Ahhhhh coffee…aka: love of my life! (* see recipe at end of post*) Years back I’d go through periods of my life where I’d attempt to give up coffee due to minding my caffeine intake or policing the whiteness of my teeth, but I’d always find ways to “cheat” and sneak it back in. One of my sisters pointed out that perhaps I only gave it up because I got a thrill from doing something I had told myself that I couldn’t do. Who, me? What- did we just meet? 😉 The surest way for my intensity loving-addictive-MORE MORE MORE side to be obsessively all over something is to tell me that I can’t have it. Having learned through much trial and error to accept and UTILIZE, rather than argue with what IS, I accepted that this is how I’m wired and rather than curse and avoid it, I was to acknowledge and utilize my intensities to help empower myself and others. In other words, take control of this power and transmute (my favorite Napoleon Hill word- we’ll be circling back in future posts) the energy to my advantage. This is why I am unable to align with the philosophy of a trainer or nutritionist going into a client’s home and removing items that aren’t “good” for them to eat. I’m not slamming this approach for those it works for (remember, there is NO “one” way! You must seek YOUR way, consistently training in the soul workout of standing in your own truth) but rather, standing in my truth.
“You cannot afford to suggest to another person, by word of mouth or in writing, or through any act, that which you yourself do not believe.”
Napoleon Hill
I believe the best approach is education, education, education, and a willingness to educate yourself in an open-minded manner. If you have a desire to learn about anything, SEEK IT with an open heart and an open mind and you’ll find it avails itself to you. If your main desire is to eat in a manner that prioritizes optimal wellness, you need to go the extra mile beyond what your trainer brings to the table and educate yourself about nutrition, researching, experimenting with, and deducing for yourself why you may want or need to avoid various foods over others. And you see, that takes time. If I’ve told you that we are going to get you into great shape and I have assigned a time frame to this “goal”, that means I’d feel compelled to rush you to where I want you to be (practicing optimal nutrition) without you arriving to your destination under your own steam. In doing this, I have not encouraged the emergence of your own energy (which I have been shown time and time again is my mission) but instead forced my energy and desires on you. Will you stop eating poorly just because I’ve taken your junk food? Probably for a while. But then real life, with it’s real stresses and real challenges will intercede and if you never were given the time and space to build the soul stamina required to come to your own conclusions about how and why you wanted to learn to eat in an optimal, healthy, yet realistic way, you will not have access to the tools you need to do so on your own for the rest of your life. These tools take time and experience to acquire at your own pace and can’t be sped along at the force of another. You are not a child who requires a parental presence to clear your cupboards of foods that are not healthy for you. You are an adult who needs to clear your mind and life of the clutter that is preventing you from receiving information that will aid you in taking steps to make solid life changes. NO other can clear these cupboards FOR YOU, and you can not clear them for yourself until you’re led to- one tiny step at a time. I don’t tell you to give up anything besides the all-or-nothing conditioned thinking that keeps you stuck in the belief that little changes don’t make a difference. Little changes done consistently are what add up to major changes over time. Making tiny changes and healthier replacements in your life will get you to a place where that sweet coffee (or calming cigarette, or comforting whiskey shot, or soothing pint of ice cream, etc…) you believe you can’t go without today eventually becomes a distant memory, or in some cases, an occasional treat that you can take or leave. You simply need to find your own path to getting there. Much as I’d love to throw you over my shoulders and run you to that place “in 6 weeks or less!” it just doesn’t work that way and you must get there on your own in order to fully appreciate why.
This is a holiday blend french roast made by grinding a cinnamon stick, whole cloves and a chunk of whole nutmeg in the coffee grinder, then adding it to ground coffee beans. You can also toss in a vanilla bean, or if you’re out, do as I did and dot the grounds with about a tsp. of pure vanilla extract. Spices are one of my favorite smells! I even dusted my hands with the spice blend after and rubbed it over my arms. I smelled like a cookie! *Only do this if you’re good with being found irresistible. Some may not be able to leave their hands off you. I happen to be fine with that 😉 Holiday spice coffee became my go-to treat many years back to replace the luscious, but often sugar and fat loaded coffeehouse specialty drinks that I once craved. This brew is delicious left to its smoldering unadulterated black self, but if I want to jazz it up I may put in some steamed coconut or oat milk or a smackerel of sugar or honey to make it like dessert. I still treat myself to those take-out specialty drinks occasionally as well, but I tailor them to my own tastes by requesting just 1/2 to 1 pump of the flavored syrup or sauce, which gives the flavor and sweetness without being overpoweringly sweet. Find what works for you and ENJOY!
fit BEYOND form 
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