One thing about shaking up my eating habits and sticking to a list of rules is that there’s a bright spotlight shining on my less-than-healthy eating habits like night eating.  The longer I stay up, the hungrier I get.   I think this is true for a lot of us.  You?

And if I turn on the TV to watch a DVD, I get especially hungry.   I’m like a trained rat!

This morning as I lazed in bed thinking about getting up, I thought “gee, coffee would give me something to get up for. ”  But I’m not drinking coffee now, so does that mean there’s nothing to get up for?  That’s what it feels like, even if it isn’t true. 

Funny that when I’m focusing on cleaning up my diet my focus turns from what I can eat and drink to what I can’t eat and drink–until I catch myself and recommit to cleaning up my eating habits.

That spotlight’s getting awfully bright.  Now it’s shining on my habit of being too lazy to make a salad or prepare dinner.  If I open the refrigerator and don’t see a  #1 (think fun, tasty meal),  or something else that’s easy to pull together, I’m tempted to run for takeout.  This habit harkens back to childhood because my mother rarely cooked and my dad was on the road.  For the most part it was “fend for yourself” at our house.  Childhood habits are hard to break, but they are breakable.  And that’s part of my goal with this cleanse–to reset my eating habits. 

Today is an all fruits and veggies day.  And if you read my post from yesterday, you know how I feel about vegetables.  I had hot spicy “lemonade” for breakfast and a hearty soup for brunch.  It was satisfying but then I prowled the kitchen for something “fun.”  Dinner was a great salad, but then I was on the prowl again.  Soon I’ll watch be watching a movie, so watch out! 

There’s an endless series of triggers to eat when I’m not hungry.  Mind you I’m not triggered to eat carrots and celery or even an apple or a pear.  I want rich, salty, sweet, smooth and crunchy–now the spotlight is on our junk food snack addiction in this culture–a food culture I’m working to break free from, hence this nutritional cleanse.  I do not want to be a slave to unhealthy food cravings.  So I’m hanging in there, reframing, consoling, and comforting myself with a hot cup of tea, a good movie, and soon a warm bed.

We’ll see what tomorrow brings.

Have you ever noticed that vegetable lovers always call them veggies and vegetable haters always call them vegetables?  I usually call them vegetables, occasionally veggies.  So you see my challenge–I’m on the fence about veggie-tables.  I know I should love them, but I don’t.  I still eat them because I know they’re very good for me.  I also eat them because I’m a wellness practitioner and it just wouldn’t look good not to eat them

I’ve spent a couple of decades learning to make vegetables taste better–healthy sauces, stir fries, and flavorful brothy soups.  I own several high-flavor cookbooks and tend to favor ethnic cuisines that are heavy on the spices. 

For lunch I had a fantastic salad with balsamic vinaigrette–the dressing made it.  For dinner I had a cauliflower, kale, potato soup that was also fantastic (seasoned with Indian spices).  The sauteed green beans and garlic tasted good too–no fancy spices.  I don’t know what I’m whining about.  Everything tasted fantastic.  Maybe I don’t really hate veggies   Maybe I just think I do.

Is anybody else conflicted about vegetables?

Still, I’m doing it.  Yay for imperfect me.  I’m Failing Forward according to John Maxwell.

An earlier version of me would have wrung her hands and worried about being behind.  I would have tried to figure out who was to blame for my not knowing that the cleanse did not start on Feb. 1.  I would have searched all my emails looking for the one I missed that told me when the cleanse started.  But I didn’t.   And that’s something! 

I also would have wrung my hands while shopping at the whole foods store for my supplies wanting to get the exact stuff that they recommended – no matter the cost and availability.  But I didn’t.  I tuned in to my inner wisdom and shopped with comfort and peace.  That’s something!

And I would have chided myself for eating something today that is not on the “yes” list.  But I didn’t.  I know that I’m committed to doing a great nutritional cleanse so I’m not sweating the small stuff.  And I’m giving myself time to ramp up.

Even though I’m “behind,” here’s what I have done so far to take care of myself … I’ve completed my grocery shopping, cleaned out the fridge, opened myself up to whatever gifts are in store for me,  had a chiropractic adjustment, I’ve done the laundry, cleaned the kitchen, and slept as long as I wanted this morning.  I also walked Toby on the levee for over an hour.  And after I finish this post, I’m going to watch season 8 of Little House on the Prairie.  That’s a good bit of self-care and I’m pleased I have the time (and am taking the time) to “show myself some love.”

How are you with accepting failure, reframing failure, and using it as a stepping stone in your life?    I’m still learning to do this better, but I’m nipping at the heels of compassion for myself and others.  And that’s something!

Great quotes from Failing Forward:  http://2xthework.blogspot.com/2011/03/quotes-from-failing-forward.html  Write a few on your bathroom mirror with a Sharpie or post them in your car or by your computer as reminders…..that failures can move us forward when we just keep going!

I have committed to writing a post every day as I progress through the 21-day cleanse.  Please stop by frequently or subscribe in the upper right column to receive notification when I post.

Please share your comments and failure/success experiences below at the comment link.

New Year’s Evolution:
Evolve Instead of Resolve!

• The 5-step process to choose a theme for 2012 to guide you throughout the year.
• Personal strategies to keep your theme top of mind.
• How to use your theme to evolve in 2012…and every year thereafter.

TELECLASS DETAILS:
Day/Date: Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Time: 10-11am PT | 11-12pm MT | 12-1pm CT | 1-2pm ET

Cheryl Miller is a wellness strategist, life coach and Mayor of CherylMillerVille.com.
She has an M.S. in Exercise Physiology & Community Health and extensive training as a coach.

To show my appreciation for you and your subscription to CherylMillerVille.com, I’d love to share this year’s beautiful ”homemade” Bluebird of Happiness calendar.

Here are two printing options:

Option 1: Just click the link below to save the pdf to your computer and print on nice, medium-weight paper.

Option 2:  Or for a more beautiful and dramatic effect, save the file to a CD or flash drive and have it printed in high resolution (11 x 17) for just $1.78 at Kinkos.   Framed calendars make great gifts!  I purchased a bunch of inexpensive 11 x 17  frames and delivered several framed calendars to friends and colleagues in Lawrence and they loved them.

2012 bluebird calendar (download PDF – it’s a large file so give it a little time to download).

Gift #2:  Wednesday, January 18 (10am PT | 11am MT | 12pm CT | 1pm ET) I’m offering a FREE teleclass:  New Year’s Evolution:  Evolve Instead of Resolve!  Here’s the link to more details and to register.    Hope to meet you on the call!  This class is over, but here is a link to the notes and audio from this class:  http://www.cherylmillerville.com/nye-resources  I hope you enjoy it!

Happy New Year – 2012 is the year of power and action!

A few of you wanted to know about the brand of light box I have. It’s Philips brand goLITE blue.  Don’t forget your D3, fish oil, being outside, exercise and time with people you love. This combo really kick’s Seasonal Affective Disorder where the sun doesn’t shine

Being in a community is so important for our health and well-being.  In just one gathering with my women friends, we shared our hearts and our resources for health, healing, and connection.

Are you in a group? Tell us about it in the “comments” section below.

One member told us of a book that extolled menopause as a beautiful, natural, and important transition.  We perked up because who doesn’t want to see menopause as a positive experience!  Our friend reminded us that western medicine makes menopause a problem to be dealt with using drugs and a “put up with it” mentality.  Everyone nodded in acknowledgement that this is the unnecessarily negative conventional  perception of menopause in the western world.  And it’s time for a change.  There is a much more positive approach.

Here’s a link to a positive spin on menopause and one powerful method to help manage the transition.  This article is written by the author of the book my friend was telling us all about.

Several of us are buying her book:  Menopause A Second Spring:  Making a Smooth Transition With Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Let’s stick together in seeing menopause as a natural, beautiful, powerful transition to new life.

Here’s a glimpse…..

Whoever came up with the expression “eats like a bird” to describe someone  with an eensy appetite never watched wild birds in winter. Although  feathers do a fine job of  insulating a small bird’s body from cold, food is  the fuel that stokes its inner fires, keeping its metabolism  generating crucial heat and energy. From sunup to sundown,  an overwintering  bird’s focus in life is to feed its face.  Most small species need to eat  from one-third to three-fourths their body weight in food each day. No gluttony here, though; the name of the game is survival, pure and simple.  No food, no tomorrow.

We feed birds to nourish our own winter-weary souls, too.  Somehow watching birds flit from feeder to bush to branch, to feeder to  bush to branch, lifts our spirits. Putting out feeders not only gives us a closer look at our feathered friends, but also gives us a greater sense  of kinship with the creatures sharing our natural world.

Read more: http://www.motherearthnews.com/Nature-Community/2004-02-01/Bringin-in-the-Birds.aspx#ixzz1fgJa0W5i

My neighbor keeps the bird feeder full and I keep their water fresh and thawed.  How do you help support wildlife in winter?  Leave your comments below.

Soup is one of the easiest (and fastest) things to make.  In my basic recipe I start by sauteeing onions and garic.  Next I add a box of broth, toss in some veggies and meat or other protein.  In a quick 30 minutes you have dinne!  It’s so much faster than driving to McDonalds or any other restaurant.

You can add any veggies you like (fresh or frozen).  I highly recommend that you use up whatever’s in your refrigerator (or freezer).  When the carrots and celery start to wilt, make a pot of soup.  Carrots, celery and onions are considered the soup trio (they make any soup taste great).  They also make a great broth if you want to boil ‘em up before they get too limp to salvage.

Here’s a “recipe” for the Chicken Veggie Stew I made for dinner tonight.  It was done in 30 minutes….and so was the cornbread.

1. Sautee a whole onion (chopped) (Note:  I sauteed it in a small amount of the chicken broth)
2. Add a box of broth (chicken or vegetable)
3. Add a small potato or two (I peel them if they get a green tinge and dice them in large chunks)
4. Add a bag of frozen veggies (mine included carrots, green beans, peas, and corn)
5. Rough chop some greens (I used curly kale)

For Variety

I’ve made so many brothy soups recently I wanted this one to seem different so I thickened it a bit to make it more like a stew.  To thicken the broth, use a small jar with a tight fitting lid.  Add about 1/2 – 3/4 cup liquid (broth, water, or milk, etc.) and about two tablespoons of flour or corn starch (I used whole wheat pastry flour because that’s what I had on hand).  Shake the jar to fully mix the flour and water and pour it into the bubbling soup.  Let it cook another 5 minutes or so. 

That’s just one kind of soup.  Change up the protein and veggies to make endless modifications.

Bonuses:  Your house will smell fantastic as this cooks, you’ll use up produce in your fridge, you’ll eat a light but satisfying meal, and you’ll be loaded to the brim with nutrients to help you stay healthy.  Not only is soup incredibly fast to make, but it’s incredibly satisfying and nutrient dense.  It’s also great for weight loss. 

Cheryl’s Soup Kitchen

For more soup ideas, check out my ebook Cheryl’s Soup Kitchen.  I include recipes not only for many kinds of soups, but I also give recipes for side dishes to fill out the meal.  And I provide tips on ways to streamline your kitchen for fast food preparation.  Check it out here:  http://www.cherylmillerville.com/soup/