30 Day Challenge

Some of you may know I've been on a 30 day Challenge to be wheat free, dairy free, sugar free, 'bad' fat free, caffeine free and alcohol free. I'm pleased to say - I MADE IT! and am feeling lighter, brighter and clearer as a result!

Motivation
I've been regularly working out for over a year and was looking for a new and improved way of looking at my diet to compliment this. Since I committed to my new plan of aerobics 3 times a week I noticed that days after I had eaten a lot of heavy food the workouts would be harder than days where I had eaten lighter. I've been a non meat eater for over 12 years now and regularly have relied on both bread, cheese and pasta as a kind of quick solution for many meals. I also had been getting into the habit of a nice glass of red wine and a bar of chocolate at the end of the day. I became aware that these patterns were just like emotional patterns and they had become tiresome. There must be another way I thought - so I was looking out for it.

I came across this new approach to food after a four day seminar I participated in which really got my attention. I don't believe in diets and workout more to feel good than to look good, so I wasn't interested in a quick fix - but something more sustainable and most importantly - ENJOYABLE! This diet was all about increasing your energy - getting you to move more, drink lots more water and eat 70% live foods. I figured that as I had the exercises down, the water and food bit should be easier and you know what - is WAS!

Whats the process?
Its basically removing wheat, sugar, alcohol, bad fats, meat, caffeine and preservatives from your body and getting more good fats and live foods in your body. I took to it straight away as I really felt this all made so much sense. We all know that in order to be healthy that we have got to move more and eat well - so this approach seemed like common sense to me. It also seemed a lot more simple than a 100% raw food diet - I had heard much about raw food over the years, but going 100% raw didn't feel right for me - hot soups in winter makes too much sense! I have my own allotment plot where I grow my own fruits and vegetables and have done for the past 9 years. Its these foods that have the highest nutritional content and I have felt the benefits of my own veg vs shop bought veg - there's no comparison!

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Progression
I started it out as a 10 challenge, after a shopping trip to my local grocers and health food shop. My main feeling was - how am I going to live without CHOCOLATE?! but as soon as I found the dried fruit section in the health food shop I felt at ease. I got myself a couple of huge bags of dried figs and thought - every time I want some chocolate I'm going to munch on these. So that was that sorted! The second question for me was - what am I going to do without bread?! So I stocked up on Rye Crispbreads and that was that sorted! I also bought a ton of green leafy veg, but that wasn't unusual for me and also some good quality salmon from the fishmonger - done.

So the 10 days went really well. I felt really excited about my new diet and got into the swing of it easily. When the 10 days were up I was a bit like - is that it? and made a pact with myself to go for 20 days - this was a bit harder. After about 15 days I started getting a bit obsessed - what was I going to eat, when was I going to eat it? I felt like food was becoming all I was talking about and driving my partner crazy! I thought, I've got to relax more about this! Also around this time, emotional stuff started to come out. I was dealing with the issues of control - how could I control my life without becoming a control freak?! This was very important to me. I trusted that the answers would come and kept going.

Then I reached 20 days! I was so happy - this was a milestone for me. I had noticed that I had become more thirsty rather than more hungry a lot of the time. My portion sizes started getting smaller and my drinks started getting larger! It was also around this time I could feel my legs a little slimmer! A bizarre thing to notice, but its true!!! ;0)

As I got onto 22, 23 days I could really feel a difference, I had gone down one notch on my belt and I just felt more energised generally. I was on the home straight....30 days was approaching! I turned my control issues into excitement and getting it done rather than having to talk about it as much.

The hardest thing was keeping it up when I had to work long days. Most of the time I would make a brown rice, bean and vegetable medley, but when I hadn't come prepared thankfully the local supermarket stocked either mackerel, sushi or hummous and rye crispbread so I could eat that. One of the most frustrating things I found was misleading products - even such a simple thing like a Chinese 5 spice mix had sugar in it! And my favourite meat free sausages had sugar in them! I was amazed that when I went into the supermarket - everything there is either wheat, sugar or dairy based!

 http://www.createyourtruelife.com

However saying all this, the great thing about living today is that there is so much food available from different sources. Its just about getting your priorities right and shopping from multiple places rather than one. I have absolutely no problem with that and love giving my money to smaller companies who are growing. This makes more sense to me.

So I reached Day 30 today! I feel fantastic! I made a commitment and I stuck to it. But for those of you who know me, wouldn't be surprised by that at all :0) I've always been this way but now I have a plan with my food too and that feels LIBERATING! More weight is coming off, I have more muscle and more energy than ever before. I can do 8 press ups! Doesn't sound a lot, but six months ago I couldn't do 1!

More importantly than this though, I have seen a progression in my approach to life. I am more centred, more calm and my solution based attitude has strengthen ten fold. I feel more appreciative towards every thing and every one and its given me even more inspiration to support many more people on their own personal journeys in life. And I'm going to keep going - this is now a lifestyle for me.

If you are wanting to make a change to what you eat my advise would be to do it a bit at a time. Think how am I going to replace this food? rather than eliminate it. Focus on nurturing yourself rather than depriving yourself. It really is an approach to life, not an approach to food. You'll find that the emotional stuff could be the hardest bit to deal with, but this is the most important thing. Be the change you wish to see in the world - you can make a difference - today - now.

Can't do it on your own? No problem! We all need help from time to time!
If you have a personal, social, family, health, career, work or relationship issue you'd love to shift, then I'm here for you! I offer one to one sessions in person or via skype.

Get in touch for more information via my website: http://www.createyourtruelife.com





 Here's what a recent client said about their experience:

"If you need direction, motivation and encouragement, Leona will inspire you to achieve!! She is dynamic and rejuvenating, and her sparkle certainly rubs off! My project that has been on the back burner for the last 10 years and has finally had life breathed back into it. I forever grateful to Leona for making my dreams a reality!"

Vanya Silverten. North London.

http://www.createyourtruelife.com

Much love and Till next time,


Leona x
http://www.createyourtruelife.com

What is Life Coaching?

A lot of people have heard of Life Coaching and are pretty mystified to what it actually is, so I thought I’d write a straightforward blog on it, just to clarify a few things.

Life Coaching is something you need if you are someone who wants to get the best out of life. It will benefit you immensely and moreover you’ll enjoy the process too.

Whether you’re a mum, a professional, an entrepeneur, a recent graduate, someone who's just lost their job, someone who's looking to improve their relationship(s), someone who wants to take control of their body, someone who's recovering from an accident, someone who wants to fulfill their creativie side or someone who wants to get more out of their life no matter what they do, then Life Coaching is for YOU! The list really is endless as Life Coaching targets your specific concerns and deals with them head on in order for you to make productive and lasting changes.

Bottom line is that if you want more balance in your life and want to get the most out of it that you can - then you will greatly benefit from have a Life Coaching session.

Life Coaches work with someone’s current situation and helps them to grow and develop through this, towards reaching their goals. Each Life Coach uses their own series of techniques that they feel gets the best out of the client. Most Life Coaches do not look at past issues when dealing with a client’s present situation.

What do I offer at ‘Create Your True Life’?

The way I approach Life Coaching is from a Holistic Perspective. I deal with the client’s current situation but I see the past present and future as one whole in which all parts must be addressed in order to deal with the situation most effectively and in order for the client to reach their full potential.

My techniques are very focused and develop from one to the next, allowing the client to feel at ease with whats being discussed and really put them into the driving seat of their current situation. Once the person feels that they have control, then the possibilities for that persons expansion continues to grow and grow. I always make sure the person is given a safe space to express their true nature as its from this place of authenticity, that they will unlock the secrets to their own personal successes.

My sessions can deal with almost any situation not just effectively but ultimately –  I am here to show you that with a fresh perspective, anything and everything you desire in your life is achievable. Whatever your goals are – you can make it happen.

I’ll teach you techniques that you can integrate in your daily life as the daily input is this is how you get results. And of course I’m here for ongoing support in the transitions you are making. No matter how big or small the change you need to implement is, we all need support and encouragement from time to time.

I know that those that have the courage to ask for help will receive it, in abundance.

But anyway, you don’t have to take my word for it! 

You can see just some of my previous Clients testimonials here -> http://www.createyourtruelife.com/testimonials.html

Till next time

Much love,

Leona x

http://www.createyourtruelife.com

The fun is waiting for you

You often hear people say, "It’s just the way I am” or “It’s just the way it is”. You usually hear it as a result of someone not knowing where to go next with the situation. Or as an answer to the question “Why?”

Its interesting how Why? Can sometimes bring up a bit of fear, or even dread in some people. The fear is so real that the answer to the question has been well thought about a long time ago and often well rehearsed to this day.

It’s like that with a belief about something. Often we decide what we believe and then stick to it. We've often decided what we believe a very long time ago and its usually through various people or situations that have drawn us to that conclusion.  Its like we decided what we believed then and that now, in this new situation (where we are finding it tricky to find an answer) we decide that it won’t be changed and say "its just the way I am" – or worse – that it cant be changed - and say "It's just the way it is".

I’m not saying there is anything wrong with whom you are or the way it is – unless you think there is. Unless you know that every time you say those statements you have a fleeting thought of “Oh I wonder what it would be like if I wasn’t like this/things were not like this?”

For me, this is has always been where the fun starts. That excited edge of your rehearsed, practised and fine-tuned thoughts – into a beautiful brand new thought. A thought that could bring forth something new. A thought that could quite literally change your life.

A new thought changes your life by changing your perspective. Once you look at something differently, you then decide how you will act or how you will respond to that accordingly. The trouble is that our lives are sometimes so well rehearsed that we forget how to do something differently or spontaneously. But the thing is – you don’t have to remember how to do it, you've just got to do it!

Trust, A leap of faith, or whatever you might call it, is just waiting for you all the time. Its calling new situations, new people, new experiences to you, to see how you'll react and whether you'll decide to take yourself to the next level. Often its small, simple things that will call you. Its these things that lead to the gradual expansion of your old self into your new self. This new self isn't a whole different you - its the same you becoming so much more. Its only our minds that see the big huge scary picture and say "Whoa! Wait a minute…I can't do that!"

If I were to give you just one piece of advice to conquer your fears that would be learn how to trust. Trust yourself, trust others, trust your environment. There are a million ways to build your trust and that usually means taking a small step out of your comfort zone and into something a little less familiar. You've probably got something right now that your thinking about as you read this.

What is it? How could it change your perspective if you did this thing today?

Let me tell you that it is SO worth your effort. DO this thing. Do it today.

 
The fun is waiting for you ….. just let it in!

If you'd like to explore beliefs about yourself that hold you back and create new ones that empower you then I'd love to be of service to you.
Please contact me via the website: www.createyourtruelife.com.

Till next time,

Much Love,


Leona x
www.createyourtruelife.com