Go Goddess! exhausted: adjective dead-tired, dog-tired, bone-tired, ready to drop, worn out, wiped out, burned out, tapped out, bagged, whipped. Dear, Tired Goddess, We see you there, holding this book, double espresso in your hand, eyelids half open. We know you have just a few minutes to yourself right now, so we plan to make this worth it for you. We want you to stop feeling overwhelmed. But you need simple information-you need gentle changes and practical action that you can incorporate now into your crazy-busy, do-everything-for-everyone-else kind of life. So how 'bout you start here? With Go Goddess! Book One in the Goddess Revolution Series, you'll join the simplest, most astonishing revolution around. This book is an indispensable encyclopedia of how-tos: How to nourish yourself with holistic nutrition and whole foods How to gain back the energy you've lost How to do things for yourself, guilt-free How to balance career, motherhood, weight, and a sense of self Preserve your precious energy and become the goddess you were meant to be. We've even included whole foods recipes and tips and tricks from our own lives as mothers and business women that have made us feel as goddess-y, as vibrant, and as ready to take on the world as can be. This is your fresh start. This is your life preserver. And we are tossing it to you, Dear Goddess. Grab on and begin your own revolution. Once you Go Goddess, you never go back. With Love, Barb and Jenn

Go Goddess!

From Depleted to DivineBy Barb Thomas Jennifer Rochford

Balboa Press

Copyright © 2011 Barb Thomas, RHN and Jennifer Rochford Photographs courtesy of Russ Sedin
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4525-3620-0

Contents

Introducing The Goddess..................................xiPart One: Care of the Goddess Temple.....................1Chapter One, Nourish.....................................3Chapter Two, Hydrate.....................................33Chapter Three, Breathe...................................39Chapter Four, Movement...................................45Chapter Five, SPA........................................55Part Two: Care of the Goddess Spirit.....................63Chapter Six, Inspiration.................................65Chapter Seven, Spirit....................................75Chapter Eight, Get Real Goddess..........................93Part Three: The Revolution...............................97Chapter Nine, The Revolution.............................99Chapter Ten, The Recipes.................................109Resources................................................123Acknowledgments..........................................125About the Goddesses......................................127

Chapter One

Nourish

* * *

Food and eating is hidden in plain sight, in the daily-ness of life, and many of us have forgotten how much good food matters, that we are entirely and only what we eat. - dee Hobsbawn-Smith, "Go Organic"

Get Ready ...

The care and feeding of the Goddess starts deep within. There is no simpler way to say it: until you begin to foster the deep, undying respect that you so deserve for yourself, you will never see significant change physically or spiritually. Years of self abuse and neglect can make self respect a hard commodity to come by. But it needn't be earned. You already have it, far down inside you. It is astounding how awfully we, as women, treat ourselves! We continuously put our needs last, we push ourselves a little too hard, we call ourselves degrading names like fat, ugly, stupid. Is this how we would treat our best friend? Of course not. What kind of respectful friend would we be if we did? Before we discuss with you what will best carry your physical form forward - what will nourish you on the most basic level, we feel it necessary to discuss the biggest question of all in relation to nourishment - why do we eat?

Emotional Eating

The term "Emotional Eating" is such a buzz word right now in the media. It is a term used to describe how we use food to abuse our bodies and cope with our lives, much the same as the way a drug addict would use heroin. Modern pop psychology has led us to believe that food should only be used as fuel, and that if we use it for comfort or coping we are weak, and abusing it and ourselves.

We have counseled so many women who have sat and cried in our sessions over the guilt they feel when they abuse food. It is so heartbreaking to see how these women have such a low opinion of themselves, and how their own identities are drowning in the regret they feel about their food and coping choices.

Goddess has her own opinion about emotions and food.

We, as women and Goddesses, are innately emotional creatures. This is something we should neither try to hide nor feel shame about. Every action we take in life has an emotional connection behind it. When we apply this to the subject of nourishment, it is not hard to understand that every choice we make, from shopping and selecting food, to preparing it for ourselves and our families, to actually eating it, is done with emotion.

When we shop for our families, we are selecting the food we will give them with love and concern for their health. When we prepare meals for our friends and loved ones, we feel pride when they tell us that it was delicious and that they are satisfied. When we eat it ourselves, however, we often choose feelings such as guilt and remorse in relation to our actions. And this is where emotional eating comes into play.

The more we make choices that make us feel guilty, the worse we feel, and the more we eat. The more we eat, the more respect we lose for ourselves, and so the cycle continues. How is it that we are able to lovingly take the time to select the best foods for the people we care about, take the time to craft beautiful dishes that come from our heart, and then, when we sit down to take part in the meal ourselves, we are wracked with guilt?

Emotional eating does not have to be a negative thing! When you internalize the idea that you are so significant to the existence of this, the human race, then you will be able to experience the love and respect that you rightfully deserve, yet often deny yourself. We are here to tell you that it is perfectly fine to be an emotional eater. Just choose the right emotion! Put passion and love into every experience surrounding food. Turn your shopping trips and cooking experiences into ways of showing love to yourself, not just your family. Choose the best quality food that you can afford, prepare each dish, even a simple sandwich, with love and awe for your body and spirit and then, when you sit down to consume what you have crafted, make the choice to eat it, regardless of what it is, from a place of joy! Choose joy as your primary emotion surrounding food. Remember, when you are able to stand in awe and regard your body with the respect it deserves, then you will only want to make joyful choices for it.

Of course we understand that there are many layers for some in regards to their food addictions and struggles. However, we also know that they all stem from the same place - a place and a time, long ago, when the consciousness of the planet, held in our cells still to this very day, made women feel insignificant and worthless.

We still feel it, even though things are a little better for us, here on Earth. It is time, right now, Goddess, to kick that social paradigm out on its butt. It's time for you to know, on the deepest level, that YOU - who you are right this moment - are absolutely perfect in every way. Perfect for this, the journey that you are meant to be on. This is not to say that you don't have a lot of learning and growing to do, but in this moment, right now, the miracle of your body and soul stands naked, waiting for you to acknowledge it. So 300 pounds or 80 pounds, you need to right now stop creating your identity around your negative choices and behaviors, and start loving the wisdom of your body and soul, as it has chosen to cope in the best way that it knows how. Forgive yourself for any time you feel you have wronged yourself. That is in the past, and you don't live there. You live here, in the present, where everything is as it should be. Every moment is an opportunity to make new choices that will enrich your life. KNOW that you are powerful. KNOW that you are worth every ounce of respect you can muster, and don't let anyone tell you any different. When a nice, juicy layer of respect sits simmering at the foundation of your spirit, then making your food choices from a place of joy begins to seem so very logical.

Now that you know the why, let's talk about the what and how. If you are ready to make these amazing and simple choices for your body and soul, then you are going to need a little road map, and we will even throw in an anatomy lesson for you. We believe that the more you know about the awesome function of your body, the more power you will have to make joyful choices. So follow along, and see if any of the next part of the book resonates for you, and helps direct you to making more graceful choices for your beautiful self.

Mindful Eating, Guilt Free

Let's say you're at your in-laws' house for a holiday meal, and there, on the table lies a plate of Aunt Helga's decadent, mouthwatering, homemade brownies. My, but do they look good. And here's the thing. You have already had dinner. Uh oh. Here comes the eternal conundrum: Do you reach for a brownie? Here's how you decide....

The Brownie Exercise- Finding the Joy

First, ask yourself your question: "Can I make this choice from a place of joy? Can I eat this brownie with no guilt, no shame, knowing that it may not be the best choice for my waistline, but sure as heck may satisfy my soul? Can I?" If the answer is yes, then guess what? It's time to eat the brownie. Crazy, we know. But here's the thing. There are so many pleasures in life. As a nutritionist, this Goddess will be the first to tell you that refined sugar and white flour are not the best for your body ... but on a soul level, nourishment can come in many forms ...

Second, practice this regularly (and you don't need to eat a brownie every time). Choose something simple, something good for you, or not, but certainly something that you love to eat, like a strawberry, or a piece of silky dark chocolate. Before you pop it in your mouth, take a moment and hold it in your hands. Send a message of gratitude out to the Universe. Look at what you've selected. Admire its color, its texture. Then hold it up to your nose. Inhale its scent. Then go ahead and pop it in your mouth. Hold it there for a moment and really taste it. Chew slowly, appreciating the textures and flavours that are released. Taste it as if you are tasting it for the first time. Really experience it. Close your eyes and appreciate all the intricacies of the flavor of the food, as you would a fine wine, or as Dr. Christiane Northrup says "as if you were dancing in the moonlight with a lover". Then, after another moment, go ahead and swallow it. Allow yourself a moment to let the taste linger in your mouth, and settle in your body, before you get on with your day.

If you respect your body enough, you will realize that one brownie is not going to tip the scales. One brownie may even bring you joy. If you respect yourself enough, you will know that the next brownie, or maybe the third, would be doing your body a disservice, and you will not chow down. You will not measure your self worth against what you consume, you will not beat yourself up or punish yourself for your choice.

Willpower

Let's talk about willpower for a second. Willpower indicates that you have some sort of POWER over your mind's own ability to make a choice. Willpower indicates that you are so distrustful of your ability to judge what will serve you and what won't that you have to CONTROL, in a regimented way, the choices that you make, all the while DEPRIVING yourself of things that may bring you joy on some level. How about respect? As women, it is so imperative that we understand how important it is to respect ourselves on a deep, deep level. We must understand deeply that our ability to know what is right for ourselves is always there. It is just usually being ignored. Innately, whether you know it or not, your intuition - your body-mind connection, your GODDESS WISDOM - knows just how much of something you can handle, before it becomes destructive to your body.

Charles Eisenstein, in his book The Yoga of Eating, says, "Like a young child, your body loves you totally and instinctively. Like a faithful dog, it stays loyal even when you kick and abuse it. What is the proper way to treat a trusting young child? With patience and unconditional love. And that is also the proper way to treat your body."

Care of the Body

The point of this section of the book is to help you to begin to remember how vital self respect and self love are to your survival, the survival of the Goddess, the survival of the feminine. Beginning to care for yourself properly, in the way you deserve, can be very simple. Let's start with our outermost layer, and work inwards. Let's start with the body.

The body is our vehicle that carries us towards enlightenment and true transformation. It deserves our utmost reverence. However, just like a car, if you forget to change your oil, schedule regular maintenance, give it fuel or even take it to the car wash, your vehicle will break down and not be able to take you where you need to go. This is the same for our physical selves. So many women - mothers, career women, students - are moving at such a fast pace and are so busy taking care of others that they forget the first rule of Goddessdom: we must always take care of our vehicle!! Without proper fuel and a smooth running transmission, we inevitably become exhausted over time. Now, we may not notice this at first, this gradual wearing down of our bodies. But let us paint the picture and you can see if it sounds familiar. In the following few paragraphs, we have chosen to use the example of a woman who is a mother. If you are not a mom, hopefully you can still see some of your own life, or your future, reflected in the very typical experience that follows.

Maybe you stayed up late one night catching up on some work. When your alarm goes off at 6:30 a.m., which would leave you enough time to get your morning routine done, you punch the snooze and try to get ten extra minutes. When you finally drag yourself out of bed, you stumble to the coffee pot and immediately turn it on - you need a boost! The kids need to have their lunches made and the dog needs to be fed. Your oldest daughter can't find any socks, so you spend ten minutes rooting through a pile of clean but unfolded laundry on your bedroom floor that you did not have time to put away last night. By this time, you have fifteen minutes to get out the door and you haven't even had a shower. You wash up hastily and grab your makeup to put on in the car. You pour your coffee into a travel mug, help the kids with their backpacks and you all run out the door.

On the way to work there is, of course, a traffic jam putting you another fifteen minutes behind. Well, at least you can put your makeup on while sitting in gridlock. You finally arrive at work, late for a meeting. You run to the meeting and don't get finished until ten. It suddenly hits you that you haven't eaten all morning. Your hands are shaking from all the coffee and your stomach is really starting to hurt. You have to put something in it now! You stagger to the coffee shop down the street and grab, at best, a bagel and cream cheese. Phew. Your day continues this way - squeezing meals in only when it is convenient on the run from meeting to meeting, a granola bar while driving to pick up the kids. At 4:00 p.m., upon returning home, you begin to prepare dinner, but are so hungry by this point that you wolf down half a bag of nacho chips. You quickly make (or heat up) and eat dinner, take the kids to their lessons, help them with their homework and bed time routine, and sit down at 8:00 to fold laundry. You squeeze in an hour of television, at which time you munch on some popcorn, then finish the report you need done for tomorrow. Suddenly it's midnight. You stumble to bed, and hope tomorrow will be a little easier. It isn't. And neither is the next day.

Get Set ...

Eating For Energy

On a cellular level, days like the ones we just gave an example of cause great wear and tear. By not providing our bodies with what they truly need, day in and day out, our transmission begins to wear down. Eventually a deep seated exhaustion begins to set in. It becomes harder and harder to go through the grueling pace of our days. Emotionally we begin to wear out as well, because on a physical level we simply do not have the energy we need to do what we feel we need to. We become harder and harder on ourselves and push our bodies and our minds more and more to meet the ridiculous goals we have set for ourselves. We begin to rely on artificial stimulants like caffeine and mood enhancers like antidepressants to help us get through the day. Being a Supercreature - all things to all people - is not only exhausting, it is not truly achievable.

If you could look inside your body and watch it as it went through your busy day, this is what you would see:

To begin: from your first sip of coffee, your adrenal glands, which sit atop your kidneys and are responsible for helping you deal with stress, would begin secreting adrenaline. This would make your heart beat faster. As you move quickly through your morning paces, feeling the mental stress of being late for your day, your body secretes more adrenaline to help you cope. You see, your body does not know the difference between the stress of Primordial You being chased by a tiger, and Modern You, late for work. Since it thinks your stress equals trying to avoid being lunch for a Sabertooth, it faithfully continues to pump out the chemicals that will make you run faster as it tries to save your life.

So, in order to assist you in your escape flight from the tiger, your body in its infinite wisdom shunts blood away from your digestive system and to your limbs, to help you run away from danger. This is all well and fine if you were, in fact, being pursued by a wild animal. But since you are actually standing in your kitchen, wolfing back a bowl of Krunchy Puffs, this is not a good thing! Your stomach and bowels need that blood to do their very important job of helping you digest your food, assimilate your nutrients and ultimately excrete toxic waste.

(Continues...)

Excerpted from Go Goddess!by Barb Thomas Jennifer Rochford Copyright © 2011 by Barb Thomas, RHN and Jennifer Rochford Photographs courtesy of Russ Sedin. Excerpted by permission of Balboa Press. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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