2015 - Page 7 of 8 - The Body Retreat

Is Weight On Your Mind?

Do you ever find yourself catching sight of yourself in a shop window or a mirror and find the reflection looking back at you isn’t how you think you look?

The question you may ask yourself is how did I put this weight on? Or at what point did my body change? Did it creep up gently or have you always been uncomfortable with your size and shape? Have you felt out of control recently? Maybe your weight is now affecting your self-esteem. Or you are worried that your weight is impacting your health?

You are not alone.

There are lots of women out there thinking the exact same questions as you are. Struggling with weight is not new, it is something most of us struggle with at some point in our life.

The media surrounds us with messages and images of being thin and the need to be smaller so that we can be normal, attractive and accepted. Women in particular tend to correlate weight with self-esteem, and we tend to feel better about ourselves when we are close to our weight target.

We are bombarded by the “Fact” that the way to lose unwanted weight is by eating less and moving more. It sounds so easy, right? – So why do the majority of us struggle to achieve this?

The answer is that losing weight is a complex psychological process. The process combines your behaviours, thoughts and experiences. No diet in the world will help you to lose weight if you are not in the correct state of mind and have barriers blocking the way.

Food is not just a source of energy – we tend to use it to reward or even punish ourselves. Food is associated with being sociable and food can be used to feel in control. It is not just fuel! With the exception of Sugar most food is not addictive, although at times the cravings you have can feel very much like addiction. Indeed the feelings we get from food certainly can really be addictive in nature. Some people find they feel good about themselves if they eat chocolate or some of us like to have a glass of wine when we get home. Or if we have had a bad day at work we treat ourselves to a comforting stodgy ready meal or just raid the bread bin.

The psychological factors will vary from person to person, when it comes to weight loss there is no one size fits all. Maybe you have an idea of what barriers are standing in your way. Or perhaps you feel overwhelmed and confused by what is the right path for you?

The Body Retreat’s unique approach to weight loss can help you change how you connect to food and ensure that when you return home you have all the tools and resources to support yourself to maintaining the weight loss and to continue until you achieve the body, health and wellbeing you want and deserve.

So what are you waiting for? Just email us at Info@thebodyretreat.co.uk and we will set up a time to chat through what your concerns are right now and how we might be able to help you to achieve your goal.

What Successful Women Are Missing In Their Day

Imagine the scene if you will…. Its a quiet Wednesday afternoon and having decided to follow our own guidance on making time for R&R have taken myself off to my local spa for a spot of pampering. As I sat sipping my green mint tea flicking through the pages of a glossy magazine a headline caught my eye. “What Successful Women Are Doing Every Day”. I had a feeling that number one on the list wasn’t going to be read magazines and drink tea, but as a business owner I was intrigued to read on. Perhaps I would discover some hither too unknown wisdom that would help and inspire me to take The Body Retreat to the next level.

Despite the glossy pictures and enticing stories of being whisked around central London on the back of a motorbike, having a PA to book last minute flights to NYC, the glamour of the gorgeous clothes they wore and the effortless style with which they wore them….. there was a dark undercurrent that gave me a chill even wrapped up in my fluffy towelling robe.

The Dark Side of Success For Women

You see I recognised the tales of the long hours (obligatory if you want to get to the top and stay there), the climate of always being “on” (checking emails at every opportunity and making time at midnight to play catch up on the non urgent stuff) the cold hard reality of running on your adrenaline to keep up (if you stop it takes far too much energy to get momentum again).

The successful women being shadowed for a day in this article where also mothers, wives, daughters, sisters and friends…. but there was only a cursory mention of the successful multitasking of watching breakfast news in bed with hubby before sharing a car ride to school with the children. Otherwise the full day was all work. I was disappointed as I was hoping that in 2015 there would be something more of” life” in these successful women’s work/life equation.

Ive deliberately not used the term work life balance here as I feel that it is such an over worked phrase. What we are really looking at are work life choices. Many women will cry out that they have no choice but to work every hour that they can, in these precarious times when job security is low and the cost of living is high the pressure is on to keep afloat. There is no denying that. But that doesn’t mean that we don’t have a choice.

Do You Know How She Does It?

Do you remember the comedy “I don’t know how she does it” back in 2011.

The main character had become a victim of not making choices about her work life equation. A Wife, Mother and Business Woman she found herself buffeted and bruised by guilt, shame, ill health, lack of sleep, lack of sex until eventually it wears her down. Oh how we laughed at the tails and tribulations of her day to day life. Except that for many women this is a tale that is dangerously close to the mark.

There is a growing body of evidence that prioritising work over everything else is bad for your health both mentally and psychically. More and more women are being diagnosed with health conditions ranging from anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, heart disease, pre-diabetes……every year the list seems to grow longer as the impact that negative stress has on health becomes clearer.

Whats R&R Got To Do With It?

The Body Retreat is built on 4 Pillars of Wellbeing, namely Behaviour, Nutrition, Exercise and R & R. Every week on retreat we discuss with our ladies the importance of balance across all four areas for their lives. The area that is always at the bottom of the list for them is R & R. Taking time out to rebalance, to have a massage, take a yoga class, read a good book in the bath…all of these actives are on the wish list but somehow never make it to the top of the priorities list for many busy women.

Most women are vey good at putting everyone and everything else higher up the priorities list than their own health and wellbeing, the women in the article certainly seemed to.

Its a little sad that roles models for what female business success looks like are still these “super women” who put life and health at the bottom of the priority list.

Thankfully the tide seems to be turning. Just last year Ariana Huffington published her book Thrive and has been championing sleep as a vitally important part of the health equation. Likewise at The Body Retreat we are seeing a shift in what women want from retreat and our Stress Reset Retreat is increasing in popularity. We are advocates that all women should be including R&R in their lives not as a matter of “nice to have” but rather prioritise it as “Need To Have”. Making time for themselves to rebalance and recuperate and in so doing make them stronger and healthier for life and buisness.

I know from personal experience that when you don’t have your health you don’t have anything. So I for one shall continue to make time to enjoy the occasional spa day without guilt of the spectre of the super business women who is jetting off building her super empire while I lounge and sip my tea. We all have to make and own our choices…I’m happy with mine.

What about you? Where does R&R come on your list?

Please leave me a comment in the box below and if you know a Super Busywoman then please share the article using the buttons along the side….sharing is caring after all x

Women of Inspiration 2014

Its that time of year again. The time when we come over all reflective on the year that just passed.

We are so thankful every day here at The Body Retreat for the inspiration that comes with running the only health and well-being retreat run by women for women. We get to work with some amazing women, women who join us on retreat, women who support us in our business, women who inspire us from afar.

Last year we began what I hope to become a long running tradition, sharing some of the Women of Inspiration that we meet on our journey. Sharing just a few of the many inspirational women from our year. We share our thanks for the inspiration that these women have given to us and hope that you will be inspired by them too. So now we have been in a reflective state of mind during January and we would like to share our Women of Inspiration 2014.

Last year we sort of had a theme of “Niceness” in our three lovely ladies…we love niceness here at The Body Retreat and think that it is a much maligned word…and overlooked personal quality. We believe that it really is Nice to be Nice. And we love others who are genuinely nice too. So reflecting on what our ladies had in common this year we were struck by a common thread. All three of this years Women of Inspiration have inspired us by their selflessness. That innate ability to put others first, to make those around then feel better….sometimes by doing nothing at all really…its just sort how they are. That really is such an attractive quality.

This year we start with an old face….. she will hate me for suggesting that she is old…. because she is anything but!! Of course I should have said a Familiar Face.

Our first Women of Inspiration 2014 is non other that Miss Louise Wisson…. or Lulu to her friends.

Lulu Wisson

Last year we shared how inspired we were by Lulu’s commitment to her health and welling despite her battle with rare primary peritoneal cancer. As a long time friend and supporter of The Body Retreat we have been privileged to be a part of Lulu’s journey as she worked towards health. Lulu inspired us by her commitment to healthy eating and staying fit and active through out her treatment. No excuses, Lulu was committed to her health and so she made effort every single day to do something that improved it, wether that be take a walk, make a healthy soup, practice mindfulness or spend time enjoying her great passion for baking. We celebrated when after a round of aggressive surgery and the resultant equally aggressive chemo Lulu was clear of cancer.

Then came the news that no one wants to hear…IT’S BACK! Just like that… a sideswipe. But again Lulu shines out for everyone as a beacon of positivity. Lulu shares her story on her blog http://louisewisson.com. Her bravery and positive attitude are such an inspiration that the word hardly seems to do her justice. Having hit her target to raise £10k for her chosen cancer charities including The Eve Appeal, which specialises in research into gynaecological cancers, Lulu is now looking to increase that to a whopping £100,000. With her determination, her positive mental attitude and the love and support hat she seems to naturally evoke in every one who meets her we are sure that this is well within her grasp.

But you knows what is really inspirational about Lulu…thats despite everything that is going on in her life she is still thinking of others and often putting them to the top of her priority list. Wether that be joining us at our Charity Bootcamp Day, supporting The Body Retreat to continue to spread the message of women’s wellness or even just asking after a fellow retreater. Lulu inspires us by her selflessness time and time again.

Our next Woman of Inspiration for 2014 is Jeanne Driebeek

Jeanne has been joining us at The Body Retreat from before we were even The Body Retreat!!! Jeanne began her weight loss journey back about 7 years ago working with Julie Brealy. But it’s not the fact that Jeanne lost an impressive number of stone or that she has successfully kept it off that we thought of Jeanne as an inspiration this year.

During 2014 Jeanne suffered with an shoulder injury, despite this and the personal frustration it must have caused her to not be able to work out at the intensity and pace she normally does, when Jeanne joined us on retreat she was a real support for her fellow retreaters. Some of whom were brand new and so naturally a little nervous in the first few days and Jeanne really went out of her way to welcome them to the group, encourage them up hills, though olive groves, through moonlit morning circuits and starlit dance class . You could see the relief on the new recruits faces.

Jeanne is also famous on retreat for her tardis like packing..need a blister plaster, safety pin, washing line to dry your pants, backpack, water bottle, organic decaffeinated earl grey teabag…..Jeanne is your woman!! Im sure Jeanne packs for the whole party not just her own needs. Selflessness often isn’t about the big stuff but rather the hundred little acts of kindness that put someone else’s need above your own…Jeanne is a great example of that and we are very lucky to have her continued support and friendship.

Our last Women of Inspiration is Jane Alexander.

Jane has been a friend of The Body Retreat for many years. Jane is a real advocate of womens wellbeing, she is a published author (her book The Overload Solution is one of our Top 7 Books for Health & Wellbeing) and columnist for publications like Natural Health and Top Sante. But for us what is inspiring about Jane is that beyond her vast knowledge of her subject matter Jane processes an ever enquiring mind. Jane doesn’t consider herself the finished article, the definitive “Expert” with the Capital E, but remains open and keen to learn more, explore further, delve deeper into the journey that is the path to wellness. Don’t you just hate those “Experts” who think they know it all and are not open to hearing anything else, anyone else’s opinion, anything that might be new… Jane is so far removed from this, she is a true expert who wants to listen and learn. It’s refreshing and inspiring.

We have been lucky to welcome Jane onto retreat a couple of times now and she always has a warmth and openness, never once do her well being credentials overwhelm you. But it’s nice to be kept on your game, we pride ourselves at The Body Retreat that we remain at the cutting edge of women’s wellness, we do this in many ways through training, reading, study and by having inspiring experts we can call friends. If you want to discover more about Jane and her on health and wellbeing you will enjoy her blog entitled Never Knowingly Overwhelmed

We would Love to hear from you, which women has inspired you recently and why? Please share your Woman of Inspiration by leaving us a comment in the box at the bottom.

Lets spread a little love and inspiration 🙂

Whats Love Got To Do With Body Confidence?

Whether Valentine’s Day is marked with a big red heart in your diary, or perhaps its a date to avoid all public places and ostentatious shows of love, but whatever you are planning it is a time when thoughts inevitably begin to stray to the L-word.

LOVE

When we think about Love we tend to think of those people in our lives whom we Love.. family , friends, partners, pets..we may even profess a Love for a certain fragrance or handbag.

But what about Loving Yourself?

Where does that Love come on your list?

For many of the ladies we have meet at The Body Retreat or through our private work…Loving Yourself sounds very odd…perhaps even stupid, dirty, selfish etc etc

There can be many reasons for this, but one of the most common that we have encountered is that many women don’t like the body they are in. They have learnt to not only dislike their body but to actively hate it. So how can you begin to Love Yourself when you feel that such a big part of you is just wrong!!

And don’t get me wrong this has nothing to do with size, shape or weight.

This is about perception.

Wether you are a size 10 or a size 20 you can have an unhelpful perception about your own body which in turn clouds how you feel about yourself as a person, how you view your contribution in life, how you measure your success.

At The Body Retreat we are passionate that every woman should define herself and not be dictated by the number on the scales of in the back of her sweater…nor by the media who are relentless is showing us what “perfect” look like.

Nobody is perfect and no body is perfect either!! Just recently while watching Big Brother (no judgement please!!) it was revealed that at the age of 40 Cameron Diaz was using a 19 year old bum double for a film she was in. This sort of stuff is not at all helpful to how real women of the same age then view their bum… they are comparing it to a teenagers!! This is just one small example of how woman are sent mixed and at times toxic messages about how they view the female form.

We say enough is enough.

It is time to reclaim LOVE for yourself.

Our Top Three Tips for beginning this journey to LOVE & Body Confidence

1. Go on a one month media fast. Ditch the glossy magazines in particular. Stop accepting, even on a sub conscious level, that the images they portray are real.
2. Every day for one week stand in front of your mirror and pick one thing about your appearance you like and acknowledge this to yourself out loud.
3. Ask your best friend to tell you 3 things that they love about you. Sometimes its just nice to hear what others love about you.. it can help to change your perception.

If you find any of the exercises tough to do or perhaps you feel a real resistance to the very concept of Loving Yourself..then don’t worry. We may have just the solution.

This Valentines Weekend we have joined forces with Heart Your Body, Body Confidence Experts to run an amazing weekend retreat that is specially designed to help you to get over those first hurdles and begin your journey to true body confidence. Learning more about what body confidence is and isn’t, beginning to nourish yourself from the inside out and begining to reclaim your whole self.

We think that is worthy of a big red heart in any woman’s calendar.

If you have found this post helpful or interesting, then please share the love and forward to a friend or share on your chosen social media platform.

Quick & Healthy Chicken and Lemon Soup

Lunches can be a challenge when you are trying to follow your commitment to eat healthy meals, thats why so many of us revert to the humble sandwich but as we have discussed in previous blog, eating a sandwich at lunchtime is actually going to set you up for weight gain…even if you eat one of those plastic fantastic calorie counted ones the supermarkets offer.

Soup really is the savour of waistlines, you make rustle up a soup that is high in protein, antioxidants and fibre in just minutes and once you have mastered a few basic chopping skills you will wonder what ever stopped you from unleashing your inner Nigella before.

So, onto the Chicken & Lemon Soup

If like me you had a roast chicken at the weekend and have all but stripped the poor bird bare, wait a moment before you throw her out. Because I would like to share with you a delicious and nutritious soup recipe that takes only about 30 mins to prepare and will keep you feeling full all afternoon. The addition of fresh lemon to this hearty soup really lifts the flavours and takes that humble old bird carcus to a new level. Don’t be put off by the steps for making your own stock, this really is the most simple soup ever.. and you can feel doubly virtuous as you enjoy a big bowl full that not only are you eating a healthy and nutritious home cooked meal but you have also wasted nothing, we are really keen on that at The Body Retreat.

This soup make a great lunch if you are trying to stick to your healthy eating commitment or if you are detoxing from all the Christmas excess. We make a version of this soup on our Weight Loss Retreat that I call Irish Granny’s Soup as it has the addition of pot barley too. If you are a vegetarian you can replace the chicken with a can of rinsed chick peas but will also need to add a good quality veg stock like Marigold Bullion.

(you can freeze this soup or it will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days)

Serves 6

1 Chicken Carcus

1 Leek, sliced

3 Sticks Celery, chopped

1 Onion, chopped

2 large leaves Savoy Cabbage

1 sml head broccoli, chopped into florets

25gm Frozen Broad Beans

25gm Frozen Peas

Few springs fresh thyme or tsp of dried is ok too.

Grated rind of full Lemon

Salt & Black Pepper

Ok first things first…its time to get all that last lovely goodness from you bird. Place the carcus in a large pot and cover with about 1.5 lts boiling water. Bring to a gentle simmer on the stove and cover and leave to just bubble away for about 20 mins.

You can now get on with chopping your veggies, there is no right or wrong way, just small enough so that you can get a variety of veggies in one spoonfull.

Now for the messy bit…and ill admit i always wear a pair of rubber gloves for these, i keep a box of disposable gloves in the kitchen for jobs just like this. Take the pot of the stove and allow to cooler for a moment or tow, then lie the carcus out of the stock flaking off any last little bits of meat that by now will be falling off the bones. Discard the carcus and before you add the veggies just need to have a check that no small bones have fallen into the stock.

Add the veggies expect the broccoli, beans and peas and the thyme and bring back to a gentle simmer for 10 mins. Then add the broccoli, beans and peas…you can add the beans and peas straight form the freezer there is no need to defrost.

Finally , grate over the zest of a whole lemon and add a little salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper to taste.

And that is it. Just a few simple steps to make a delicious and nutritious soup that is perfect for lunchtime.