“Freedom is the oxygen of the soul”
– Moshe Dayan
Freedom, as defined by Webster, has many connotations:

• the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint
• the state of not being imprisoned or enslaved
• the state of being physically unrestricted and able to move easily
• (freedom from) the state of not being subject to or affected by a particular undesirable thing
• the power of self-determination attributed to the will; the quality of being independent of fate or necessity.

What, you ask, does this have to do with food, weight management and body image?

The Freedom Promise was born out of my realization that when one lets go of the rules and restrictions we impose on ourselves in order to be smaller, we find a place within ourselves where we can experience a lightness of being, therefore expanding our presence, feeling peacewithin, and without much effort, what we fought so hard for, becomes attainable.

What follows are my very simple and common sense strategies that you can incorporate into your daily life. These strategies will eliminate the triggers that keep you from realizing your goals; these strategies will serve to improve all areas of your life; inspiring the personal and professional success you may have only been dreaming about.

Step # 1. Adopt an “Attitude of Gratitude”. Feeling grateful for the blessings that surround you allows you to open yourself up to new perceptions and strengthen your willingness to make desired change.

Step # 2. Finds ways to effectively deal with your stress and emotional turmoil. You can’t eliminate all of it but you can commit to relaxation techniques that will help your body shed extra pounds stored as a result of fat storing hormones which come into play during those tense times.

Step # 3. Stop dieting! Get rid of the “shoulds” and “shouldn’ts”. Adopt a whole foods diet, eliminate fake and diet food. Feed your body what it needs to be nourished, veggies, fruits, whole grains, lean proteins and healthy fats. You will have less cravings, less hunger and  a more efficient metabolism.

Step #4. Listen to your body. Include it in the conversation. There is no one diet that is right for every one so look to your body for the answer, not this year’s fad. When you tune in, your body will have the answers.

Step #5. Eat when you are hungry, without distraction. Eat mindfully, with awareness. Remember the philosophy that how and why you eat has a direct effect on what you eat.

Step # 6. Stop punishing your body in the gym. By all means exercise but find activity you really like. Work out to be fit, flexible and strong; not to make your body go away.

Step #7. Surround yourself with people, places and things that truly nourish you. Ask yourself what you are really hungry for? Sometimes we think we want a bag of chips when we really need to reach out to a friend or loved one, create more organization in our home or find a deeper spiritual connection.