I was inspired to write this week’s blog based on the feedback Meg and I have received from our Done with Diets Summit viewers!   We are about halfway through the event and women from all over are getting that “aha” moment related to all different aspects of their lives. There is one unifying theme, and that is transitioning our mindset out of deprivation and into abundance!

Deprivation is absolutely everywhere. Yes, it’s most obvious in food choices, but has this way of leaking into other aspects of our lives like finances, relationships, and the way we look at time. The Done with Diets summit addresses how we respond when we feel deprived of adequate time, money, nourishment, meaningful relationship, etc.

My first real run-in with the scarcity mindset occurred when I began studying for my grueling 4-part exam to become a Certified Public Accountant. I viewed the studying process as something that was stealing away my time from the rest of my life. Granted, this studying process is never sunshine and rainbows, but I know I made it worse by focusing on all the things I couldn’t do because I should be studying instead. I made the yearlong process much more painful than it needed to be, and as a result missed out on events with family and friends and spent a year being a very unhappy person. This sounds a lot like our focus when we go on a diet…all the things we need to avoid…. all the things we “can’t” eat.

The next life event that could have sent me down the scarcity mindset hole was a bit different, because it was (more) voluntary. Voluntary deprivation, aka self-restriction, can be a very difficult thing for the mind to accept (think diet, self-imposed budget, etc.) because you are answering to yourself. After an especially long busy season with tons of nasty takeout food (3 months of eating catered fast food for 2+ meals per day), I decided to stop eating meat as a challenge to reach for vegetables more often (and kick start my immune system).

Instead of thinking about all the hot dogs, burgers, deli sandwiches, and chicken delights I would be missing out on, I switched my focus. And amazing things happened! Instead of feeling like there was nowhere I could go out to eat (in the sausage capital Chicago), I began noticing vegetarian menus and restaurants all over. I made a folder of all the non-meat recipes I wanted to make and it was soon overflowing. Our reality is really created by our thoughts and I had entered abundance!

One of my favorite motivational gurus, Dr. Wayne Dyer said, “Abundance is not something we acquire. It is something we tune into.” When I first heard this idea I was both excited and confused. Excited because abundance brings happiness, and if we don’t need to acquire abundance it means we already have it…. Confused because HOW do we do that?

We need to focus on how we may be sabotaging ourselves + our goals by living with the wrong mindset. Stephen Covey discusses deprivation and the scarcity mindset in his book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. We’ve all felt like there isn’t enough time in the day, that there aren’t enough fish in the sea, or our bank account never has enough in it, we aren’t satisfied when following a diet. Stephen says, “Most people are deeply scripted in what I call the Scarcity Mentality. They see life as having only so much, as though there were only one pie out there. And if someone were to get a big piece of the pie, it would mean less for everybody else.”

We need to believe we are capable and worthy of abundance! Look at your life right now, what are you attracting? Do you make decisions from a fearful place? What is your perspective? You’ve got to be willing to give from where you are. Give what you got because giving signals “plenty.”  It signals abundance.  When you’re in a state of giving, and giving willingly you’re telling others (and yourself) that there is plenty.  That there is more than enough for everyone.

Spend a week testing this new thought process. You might just be amazed at how things “show up” in your life right on time. The way you do anything is the way you do everything.  If there is lack in one area, then there is lack in all areas of your life.  It really comes down to your mindset. What we focus on grows, so think about what we want.

With all of these tips, you have to start with where you are.  You can’t give what you don’t have.  Be willing to give what you got from where you are and I promise you – abundance will flow into your life.  You will be actively creating the abundance mindset.

What is the biggest thing you feel a “lack of” in your life right now? How can you switch into abundance? Let us know in the comments!

Live your WHOLE life,

Shannon + Meg

 

Interested in tips from our lifestyle experts about switching your mindset? You can still signup and get access to ALL the interviews, yes even the ones you missed! Register @ www.donewithdietssummit.com

 

 

For those of your out there that have been following Whole Food Love on social media, you know Meg and I are in our first week of our Done with Diets summit! It has been amazing to connect with all of our incredible experts and the excitement shines through in each interview. It’s also been interesting that so many leaders in their field LOVED the opportunity to talk about the same topic…why DIETS do NOT work!

Now I don’t want to giveaway too much of the insights from the interviews, but there are a number of reasons why a restrictive diet doesn’t work to achieve the results as marketed, and it really has nothing to do with willpower. We often begin a diet with only outwardly physical results in mind: lose weight, get a flat stomach, melt those love-handles, etc. but it’s a whole other story when we turn our focus INWARD.

I preach that foods can heal and even Hippocrates knew that food could be used as medicine, so I was beyond excited when I connected with Rebecca Katz, professional chef and Culinary Translator. Rebecca has an unique background and amazing story that led her to create her latest cookbook The Healthy Mind Cookbook: Big-Flavor Recipes to Enhance Brain Function, Mood, Memory and Mental Clarity. After her father died of dementia, subsequent to struggling with the disease for a decade, Rebecca just accepted that her brain had an “expiration date of seventy or so.” After some intense research Rebecca was liberated and refused to accept the idea that our brains go soft as soon as we reach “senior citizen hood.”

Instead, Rebecca created her Culinary Pharmacy- where we have all the tools to maintain a healthy, useful brain long after receiving our AARP membership card. Food can be a great boon to relaxation, mood enhancement, and supercharge brain cell regeneration[1], block memory attacking molecules, and even improve detoxification. We have this power, through our food choices to stay sharp, and be present with our grandchildren, and family for years to come! Experiencing the fading memory that we associate with age doesn’t have to be inevitable! And I haven’t even gotten to the best part about the whole idea yet….the YUM factor!

So move over Mary Poppins, because no spoonful of sugar is required for this medicine to go down! The recipes from Rebecca’s book are healthful, make you feel great, are easy to create, but most importantly taste DELICIOUS! Rich foods like avocado, zesty cilantro, memory boosting parsley, and Rebecca’s secret weapon: pumpkin seeds are key. This is an example of the perfect marriage between “good for you” and “good for your taste buds!” Before I give away too much of my amazing interview with Rebecca (signup @ www.donewithdietssummit.com to have it sent directly to your inbox), I proved the YUM factor for myself with the following Shrimp Stuffed Avocados 2.0 recipe, courtesy of The Healthy Mind Cookbook !

Ingredients

2 large ripe avocados

wedge of lime, for freshly squeezed juice

sea salt

1 lb. shrimp, cooked and cut into bit size pieces

1 Granny Smith apple, cut into bite-size pieces*

2 scallions, sliced

1 Tbsp. pumpkin seeds, toasted (optional)

Dressing:

½ cup coarsely chopped cilantro

¼ cup coarsely chopped parsley

¼ cup EVOO

3 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice

½ tsp. ground cumin

¼ tsp. ground coriander

1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped

1 clove of garlic, peeled and smashed

¼ tsp. sea salt

*Apples are on the EWG’s Dirty Dozen List, so Whole Food Love recommends buying organic

Directions:

1. Combine the dressing ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.
2. Cut the avocados in half and remove the pits. Spritz with lime juice and sprinkle with sea salt.
3. Make a well in the avocado halves by scooping out some flesh, but be sure to leave ½ inch border.
4. Place the scooped avocado chunks in a bowl and mash lightly with a fork. Add the shrimp, apple, scallion, and 4 Tbsp. of the dressing; stir until evenly coated. (Reserve the rest of the dressing in the fridge up to 5 days for another use, but don’t plan on any leftovers- these avocado boats are too YUM.)
5. Spoon the shrimp mixture into the well of the avocado halves, making a nice mounded scoop in each.
6. Sprinkle with toasted pumpkin seeds and serve immediately!

Note: The shrimp salad, sans avocado, will store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.

So treat your taste buds and support your brain cells at the same time. Don’t miss my interview with Rebecca Katz, simply signup and we’ll email it directly to you! Let us know what you think of the recipe and what YOUR biggest reason is for wanting a healthy brain in the comments below!

 

Live your WHOLE life,

Shannon + Meg

 

[1] Research is suggesting it’s possible to supercharge the new cell production and preserve our minds through food. The Healthy Mind Cookbook– Rebecca Katz

Over the last 3 months, Shannon and I have been working hard on putting together our incredible online event and it’s finally here.

This event has truly been a labor of love and while there have been times that it’s been challenging to juggle event production, our regular work schedules, family and self, I honestly have to say that every interview has kept me sane and allowed me to stay focused during one of the most transitory periods in my life.

It’s truly been a year of incredible change. We started off late 2013 with our new addition of a beautiful baby boy. Then, less than 4 weeks later, we moved from the Central Coast of California back to SoCal for the hubby’s job. I could never complain about all of the beautiful places that we’ve lived, but moving can be so incredibly stressful.

I started to get a better grasp on balancing motherhood, family, work, and personal time. We were just getting settled when we found out that we would be transferring to Germany for two years. Of course this timing would be right around the Done with Diets event production – not to mention a few additional complications that we weren’t expecting…  I don’t say this to complain, I say this because the Universe sends us what we NEED – and for me, this was talking to leading women’s health and wellness experts to learn how to prioritize myself. If I couldn’t take care of myself, there’s no way that I could take care of others.

If you never have time for “you” I need you to listen carefully to this quick message because it’s time to put your health, time, and vitality first and to understand why taking care of yourself isn’t “selfish.”

This interview series was has been my saving grace and I’m so honored and proud to share it with all of you—and not just because you “deserve it,” its because you need it to live free from the overwhelming burdens that fill the modern woman’s life.

If you’re busy, overwhelmed, tired, and frustrated. If you always feel like you should be doing more when you’re already pushed to the limit. And, if you frequently focus on the wellbeing of everyone else over yourself, it’s time to open your eyes and discover exactly what’s possible when you devote just a small amount of effort into YOU.

It’s called Done With Diets: Discover How the Modern Lady Incorporates Lifestyle Chages to Create an Abundance of Health, Time, and Vitality and it’s a FREE virtual interview series.

Before you say “no, I’m busy, that’s not for me” or “no, my family or my husband comes first,” you need to take a step back and realize that its absolutely VITAL to focus on yourself first if you want to take care of others.

Shannon and I have worked for the last 3 months hand selecting only the best experts for this amazing event. This event is your chance to see interviews with over 25 leading experts in the field of women’s health, wellness, and lifestyle (authors, doctors, researchers, and self-help innovators from health, fitness, wellness, self-acceptance and motivation backgrounds).

You’ll be able to listen to our interviews with 25+ leading women’s health and wellness experts and learn the power of giving yourself time, enriching your mind, body and spirit, and improving your health and vitality.

You’ll receive:

– Access to 25+ interviews from leading women’s health & wellness experts

– Tips, information and strategies to learn how to prioritize YOU (and the best part…you can start incorporating them NOW! )

– Techniques to overcome that feeling of guilt that creeps up when we want to take time for ourselves

– Information about why it’s absolutely VITAL to take care of yourself especially if you are taking care of others

– Ways to Nourish your body, mind, and spirit

And much, much, more…

If this sounds exciting to you, I urge you to attend.

Join me and 25+ experts for FREE by clicking on the link below and registering today.

Click Here to access Done with Diets!

It’s called “Done With Diets” because what you’ll learn is that diets themselves represent one of the many constraints that we place on ourselves. You’re about to discover that once you unlock the practice of self-care, constraints that you consciously and subconsciously place on yourself every day will disappear.

You’ll discover how amazing it feels to be the happy, healthy, and vibrant woman that you deserve to be.

Join me at this FREE virtual summit and interview series by clicking the link here.  So click here to claim your spot at the Done with Diets Event.

I’m excited to “see” you there!

Live your WHOLE life,

Meg & Shannon Sullivan

P.S. Each interview in this series will only be available for a limited time. So register now! The event starts May 11th!

Click Here to Register