As we explore deeper into our issues with Disorderly Eating, we can locate the chapter in my new book, "How Many Cookies Will It Take to Make Me Happy?", where we find ourselves ready to enter the most important garden on the Goal-den or Therapeutic Path. This garden is not only important for those looking to lose weight. It's name tells the whole story... MindBody Health. It's the most important garden on the Path, for it contains flowers representing all body cells & their systems. In other words...Life.
Everything is connected. Remember my telling you that all gardens are fed by a powerful, underground root system?These roots feed your work & prosperity, your relationships including your relationship with yourSelf,your spirituality, even your future. Cheat in the MindBody Health Garden & feel the cheating in all areas of your life, not only now, but down your Future Path as well. Keep in mind that The Piper always has to be paid. No one gets away free.
If you've been following along, you know that we are working utilizing the power of specialized imagery that is so welcomed by your subconscious mind. This is a form of interactive self-hypnosis known as "speaking hypnosis." Here we are taking that one step further & practicing "reading hypnosis." Reading this blog or the book is just like reading any other book, only here the suggestions or word images are designed to evoke changes in your own Lifestyle Behaviors. You are currently on the journey to high level health & performance. So, it's not just about losing weight. It's much more than that. This journey can change the way you live & experience your Life.
It's time now. Rested & with Intention in hand, we enter the MindBody Health Garden over here. See the sign? Your name is also on the sign, because this is your garden & not anyone else's. Rememberabout self-ownership. Your garden is filled with flowers, one for each cell in your body. The array of flowers is staggering. Perhaps you didn't realize how many cells you have, each one of them needing care if they are to do their job. You are the only caregiver, for the cells cannot provide this to themselves.
The "cell flowers" are divided into sectors representing the systems of your body. You are familiar with some of these systems. Notice the signs that mark these; circulatory, neurological, endocrine, skeletal, muscular, digestive, immune, lymphatic, reproductive, respiratory, excretory & integumentary. These systems work separately, but also support each other; the stronger often supporting the weaker. The body always looks for balance or homeostasis. This is much easier to achieve when you, the caregiver, is involved with helping, but unfortunately, this is not always the case. Lots of times we simply don't pay attention. When's the last time you thought about any of your systems? When our body systems are working well we often take them for granted, but ask anyone who is having a system breakdown how they feel about this & you will hear a very different story.
As you might guess, there are many reasons for system breakdowns. A major reason is abuse & chronic ignoring by the chief caregiver. Sad, but true. 60-90% of chronic disease is linked to stress. That means that 60-90% of chronic disease could be erased by high level caregiving. Think about that for a moment. It's really quite astounding. Keep in mind that chronic diseases are built over a period of time. Look carefully at some of your systems here in the Garden. If you look closely you can see the stress on some sectors of the plants. Perhaps those wilted leaves in the heart or circulatory system are closely connected to your choice of food in the past few months. How about the digestive system? What might have caused those leaves to drop? Later on we'll be invited to visit your actual systems. From that perspective we can observe as you, the caregiver, actually deliver your level of care & formulate the body system outcomes. Then you will be able to evaluate where you might need to improve.
Since stress plays such a big part in the MindBody Health Garden, it's important to become more familiar with it. Remember, if you are going to take care of something, you need to be able to identify it & then make a plan. While stress is an over-used word, few people truly work to manage it in ways that make a difference to the body systems. In fact, they actually do just the opposite, delivering more toxins to the plants in the form of smoking, sugar, junk food, alcohol or other behaviors that encourage more stress chemicals to be produced by the body. And the stress-cycle continues to build on itself. More stress. More negative chemical interaction. The body systems begin to deteriorate, perhaps going towards the diagnoses of heart & circulatory disease, diabetes, chronic inflammatory diseases & even cancer. Remember that the mind & body are connected & so there is also immediate & long term deterioration of the mind functions. If this weren't enough, negative emotions are triggered, making daily life experiences more difficult to take. Of course, this stress-cycle also has a great impact on relationships, not only with others, but with the Self as well.
Earlier on we fell upon the explanation of the importance of being aware & bringing things to the light. This is what we are doing here. If we can't see something, we can't fix it & if we don't own it, then we tend to just put it down & ignore it. Perhaps in the past you called this by the name of "procrastination", maybe even laughed at it. If you listen, you'll hear others practicing this dangerous behavior, perhaps waiting to improve their eating & drinking behaviors for "some other time when there isn't so much stress." Should you over-hear anything like this, think about the body systems that belong to that individual. Think about what's going on in their MindBody Garden. Think about the outcomes they are building. Now, ask yourself if you have done the same. Have you laughed or made excuses in the face of your own body systems? Yes, it's time for apologizing & for seriously improving your caregiver status.
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Copyrighted 2009 Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht
May not be copied or reproduced without permission of the author
Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht is the author of Sugar...the Hidden Eating Disorder & How to Lick It. She has written & produced +350 mp3/CD programs in the area of health, prevention, self-development & sports performance for adults & children.
