This article appeared in the National Trust magazine 2009

Written by Desri Goodwin

Title "Some Simple Stuff"

 

You are what you eat, sleep, breath, think, say…. A lot of people do not like what they are, is that you? So do something about it!
Change is actually easier than you think – really!!
There are ways and means and many people to help you find them; many places to go to kick start a new lifestyle and come away with the tools to continue; many inspiring books to read that give you step by step instructions.
You could be very radical to start your regeneration: fasting on juice or water, meditation, sleep and rejuvenation for a month - not everyone’s cup of herbal though and few are lucky enough to take a month off; and you do need supervision.
 You could take the easier route of eating a clean and healthily balanced “normal” diet and have gentle but very good results (look up detoxification books).
Then again you could EASILY eat a delicious, cleansing, invigorating diet, find an enjoyable way to move your body to speed up the cleansing and have amazing results that will start within days!
Do you want to wake up refreshed every morning full of energy and optimism? To enjoy your day, dealing with the joys and problems it brings in a calm and balanced way? Become your ideal weight and shape? Think more clearly with better concentration and simply feel happier?
Who wouldn’t want to feel good in their own skin, happy with their size, not huff and puff when they use the stairs and to stop the constant sniffing? Not to mention the big stuff we may need to deal with, our emotions, disease, chronic pain or allergies (the list is long.)
We can all do this by making some changes; it’s up to you how fast you want to go and how big those changes are. You have probably heard them all before, by the way, but maybe had not realised how easy they are.
Here are some simple pieces of advice regarding diet that you can start using right now and so feel a difference quickly.
Focus on what you are adding in and enjoying rather than what you are leaving out – then you are not feeling deprived or restricted. Add in more good and there is less room for the bad; and you are less likely to have cravings.
Drink more water, about 1,5-2 litres a day. Add fresh lemon to help alkalise your body (trust me, it is what you need). Everything your body does needs water!
Do the five-a-day thing - its easy- treat yourself to an apple, a banana, some grapes as you work and/or make a smoothy and, go on, stick a green leaf or two in it (you won’t taste it if you only add one or two then build up gradually each time). Throw some salad in a sandwich and you’re nearly there and you still have dinner to go.
Enjoy using fresh herbs and good mineral salt when needed to enhance your food choices and use good oils that help rather than hinder the workings of your body. Extra virgin olive oil, flax oil, hemp oil, coconut oil -there are even oil mixes available which are a balanced concoction of the oils you need – organic is best.
Eat more oily fish – Tuna, Salmon, Sardines, they taste delicious and can be prepared in so many ways.
Cut down on dairy products, meat products, prepacked foods as much as you possibly can.
Eat organic produce when ever possible.
Have as many days as possible when you treat yourself to just juicy, fresh, ripe fruits and vegetables. Use herbs and spices and mix up sweet and savoury. Make simple dressings with oil and vinegar adding mustard and honey to taste or if you have a good blender use fruit and vegetables to make your dressings - avocado or nut based ones are deliciously creamy, add spices, garlic, herbs for variety. Eat a rainbow of colours to really increase the benefits. Again there are many books out there packed full of ideas and recipes and preparing food can be as quick or take as long as you like.
As your eating becomes cleaner, you rehydrate your body and you increase your metabolism with more exercise the results will be obvious to you and soon to others too. You can also increase the benefits by reducing coffee and black tea, by cutting out white products – salt, sugar, flour, bread etc – and cutting back alcohol.
If you drink a lot of alcohol consider drinking a glass of water between each drink, or having a day off every few days. “Moderation” sounds boring when you don’t but when you try it you may find you have a great night’s sleep, feel more alert the next day, wake up without that groggy feeling you are so used to. If you want to you will have benefits from cutting it out altogether.
Get outside, walk, ride a bike, breath, just sit and get into nature wherever you can find it. There are so many forms of exercise, find one you like then you are more likely to do it and do it often. A half hour walk (as fast as you can enjoy it) a day would be great for starters.
A BIGGIE - unload the excess baggage. By this I mean past hurts, worries, fears, and stress – this is vital and again there are many ways to do so.
You need to unload those negative feelings. You should not be living with them. They are a barrier to excellent health and relationships not to mention the possible cause of many illnesses; so much is stored in the subconscious and has a dramatic effect on our lives, it HAS to be dealt with and can be quickly and efficiently. There are ways of releasing old memories, damage, hurt and trauma almost instantly giving relief and freedom without going through years of therapy or pain.
If you take these steps the list of improvements is endless. I have not explained the whys here nor will I list the possible results, there is not space. You can see those results for yourself and tell me about them. They are vast and various depending on the route you choose and your commitment to it. From curing constipation to diabetes, migraines to acne, arthritis to high blood pressure, obesity to mood swings - you can eat, sleep, breath, think and have the life you want to!
Desri Goodwin runs Equilibria with her husband Robin – a place to find balance, health and peace and to take time out to “just be”.  We have so many proven methods to help your change and to help release you from all that inhibits your ideal way of being. We will send you home happier, more content and with the inspiration, motivation and tools to continue your journey.  We provide delicious, mainly organic, meals designed to nourish you and release toxins to allow your body to breath again (and they are REALLY delicious with puddings too!). We offer total support for you in your own, private, space within our home, in a wonderful setting in the French countryside surrounded by vineyards, rolling hills and oak woods.  www.equilibria.fr 0033 (0)545625396