This week, we have a very special guest post from Carly Pollack of Nutritional Wisdom. Carly’s mission is to educate clients so that they can become their own “nutritionist”. Through her clinical experience of over 800 clients, she has obtained the tools necessary to coach a wide spectrum of individuals.
By Carly Pollack, MS, Certified Holistic Lifestyle Coach
“Minds are useful when we need to conceptualize, plan and theorize; but when we depend on them to guide our inner lives, we’re lost” Geneen Roth
Maya Angelou is famous for saying, “when you know better, you do better”. After studying the mind and how it works, I don’t always believe this to be true. How many of you know exactly what you need to do to bring health and happiness into your life, but wonder why it is so hard to bridge that education into action? When clients come to see me, simply telling them what they should eat for optimal vitality is not enough. If we don’t address the mind, how it works for and against you, you can never free yourself from emotional eating and self sabotage.
Your current health and weight are a direct reflection of how you live your life. This means your food behaviors can tell you much more than your current level of will power. They represent your personal order of priority, time management, how loving you are to yourself, how you choose to comfort in times of stress and most importantly, it can reveal the mind’s limiting beliefs.
We all have limiting beliefs or what I call the “stories we tell ourselves”. Let’s first make a few things clear. A fact is something that is true for everyone. A belief is just a thought that we think repetitively until we believe it to be “true”. Remember, it wasn’t THAT long ago when we thought the world was flat. How many times have you felt completely powerless when it came to food choices, telling yourself the story that you are not in control? This is an example of one of many stories we tell ourselves that prevent us from moving forward toward greater health. If we aren’t clear on what our stories are, we can’t actively begin to think, say, and function on more positive beliefs. I invite you to search yourself with compassion, to take a good look at the thoughts you have that aren’t helping you to live your dream. Who would you be and what could you achieve if you let go of these thoughts?
In order to control your mind, you must have a clear dream for yourself. Without fear or limiting beliefs, write down the dream you have for your life, health, family, career, etc… Don’t know what your dream is? Then start by looking at what you DON’T want. People who don’t have a clear vision of their dream will need to thrive on a crisis (I’m too fat, not good enough, my pain will never go away, etc.). When you have a big enough dream, you don’t need a crisis! People actually begin to make life long changes when they have found something to love more than they love the pain of their problems. They begin to love and respect themselves. The stories of the mind begin to shift from a place of fear (I won’t be good enough, make enough money, find the right partner), to a place of love (everything comes to me at the right time, my body works for me, I feed my body with the intention of nourishment).
Remember, you pay attention to the things you love. They are the things you take care of. If you are not taking care of yourself, counting calories or shaming yourself in front of the mirror are not going to get you there. I have never met one client that has attained his/her dream through fear. Most clients spin their wheels trying to work on the symptom (weight gain, insomnia, digestive stress) when their focus needs to be on the root cause (lack of love, lifestyle imbalances, unhealthy and fear based thoughts and stories).
The mind is like a television with many different channels. You get to choose what you watch, and for how long. If you have a repetitive thought that is no longer helping you, “change the channel” to a more positive, loving affirmation. Controlling your thoughts is the key to achieving your dreams because after all, your thoughts create your future. Think of your imagination as life’s preview of what’s to come.
Carly Pollack M.S. Holistic Nutrition Nutrition and Lifestyle Coach www.nutritionalwisdom.com Carly’s mission is to educate clients so that they can become their own “nutritionist”. Through her clinical experience of over 800 clients, she has obtained the tools necessary to coach a wide spectrum of individuals. Carly holds a Master’s Degree in Holistic Nutrition and is a Certified Nutrition and Lifestyle Coach by the prestigious CHEK Institute. Her passion for new knowledge keeps her on the cutting edge of nutrition. She will soon obtain one of the highest nutritional credentials, CCN (Certified Clinical Nutritionist). Carly’s no-nonsense approach to lifestyle coaching will guide you through this journey with honesty, caring and laughter. Carly currently resides in Austin where she works with clients in her private practice and lectures throughout the United States.