THANKFUL THURSDAY is today!! :-)

Ok I'm restarting "Thankful Thursdays" on the Happy Rehab Doc Facebook site!  Come join us!!

For me, living in a state of gratitude does many things:

1) gets me out of my own head so I can be of better service to others

2) helps me to let go of any self pity party I was having for myself and makes me appreciate the good things in life that I miss

3) all of the above help me not to eat compulsively.  Overeating and binge eating for me have nothing to do with food (as I shared here)--it is alllllllll emotional so by being thankful for what I have, I can't build resentments and I can't tell myself I "deserve" a treat. 

I have found that living in gratitude has helped me lose weight more than almost any other major "dieting" technique I tried in the past!!

So join us today over on Facebook & share what you are grateful for this Thursday!  Small things, big things...whatever you can share will inspire us all!

Thanks!  :-) Dr. Cat

WOWOWOWOWOW!! The Blog has past 20,000 page views!!!!!!

Today!  Yay!

Oh my gosh!  I come back from vacation just in time to see that the blog has now past 20,000 page views!!  That is incredible!!!

2007

 When I started this blog three months ago, my primary purpose was to be of service, to share my experience and to gather & organize important information on the vegan, sugar-free, gluten-free, anti-inflammatory lifestyle.  A secondary goal was to build a warm, loving community of support amongst blog readers & fellow bloggers.  I feel that the blog is reaching both of those goals today and I have all of you to thank for it!  


It really makes me feel amazing to know that so many of you relate to my story.  I LOVE hearing yours too!  


As a doctor, I learned early in my career that you can never judge a person's insides by their outsides!  EVERYONE has a story and there is always something of value to learn from each person who crosses our paths.  I feel privileged to have you trust me (and the blog community we have built here) enough to share YOUR experiences with me--via comments, emails and Facebook.  


As we grow together I hope you will share the resources on this site with your family and friends that are interested in health, medicine & pain-free living.  By working on your own health and well-being you will attract others to your lifestyle simply because you can demonstrate that a truly vibrant life is possible!  At least that has been my experience!  


Thank you for being here & participating in the conversation!
With gratitude,
:-) Dr. Cat

Coming Up 

• Sugar-Free, Gluten-free Vegan Sweets for Valentine's Day!!
• Preparing for a Joint Replacement--What can YOU do?
• SLEEP:  Why Is it Critical for Your Health ~ Join the Sleep Challenge!!!
• What Do You Do When You Are Vegan & Your Family/Spouse Is Not?!
• What The Happy Nurse & I Are Eating This Week & The Recipe of The Week!!

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: A Commitment to Self for Caregivers & Choosing Serenity

Good Morning!  

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

Have a WONDERFUL week!

Today's Quote 

Peace: 

It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work.

 It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.”

~Unknown (but on my favorite coffee mug :-))

A Commitment to Self for Caregivers 

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

This week I will remind myself that I cannot control the behavior of those around me. 

I will remember however that no matter how THEY behave or what situation I am in, I always have a choice with MY behavior:  

Will I choose to reach into myself to find serenity & let the chaos flow around me (but not in me)?  Or will I jump into the chaos and add my own fuel to the fire?  

Let me be willing to choose serenity this week.

Merry Christmas!!

Wishing you a lovely day filled with gratitude for the gifts that we have been given--both external & internal.  

I wish you the blessing of a loving heart, the joy of a healthy body & the gift of a smile that warms a room :-)

For my readers who celebrate this holiday: To You and Yours:  

Merry Christmas!!

BIG THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE HOLIDAY HAPPINESS MARATHON!!!

The HOLIDAY HAPPINESS MARATHON Concludes!!!!! 

What a wonderful week of stories of service and gratitude.  It really warmed my heart to hear my colleagues share happily about patients and to hear patients share with joy about their physicians.  And I'm such a sap--I cried with every story!!!

I hope that you all enjoyed the stories!  I REALLY appreciate all the time my physician colleagues and my patient readers put into writing these stories!!  All of you are busy & had your own responsibilities, but you still paused to be of service to others by sharing your story.

THANK YOU!!!!!!

Evening Meditation for Self-Healing ~ Finish Each Day and Be Done with It~

I hope that you are all enjoying the Holiday Marathon!  I've been feeling so blessed that these folks have taken the time to share such special, private moments with all of us.  Very grateful!  I actually have a lot more stories than I have time to edit!!  Thats what a crazy work week plus the holiday does for you!  


So I've got a little end of the day meditation to share with you.  It is posted on my bulletin board above my home office desk so every night if I need to I can read it.  As I read, I take a deep breath and as I blow out I release all the tension in my body.  I shut out the negative self-tapes--the voices telling me that I'm not good enough, that I didn't do enough or that I wish I'd done something differently.  


Instead I replace those voices with the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson:

"Finish each day and be done with it.

You have done what you could;

some blunders and absurdities have crept in; 

forget them as soon as you can.

Tomorrow is a new day; 

you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense!"

Wishing you all a pleasant night's rest that restores you.  

The Holiday Happiness Marathon will continue in the morning!

Her Husband Had Six Skull Fractures & The Surgeon Took The Time To Make Them Feel Like They Were His Only Patients That Day!! The Holiday Happiness Marathon Continues!!

The HOLIDAY HAPPINESS MARATHON Continues!!!!! 

Welcome All My Guest Bloggers--Doctors, Nurses & Patients whose stories warm our hearts....Here is Another Story From a Patient!

My good experience with a doctor was when my husband had surgery on his face 2 yrs ago. He had a maxillofacial doctor who was amazing!  There was something unique about him from the very beginning; even his entrance to the hospital room was slow and relaxed. He really did make us feel like we were his only patients that day.  He never seemed to be in a hurry and he answered all of our questions.  I remember him explaining every detail of the surgery - so much to the point that I didn't even have many questions when he was done.  


He explained what the face was like to begin with - comparing it to a puzzle, then explained what the problems were, how he planned to correct it, how the material would affect him, and details after he healed...  


When you have a loved one you are worried about in the hospital bed, you're sleep deprived, and stressed.... you don't respond well to fast descriptions of tomorrows surgery.  I don't think he spent a huge amount of time with us..  It actually saved time because his first detailed run down saved all those questions and him having to repeat himself.  I think some patients/families will unknowingly ask repetitive questions simply because they just don't get it the first time around- and they are trying to figure it out.. 


Before the surgery the doctor seemed confident and patient.  He was reassuring and positive.  I remember not even feeling nervous in the waiting room.  Once we were home and went to his office for the follow up - again he was gave us everything we needed to know about the healing process.  I have to say he really made us all feel at ease.  


And of course, I can't leave out this part -his work was amazing - you would never know he had 6 skull fractures by looking at him.


Allison in Columbia, S.C.

Thank you Allison for sharing your story with us!! We love doctors who take the time to explain things to us!  Does anyone else have a similar experience with a kind doc?:-))

Previous HOLIDAY HAPPINESS MARATHON Posts:

• A Pediatric Anesthesiologist Loves Being a Doctor & Is Grateful for Patients' Parent's Trust!!
• After Having Brain Tumor Surgery, A Patient is Grateful for "The Best Nurse I've Ever Had!"
• She lost 60lbs, Got Her Health Back and Is Grateful for Her Doctor for Saving Her & Her Husband's Life by Recommending a Plant-Based Diet!!
• A Psychiatrist is Grateful She Helped a Patient Get His Life Back After Alcoholism & Liver Disease

She lost 60lbs, Got Her Health Back and Is Grateful for Her Doctor for Saving Her & Her Husband's Life by Recommending a Plant-Based Diet!! The Holiday Happiness Marathon Continues!

The HOLIDAY HAPPINESS MARATHON Continues!!!!! 

Welcome All My Guest Bloggers--Doctors, Nurses & Patients whose stories warm our hearts....Here is Another Wonderful Patient Story!

I've been thin most of my life but about 10 years ago, I started putting on weight due to a bad knee.  I couldn't exercise enough to keep the weight down.  About 5 years ago, I underwent a total knee replacement which didn't go as well as I had hoped.  Again, I couldn't do any extensive exercise other than work on my range of motion.


About a year ago, I was in such shape that I became hysterical if I saw myself in a mirror and I certainly didn't go shopping for clothes - it was too traumatic. 


I finally visited my doctor who told me that my only hope was to go on a plant-based diet for the rest of my life.  He explained what it was and even loaned me a book about it (The China Study).  I purchased Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn's book, "How To Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease" and off I went. 


I tossed out everything that wasn't part of my new Vegan lifestyle because if it was there, I knew I'd weaken.  After about 4 months, I noted that my clothes were loose so I weighed myself - I had lost 60 lbs.  I felt great with renewed energy and was able to look in the mirror again without going into a depression.  I will always thank my doctor, Dr. Don Wagner, for saving my life.


Now, fast forward to July of this year.... my husband was involved in a terrible motorcycle accident that should have killed him, both by statistics and by actual injuries. He was rushed to the Head Trauma and Burn Center in Las Vegas and was in the hospital from the Saturday morning it happened until Thursday when he came home with home nursing teaching me to change his dressings.  


We attribute his ability to heal so fast to our plant-based diet (& prayer) - there is no other answer.  It just reinforced our determination to adhere to our plant-based diet and, again, we thank Dr. Wagner for his insistence on getting us started on the right path.


~Sylvia in Laughlin, Nevada ~

Thank you Sylvia for sharing your inspiring story on the power of a plant-based diet!!  Readers--lets send a little love back to Sylvia and her doc for her amazing transformation!!  Write in the comments :-)!! :-))

Previous HOLIDAY HAPPINESS MARATHON Posts:

• A Pediatric Anesthesiologist Loves Being a Doctor & Is Grateful for Patients' Parent's Trust!!
• After Having Brain Tumor Surgery, A Patient is Grateful for "The Best Nurse I've Ever Had!"
• "You Heard Me and I Left the Appointment with HOPE"~A Primary Care Doc Shares A Story of Grace

After Having Brain Tumor Surgery, A Patient is Grateful for "The Best Nurse I've Ever Had!": The HOLIDAY HAPPINESS MARATHON continues!

The HOLIDAY HAPPINESS MARATHON Begins!!!!! 

Welcome All My Guest Bloggers--Doctors, Nurses & Patients whose stories warm our hearts....Here is Our FIRST Patient Story!

After having brain tumor surgery, I was in the ICU at the hospital for 2 weeks.  There, I had a nurse named Liz.  Her family was originally from the Bahamas, so she had the remnants of an islander accent.  I was never as happy as when I heard that voice on the other side of the curtain.

She was the best nurse I’ve ever had! And it wasn’t because she was the sweetest, kindest nurse I have had.  In fact, she was mostly matter of fact, firm, and business-like.  But …. She listened.  She didn’t ignore me when the pain in my head was overwhelming, and I rocked back and forth on my hospital bed in pain.  She matter-of-factly told me that I needed to calm down and stop crying because it would only make my head hurt worse, if I did that.  But… she got me the pain medication that I needed.  Notice I didn’t say that I wanted…. It was what I needed.

She had to tell me the hard things and show me the not so pleasant things.  But….She listened.  She answered my questions, even though they were most likely quite obvious to her.  She didn’t get annoyed when I asked her the same questions for the fifteenth time.

She was the one who listened to my husband as he expressed his frustration over my overly emotional behavior after surgery, and she was the only one who explained that this was normal after brain surgery, and it would go away.

Liz was the consummate nurse:  a professional who did her job well, and made sure that I was doing what I needed to get better.  At the same time, she was personable:  Listening to her patient, showing care and concern, being willing to carry on a conversation instead of just walking in and out of my room.

To all the nurses out there who are like Liz – I thank you and your work does not go unnoticed!

~Joanna Shumaker in Tennessee

Thank you Joanna for sharing your story with us!!  Readers--have you ever had a wonderful experience with a nurse?  Share with us in the comments! :-))

Previous HOLIDAY HAPPINESS MARATHON Posts:

• A Pediatric Anesthesiologist Loves Being a Doctor & Is Grateful for Patients' Parent's Trust!!

The Holiday Happiness Marathon Begins!: A Pediatric Anesthesiologist Loves Being a Doctor & Is Grateful for Patients' Parent's Trust!!

The HOLIDAY HAPPINESS MARATHON Begins!!!!! 

Welcome All My Guest Bloggers--Doctors, Nurses & Patients whose stories warm our hearts....Here is Our FIRST Story!

Why I Am Honored To Be A Doctor:
~Dr. I, Pediatric Anesthesiologist , Dallas, TX~



HRD's goddaughter
(with the permission of her mom)



I love being a physician.  As I finish my training to become a pediatric anesthesiologist, I am honored that parents entrust their children’s safety to me every day.

Each time I walk into a new patient’s room, I try to earn first the child’s and then the parents’ trust.  As a parent to two little boys, I don’t even want to imagine how hard it must be to separate from your baby before their heart surgery, or their brain surgery, or even just before they have tubes placed in their ears for chronic ear infections.  

For me, my favorite part of being a doctor is playing with the kids and distracting them from what could be a terrifying situation.  If I can keep a child calm and happy as they breathe my anesthetic gases until they fall asleep, they usually wake up calm and happy.  I am not perfect, and every child doesn’t wake up calmly, but the challenge of accomplishing that goal and giving my patients a positive experience keeps me going. 

There are a lot of frustrations in medicine, but doctors became physicians because we love what we do.

Thank you Doc for sharing your story with us!!  Readers--lets send a little love back to Dr. I in the comments!!  Write away!! :-))

MONDAY MEDITATIONS FOR HEALING: A Commitment to Self for Caregivers & Serenity Through the Holidays

Good Morning!  

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

With the chaos of the season: pause. breath. heal.

 Have a WONDERFUL week!

Today's Quote 

"One evening an old Cherokee elder told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside of people. He said, "My son, the battle is between two 'wolves' inside us all.

One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: "Which wolf wins?"

To which the Cherokee elder simply replied, "The one you feed."

A Commitment to Self for Caregivers 

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

In this time of joy as we gather families together we also face the challenge of dealing with personalities & pressures to people-please that may not generate serenity in our lives.

We may find ourselves resenting the burden of our caregiving when others around us appear to not have the limitations of similar responsibilities.

Committing to self healing is more important than ever today and every day in the coming week.

With this in mind, this week I will make a commitment to feed the Good Wolf.  

Despite all the chaos around me, the demands of family & friends and the responsibilities of those I care for, I will remember that the quickest way to find serenity in myself is through gratitude for what I have and compassion to myself & those I love.

Holiday Survival Tips: How I Stay Healthy, Maintain My Weight Loss & Still Have Fun in Cookie Season!!

My Irish Wolfhound-Great Dane Mix waiting for Santa
& trying to make himself as small as possible!!

Ok so this time of year is always a challenge!  For goodness sake, I work in healthcare--the land of drug rep holiday gift baskets & nurse's homemade treats!  Anyone who has ever worked in health care can attest to the volume of unhealthy food available to you during the whole month of December!  I think that this is pretty much the same for ALL of you out there--whether you work in healthcare or not!  And then there are the parties!  And family dinners!  Ack--no wonder everyone starts January with all those weight loss resolutions!


So I'm not perfect (by any small stretch of the imagination) but since the holiday season was my favorite binge-worthy, full-of-excuses extravaganza--I use a few tried and true techniques I use to stay on track despite the UNBELIEVABLE temptations everywhere!! (I literally just had leave the room averting my eyes from the table here at work to avoid some of my favorite sweets displayed in the nursing workroom)


Here are a few Tips to Survive the Holidays based on what I do!  Scroll down to the end for details after this list!  As always, take what you like & leave the rest.


1) Use the "One Plate Method" of eating at all events involving food
2) Call ahead to events so you can plan your food strategy & if appropriate, offer to bring a dish
3) Talk about "allergies"
4) Make sure to have a lot of yummy meals on hand at home (your FAVORITES) throughout this season so you never feel deprived.
5)  Eat at home before food events and eat the foods from Tip #4!
6) Become willing to believe that there is NO SUCH THING as "one bite" or "just a little taste" or "just this one time" or "I don't want to offend anyone by not eating this lovely meal."
7)  Use your resources
8)  Remember the point of a party
9)  Leave
10) If you slip once, get right back up and march on as if it didn't happen!
11) Make new traditions that don't involve food
12) Be realistic


Ok!  Here are a few explanations of the above suggestions:


1) The One Plate Method

• At all parties with appetizers, don't just eat off the trays.  Ask your host for a small salad plate or saucer & fill it up ONCE with samples of the appetizers (this is a MAJOR issue for me).  Eat slowly and try to talk a lot so there is still food on your plate until the cocktail hour ends.  If you end before, you give the plate back and ignore the food completely.  See Tips 7, 8 & 9 below.
• At dinner, get ONE dinner plate & that is your plate for the evening.  You can fill it with whatever you want but no piling on.  Once it is filled, you are done.  No seconds. No bread at the table (unless you leave a space on your plate for it). 
• At dessert, if you don't eat sugar than have a cup of coffee or tea and sip.  Leave the table as soon as possible.  Sometimes I go to the restroom to avoid the majority of the dessert time because pies are a major weakness for me (I had to do this myself at Thanksgiving this year).  Or if its close family or friends, I help clear the dinner plates & stay in the kitchen to give them the gift of washing the dishes for half the dessert time so the host can come back to a clean kitchen.  When everyone is done eating or nearly done, I slip back in and can still have social time.  If anyone asks me what I'm doing or if I'm ok, I rarely mention that I'm avoiding dessert b/c that starts a huge conversation on it.  I usually smile and say, "Oh I'm just trying to help out a bit" or "Oh I'm fine, how are you? (and then turn the conversation to them).
• Try to keep an eye on your alcohol consumption--it really makes it easier to eat foods you cannot eat reasonably.  Practice Tip #7 for this challenge.

2) Call ahead & if appropriate, offer to bring a dish

• If its a big sit-down thing--like a dinner party where it would be really obvious that I'm not eating what others are eating, I call the host/hostess/organizer ahead of time.  I say:  "I just wanted to call you because I wanted to let you know ahead of time that I have a lot of allergies & food intolerances so I may not eat everything you serve. I want to make sure that you know so I don't offend you!  I'm so sorry!"  I'm really looking forward to the event!"  This works very well to reduce any discomfort at the event and it helps me plan.  Usually, either the host lets me know what they are serving (and I can plan accordingly and eat in advance if necessary) or they accept my offer to let me bring something to contribute to the meal.
• When I'm going to a more formal event, I call ahead and ask the event planner (caterer, etc) what they are planning on serving.  I say:  "I have a lot of allergies and I just want to make sure whether I need to eat in advance or it will be ok to eat what you are serving!"  I try to be very polite and appreciative of the information.  
• When I'm going to a work party I usually offer to bring food I know I can eat, if they say no, I eat before
• When going to friend's of family they usually know my "allergies" or food restrictions so I can plan with them what to eat in advance.  I suggest to my sponsees that they call ahead and honestly ask one person (preferably the host) to help them.  For example, you could ask your Aunt to not leave you alone with the cookie tray or have someone else serve the foods that you have a hard time with.  Simple things like that make a difference.  My family still does the big traditional meals and I happily attend.  It isn't my job to tell others how to eat, its my job to maintain my own recovery.  So I just make sure I've brought food that I know I can eat & focus on that. 
• If you ARE the host, be smart.  DON'T plan to serve dishes that are big problems for you.  Get creative & skip the traditional options.  If you have to serve dishes that are traditional & you aren't able/willing to change the menu than ask for help.  (For example, if you ARE the host & have an issue with sugar, ask someone else to serve dessert & pack it up immediately after dessert &  give it to your guests to take home with them.) 
• The KEY to ALL Food Planning at the Holidays is SUBSTITUTION!  Try to find foods you are comfortable with to substitute for other foods.  For example, I may do the mashed potatoes (if vegan) instead of the sweet potato casserole (covered in marshmellows).  Or at dessert, I may bring a tasty, sugar-free treat (see blog list below for recipes) to have while everyone else eats the high-fat non-vegan stuff (note: always bring enough of that treat to share!) 

3) Talk about "allergies"

• If there is a food that makes you feel sick afterwards (i.e. you can't eat one chocolate so you eat the whole pound of fudge and then you feel uncomfortably full afterwards), guess what, I'd say you are allergic to it! Food cravings often are medically attached to allergy.
• So feel free to say things like "I'm allergic to..." & "I have a sensitivity to ...." so I don't eat it. 
• Its much harder for people to pressure you into eating if you use this term.  And it IS honest--you ARE allergic!  My allergies to food range from an actual dairy allergy (rash & headache) to "gluten-intolerance" which I explain flares my neck pain.

4) Make sure to have a lot of yummy meals on hand at home (your FAVORITES) throughout this season so you never feel deprived.

• Make a list of your favorite healthy foods & make sure they are in your house fully stocked.
• Do not do what I used to do and rely on parties to fuel my appetite (justification: free food!) OR be so busy getting all the gifts etc that I don't stop to eat at home.
• Plan your food for the week as usual and make grocery shopping and cooking happen ahead of time.  This is a good time to cook in bulk and freeze for reheating after a chaotic day.
• MAKE YOUR HEALTH THE PRIORITY--What are you going to do if gifts don't get wrapped properly or you've been running all over and still can't find the right toy of your kids' dream?  Guess what--I've discovered that no one really cares or remembers--if you pop your gift in a gift bag it is ok (not perfect of course--once again perfection=impossible) & your kid will forget that toy until January when they will be ecstatic when you surprise them with a late gift.  Trust me.  What you WILL care about & remember is feeling awful on December 26th.  And you will always remember starting the slow climb of self-punishment with a week of negative self-talk before Jan 1st starts your new resolution. So STOP and put your health first before errands or people-pleasing. (This has been an ongoing challenge for me which is why I share it!)

5)  Eat at home before food events and eat the foods from Tip #4!

• This is where calling ahead REALLY is helpful! 
• If there is the potential for you to be unable to eat 50% of the meal--eat a FULL meal of your FAVORITE food before you leave.  Not some dinky bowel of cereal--trust me, if you eat something you aren't enthusiastic about before you leave, you WILL want desperately to eat toxic things at the event.
• If you anticipate that you will be able to eat more than 50% of what you are served eat a snack & pack a small ziploc of emergency snacks and put it in your coat pocket or purse to access if needed.
• Pick things to eat with lots of fiber so you actually ARE full!

6) Become willing to believe that there is NO SUCH THING as "one bite" or "just a little taste" or "just this one time" or "I don't want to offend anyone by not eating this lovely meal."

• Just don't do it.  Those phrases are lies we tell ourselves that allow our disease to take over and make us sick.  Don't take that first bite or taste.  I use my Higher Power & my OA friends to get me through (see Tip #7).  Choose what YOU need and use it.
• If you feel like you are about to cave in to that temptation voice, then practice Tip #9 below.

7)  Use your resources

• Get a buddy.  Call them before and after the party and txt or call them halfway through if its a HIGH temptation situation.  This may seem extreme but you'll feel so much better knowing someone is there to support you if you can't get the support from the other party members.
• If you get a specific enough menu, write down what you are going to eat and only eat that at the party.  Commit it to someone else.  It helps.

8)  Remember the point of a party

• If its a purely social event that you look forward to--focus on your friends instead of the food.  Be a good listener & ask them questions.  Give them your FULL attention (this may be the first time you've done this!).  Not only will you avoid the distraction of food but you will give them the gift of your genuine interest in who and how THEY are. 
• If you notice someone new at a party, be kind.  Go up to them and introduce them to others.  What does this have to do with food?  All service to others gets us out of our heads and away from our disease of overeating.
• If its a work party--its really about networking, not about eating.  Once again, focus your attention on others. Everyone likes to talk about themself.  You'll be surprised at how much a relationship can change by practicing this--people love undivided attention.  And you can really be of kind service.
• If its a party you DREAD (an obligatory event) or find uncomfortable, once again focus on others BUT before the party write down a gratitude list for the event and keep it scrolling in your brain so you don't pout internally and seek food for comfort. For example: "I'm grateful for not having to sit next to John because he yells in my ear when he talks.  I'm grateful that this event is only once a year...etc"

9)  Leave

• If you feel unsteady, emotional or are seriously craving food you see, do not hesitate to:
• Leave the room
• Leave the house/building
• Leave the event (if it is absolutely killing you not to eat it).  Explain later.

10) If you slip once, get right back up and march on as if it didn't happen!

• I've been taught that no one is perfect and it is impossible to attain perfection.  Period.
• If you eat something you know is toxic for you, make the next meal a good one.  NEVER say "well this day/week is over!  Might as well eat what I want, I'll start eating better next week!"

11) Make new traditions that don't involve food

• Make dough ornaments or homemade gifts instead of cookies with the kids (see my post: here)
• Change your gift giving: I don't give candy or sweets as gifts--choose something non-edible or healthy.  I really feel like I'm harming others by giving them potentially addictive substances.
• Go on a holiday hike or ice skate or do anything active with friends instead of a happy hour or party if you think either of those events will be an issue.
• Try new recipes from:
• The Happy Herbivore
• Healthy Girl's Kitchen
• AWESOME Holiday Menu Ideas from Mrs McDougall (Dr. McDougall's wife :-))
• The Fat Free Vegan
• Vegan Epicurean
• Robin Robertson's Vegan Planet
• Simply Sugar & Gluten Free
• Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn: Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease
• Forks Over Knives Recipe Book!
• The Anti-Inflammatory Diet by Jessica Black, N.D. (Amazon link)
• Dr. Joel Fuhrman's Blog

***Remember that you are modelling behavior for your (and other people's) kids.  Help them stay healthy--try to ignore the pleas for candy (SO much easier said than done!) and spend time with them doing other activites instead.  It'll keep the candy out of the house (good for you and for them) AND reduce the temper tantrums and crankiness when they are coming down from a sugar high! It is so so much more peaceful without the sugar, it is truly unbelievable! Try it and see!***


12) Be Realistic

• If you deprive yourself none of these methods will work. 
• Be gentle with yourself, restrict ONLY certain foods not EVERYTHING unhealthy.
• Remember you are not on a diet.  Diets don't work in my experience.  Healthy living is forever. 

Ok!  I hope this LOONNNGGG post is helpful! 


What strategies do YOU use?:-)  More ideas are always welcome!!

Coming Up:

• BOOK REVIEW:  "29 Gifts!"
• Practical Stuff:  Kitchen Tools That Help Make Staying Healthy Easier! (Gift Ideas?!)
• Best of the Blogsphere for THIS week!
• What the Happy Nurse & I are Making for Christmas Dinner (x 2 houses!)

NEXT WEEK from December 19-December 25th: 

• ITS THE HOLIDAY HAPPINESS MARATHON!!!  Doctors, Nurses & Patients Share Special Medical Moments That Will Warm Your Heart During the Holiday Chaos!

Coming Up After the Holidays:

• SuperImmunity for Kids ~Part 2~!
• Medical System Tuesday: Tip #10 For The Best Hospital Care:  Try Not to Be Alone! ~ Insider Tips on How to Get the BEST Medical Care in the Hospital ~
• Treating Pain with Food--more thoughts

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