantly.  Of course I'm still using my dermatologists regimen of various cleaners and lotions (I think this regimen is brilliant so check out the comments on the previous skin post for details on that regimen).  One caveat, I have noticed though that my skin is very very sensitive to what I put in my body.  A little grease--boom, new spots.  Too much of one thing (excessive chia seed--and yes, I know this is an EFA and it doesn't make sense but its the truth!)--boom, new spots.  And so I've continued to read The Clear Skin Diet by Dr. Alan Logan (ND) and Dr. Valori Treloar (MD) closely and have learned SO much about nutrition in general and what is best nutrient-wise for skin care!  

Last post I shared Drs Logan and Treloar's assessment of what the native Japanese & other ethnic groups with gorgeous clear skin eat (and we should too!).  

From p.163 of The Clear Skin Diet by Dr. Alan Logan (ND) and Dr. Valori Treloar (MD), ethnic groups with beautiful skin eat:

1. Less processed foods (my side note: this can be a vegan problem too--a lot of the "fake meats" are very processed)

2.  More colorful antioxidants

3.  Greater intake of omega-3 fatty acids

4. Fewer foods capable of spiking blood sugar

5. More fiber 

I am now hitting all five of the recs instead of just four and wanted to also share with you Drs Logan and Treloar's list of the highest antioxidant-rich foods that feed your skin and the doctors' advice on the specific types of food to embrace to have clear, healthy skin!   

Now, as you long-term readers know, I've posted on anti-inflammatory and antioxidant-rich foods in the past regarding my approach to pain management, but I wanted to share Drs Logan and Treloar's list in particular as it does a nice job of detailing out in a more extensive list all the specific fruits and vegetables that are the most antioxidant-rice foods!!  

Here it is from p.70 in The Clear Skin Diet by Dr. Alan Logan (ND) and Dr. Valori Treloar (MD):

Acai Alfalfa Apple sauce Apple vinegar Artichoke Asparagus Avocado Basil Beans (red, pinto, black & navy) Beets Bell peppers Black-eyed peas Black pepper Blackberry Blueberry Broccoli Brussels sprouts Cherries Chili powder	Cilantro Cinnamon Cloves Cocoa Cranberry Dates Eggplant Elderberry Figs Fuji apples Ginger Green tea High-quality olive oil *** Kale Nuts (walnuts in particular) Oatmeal and whole grain breakfast cereals oranges	Oregano Parsley Peaches Pears Plums Pomegranate Prunes Purple califlower Purple sweet potato Raspberry Red cabbage Red grapes Red leaf lettuce Red potatoes Spinach Strawberry Tangerines Tumeric
***(NOTE:  Dr. Esselstyn FIRMLY recommends against olive oil & oils of all kinds)

Next time I'll finish up this series by sharing what Drs Logan and Treloar which of these foods will get you the most "bang for your buck" so to speak for your skin!! 

Finally, if you want some extra data on how to get the most antioxidants out of our foods, check out The Healthy Librarian's post on the subject:  http://www.happyhealthylonglife.com/happy_healthy_long_life/2010/03/antioxidants.html

The medical information on this site is provided as an information resource only, and is not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes. This information is not intended to be patient education, does not create any patient-physician relationship, and should not be used as a substitute for professional diagnosis and treatment.  Please consult your health care provider before making any healthcare decisions or for guidance about a specific medical condition. The Happy Rehab Doc expressly disclaims responsibility, and shall have no liability, for any damages, loss, injury, or liability whatsoever suffered as a result of your reliance on the information contained in this site.  By visiting this site you agree to the foregoing terms and conditions.

RECIPES: What the Happy Nurse & I Are Eating This Week! Soups, Falafels, Parsnip Fries, Quinoa Salad, Zucchini Hummus, Mac & Cheese, Chocolate Chia Pudding & MORE!!!

Well I'm super excited about our food plan for this week!  What I've made so far has been delicious (with only one minor kitchen disaster:-))!  I've happily tried a bunch of new, very simple recipes from the Everyday Happy Herbivore Cookbook (which I FINALLY got from Amazon this week after being back ordered since December!!).  No time for bulk cooking again due to my call schedule.


What do YOU have on your food plan for this week?!  Any recipe ideas to share?

Dinner Monday Night :-)
Spinach & Dried Cranberries
Homemade baked tortilla chips &
 Gluten-Free Crackers
Homemade tahini-free hummus & veggies
Tarragon Rice w/ Kalamata olive
Ambrosia

On top of a busy clinical week, I have an exam on Friday (yes, Doctors continue to have exams forever--we have to retake our specialty board exams every 5-10 years in order to continue to be described as "board certified!")  For me, this time its an important mock Board exam as I'm nearing the end of my specialty training.  Thus, I'm throwing in a bunch of familiar favorites this week to keep the pressure off as I study!  That said, I need variety to keep my disease of compulsive overeating at bay--so I've also chosen a few simple new recipes AND used the slow cooker!    

Soups:  (Slow Cooker, YAY!)

My FAV:  The Healthy Librarian's version of Robin Robertson's Sweet Potato, Spinach, Fire-Roasted Tomatoes, and a Bit of Peanut Butter Soup:  Tried it in the slow cooker this time and it worked beautifully.  Just threw everything but the oat milk and the spinach in at first and then right before taking it off the heat I transferred it to a big pot and added the oat milk & spinach & cooked for about 3 mins.  YUMM.  I like a little more spinach in the soup so this time in addition to the fresh spinach I added a bunch of frozen spinach too.  I also cut the sweet potatoes up into tiny cubes instead of big ones--just a preference thing.  I think more flavor soaks in!


My Own Split Pea Soup:  Yes I'm biased but I love this.  Basically I put 4 cups (one box) of Vegetable Broth in, a lot of green split peas (enough so I can see them about 1 inch under the surface of the broth), 2 chopped up carrots, 2 celery stalks chopped and two bay leaves.  Literally thats it!  SO good!


Black Bean & Salsa Soup from The Everyday Happy Herbivore Cookbook!  Can't wait to make this--another extremely easy recipe using canned salsa!


Chana Saag (not a soup but a slow cooker recipe!) from the  Vegan Slow Cooker by Kathy Hester--I LOVE Indian food & I love spinach so this dish is perfect!  Really looking forward to this!


Main Dishes

Falafels from the Party Vegan by Robin Robertson:  Ok these were amazing and super healthy.  I didn't fry them in oil, instead I used a bit of spray oil on both sides of each patty & it tasted great!  I think the key is processing the chickpeas into a fine powder, refrigerating per her instructions and not skipping out on the fresh parsley (don't use dry).


Healthy Girl's Kitchen's Butternut Mac & Cheese:  Going to do this AWESOME looking dish (and one of my recipes of the week on the Best of the Blogosphere post) this weekend after the exam is over!


Lemon Basil Pasta from The Everyday Happy Herbivore Cookbook!  Made this two days ago.  SO easy and super yummy except for one small disaster--I added a ton of dried basil instead of fresh.  Not as yummy as it could be I'm afraid!  Next time it'll be fresh basil!  I love that this is oil-free and basically uses lemon juice as a sauce :-)


Curried Quinoa Salad from The Everyday Happy Herbivore Cookbook!  I love Quinoa and I love curry--hello awesome lunch (with the perfect balance of all essential amino acids).


Sandwich Spreads, Snacks & Side Dishes


Lentil Spread--still haven't made it--like I said, crazy week! I LOVE this spread though and talked about it last week.  Its on the docket to be made tonight. 


Parsnip Fries with Roasted Tomato Ketchup from My New Roots:  Can't wait to make these!  She made them with parsley root--first of all, I have no idea what that is and second of all, we have a bunch of parsnip in the fridge and she said we could substitute with parsnip!  I'm going to alter the recipe a bit by forgoing the canola oil thing in favor of a little bit of spray oil.  On the roasted tomato ketchup front I've cheated and bought a can of roasted tomatoes!!  Ah time saving techniques!


Zucchini-Almond Hummus from Choosing Raw.  This looks amazing and I'm really enjoying this new (to me) blog!  (Thanks Wendy for the rec!)

Green Olive & Sundried Tomato Biscotti from the Party Vegan by Robin Robertson:  Repeat effort as promised to reduce the oil in the recipe--I've now gotten it down from 3 Tbl to 1 Tbl and am delighted to report that it is still just as delicious!  Next time, no oil, only water!  This time around I saved time by skipping the crushing the pine nuts step and threw them in whole!  It worked great :-)

Spiced Rice-Lentil Squares from Susan Voisin's Fat Free Vegan Kitchen:   Ok so I made a kitchen error with this one and used long grain brown rice instead of short grain--the result--it completely (and I mean completely) fell apart when I was baking it--nothing to stick it together & the chia egg wasn't enough.  (by the way first time using a chia egg and I loved it!!!)  So instead I poured the cooked mixture into a bowl and ate it cold as a salad.  Oh OH SO yummy!!  The spices were perfect--very Persian.  Ah kitchen improvisation!


Cool Slaw from "Appetite for Reduction" by Isa Chandra Moskowitz:  This was recommended by a reader and wow was she spot on!  Easy due to the store bought bagged shredded cabbage and carrots (coleslaw kt)


Desserts!!! (not a regular category for us but I'm feeling like some this week!)

Chocolate Chia Pudding by Susan Voisin from the Fat Free Vegan Kitchen:  Ok so this was extraordinarily good!!!!!!!!  I can't even explain how good!  I had no idea that you could use chia seeds (a great source of Omega-3's) this way!  If you like the consistency of tapioca pudding you will LOVE this!

Ambrosia by Susan Voisin from the Fat Free Vegan Kitchen:  Once again SO delicious.  I just finished the last of it and can't wait to make more.  I loved that she just peeled the orange and chopped it up--no intricate peeling of the individual slices.  The pineapple really add a lot to this dish!


Post Punk Kitchen's recipe for Raspberry Truffle Brownies: Making these as a treat after the exam.  Will need to eat and give away the rest immediately as my husband can't have sweets in the house.  See my post for my ideas on how to alter the sugar aspect.

Ok that's all folks!  Enjoy! Oh!  And let me know if you have any ideas for recipes for Spaghetti Squash!  I've had one sitting on the shelf for awhile!! 


The medical information on this site is provided as an information resource only, and is not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes. This information is not intended to be patient education, does not create any patient-physician relationship, and should not be used as a substitute for professional diagnosis and treatment.  Please consult your health care provider before making any healthcare decisions or for guidance about a specific medical condition. The Happy Rehab Doc expressly disclaims responsibility, and shall have no liability, for any damages, loss, injury, or liability whatsoever suffered as a result of your reliance on the information contained in this site.  By visiting this site you agree to the foregoing terms and conditions.

"29 Gifts: How A Month of Giving Can Change Your Life!" An Outstanding, Inspiring Book That I am SO Grateful To Have Read!!!

Since we are focussing on gratitude this week, I thought I'd re-post a blog entry I did in December on an amazing book that inspires deep gratitude!  "29 Gifts: How A Month of Giving Can Change Your Life" is an incredible book that I highly recommend!  After you read this blog post be sure to check out the author Cami Walker's website to join the "Giving Challenge!"  I joined the "Giving Challenge" two years ago at just this time of year and wrote my first blog as I did it!  You can see those entries here:  Dr. Cat's 29 Day Giving Challenge Blog.

And now, originally posted on December 17, 2011:

Well I've been wanting to blog about "29 Gifts" for several weeks--this book is just such an incredible example of the power of the mind-body connection.  It is a true story of hope & healing written by Cami Walker, a young woman living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS).  In the midst of a horrible MS flare which forces her to become nearly home-bound,  Cami embarks on a challenge to give 29 gifts away in 29 days. Along the way her body begins to heal itself--giving her a new, more active life.  Her gifts are sometimes as small as a phone call or rubbing her kitty's belly but they change her life in a major way.  

Her path to giving was initiated by a South African medicine woman, Mbali Creazzo.  If you remember from the Monday Meditation on "Overgiving" Mbali's wise words are an inspiration to us all.  Beyond what I shared in the Meditation, Mbali also says "Giving of any kind is taking a positive action that begins the process of change.  It will shift your energy for life."  That shifting of energy is the magic of healing in the face of all medical science.  It is the mystery that happens when the mind & spirit begin to heal the broken body. 

Maybe its easier for me to believe Cami's story & her remarkable recovery because as a doctor I see it everyday.  For example, I had a patient in the Spinal Cord Injury unit who told me when I admitted her that every night since the injury she closes her eyes & visualizes moving her feet.  On Wednesday this last week, she moved her right foot.  On Thursday, she was able to lift her leg.  This is a miraculous recovery from an injury that should not be healing this quickly.  We expected her to regain function but not like this.  Not this fast and definitely not this widespread!  The therapists actually came to find me on the unit to take me to the gym to witness this incredible feat.  This is the power of the mind & spirit over the body.  And it exists in ALL of us if we are willing to reach into our hearts to find it.  Giving to others without the resentment of "overgiving" allows us to tap into this mind-body connection in a profound and extraordinary way.  It is a pipeline straight to healing.

I cannot recommend this book enough--and if you are still searching for a gift to give someone, let me tell you, this is the one!  

Cami has taken her book even further to create an online community of giving that spans the whole world (15,800 people!).  You can join the "29 Day Giving Challenge" and blog about the experience yourself at www.29gifts.org.  I hope you do!  You don't even have to buy the book to join--its all free!  If you DO join the challenge--put the address of your blog in the comments section of this post so I can follow it!!

And, if you want to see some of my first attempts at blogging:  I did the challenge myself in Spring, 2010 and you can see my blog at: Dr. Cat's 29 Day Giving Challenge Blog.  All 29 days are there--here is my Day 1, you can link to my other posts by clicking on "View Blog"!:-) I think my two favorite posts from the challenge were Day 9: Two Wolves & Letting Go and Day 10: The Tow Truck Man:-).  I injured my back pretty badly halfway through the challenge but didn't quit and surprise, surprise as I continued to give, my recovery was more rapid than expected! Its fun for me to look back at the blog and read about each gift I gave and how it changed me.  I intended to renew the challenge at the end of the 29 days but wasn't able to carve the time out to blog about it so it sadly drifted off--I think I'll start again in 2012!!  

This book was a gift from my wonderful husband and I'm so grateful he introduced it into to my life!  I hope you feel the same way when you read it! :-)


The medical information on this site is provided as an information resource only, and is not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes. This information is not intended to be patient education, does not create any patient-physician relationship, and should not be used as a substitute for professional diagnosis and treatment.  Please consult your health care provider before making any healthcare decisions or for guidance about a specific medical condition. The Happy Rehab Doc expressly disclaims responsibility, and shall have no liability, for any damages, loss, injury, or liability whatsoever suffered as a result of your reliance on the information contained in this site.  By visiting this site you agree to the foregoing terms and conditions.

MONDAY MEDITATIONS FOR HEALING: Gratitude & A Commitment to Self for Caregivers

Good Morning!  Here is today's meditation to inspire your spirit to self-healing this week! 

Have a WONDERFUL week!

Today's Quote 

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. 

It turns what we have into enough, and more.

It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. 

It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. 

Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow. 

~ Melody Beattie

A Commitment to Self for Caregivers 

(whether you are a healthcare provider or a family member caring for a loved one):

This week when my heart feels heavy, life feels out of control or I feel resentful that I have nothing more to give, I will pause for a minute and make a gratitude list.  

I will remind myself that this list doesn't have to be full of the "bold gestures."  

Sometimes all I need is to remind myself that I have clothes on my back, a warm home to sleep in and a friend to love.  And maybe, just for today, that is enough.