WTFifty!

February 2014 already! This is a big year for me because I turn the big 5-0 this month! Yep, 1964. I am the youngest of the boomers. My husband, being younger than me, is the oldest of the Gen Xers. Hmm... which sounds better? 

Seriously, milestone birthdays can bring up scary stuff for some people. It did for me when I turned 40. Do you know what I'm talking about? The dreaded questions start, questions that make us feel anxious and worried. Questions and statements like: “I’m turning...., is it too late for me to....? Or, I'm too old to...."  What did you fill those blanks with? Too late to start a new career? Too old to get in shape? How you think, what you believe, and the meaning you give anything is VITAL because it's going to determine how you FEEL and how you FEEL is going to determine what you DO. What you DO is going to determine the quality of your life. The quality of your life now and for the years to come.

From the Huff Post, I looked up which celebrities are turning 50 this year. I am in some pretty good company!

I wanted to see what THEY were saying:

Michelle Obama: "I have never felt more confident in myself, more clear on who I am as a woman. But, I am constantly thinking about my own health and making sure that I’m eating right and getting exercise and watching the aches and pains. I want to be this really fly 80-90-year old." 

Go Michelle! I hope our gracious first lady is thinking of her health in an empowering way and not getting too freaked out about it. The word BUT in her statement makes me wonder that. "But, I am constantly thinking..." Notice the feeling of that statement when you change the BUT to AND. It changes it to an empowering perspective, see? Practice using the word AND instead of BUT and see how that feels for you.

Elle MacPherson: "I don't believe that youth equals beauty or beauty equals youth. How I feel, how well I am is more important to me."

YES! That belief will and does create your reality Elle!

Russell Crow joked about his "creaky old joints" when talking about his role as Superman's father. 

Be careful Russell, we feel what we focus on! ;)

About turning 40 Keanu Reeves said: "I'm feeling my age and I've ordered the Ferrari. I'm going to get the whole midlife crisis package." 

I wonder if his perspective has changed now that he turns 50 this year too. Yes, I too went through a "midlife crisis" at 40 however, I now prefer to look at it as a midlife re-awakening! Choose your words wisely! 

And then we have the beautiful Christie Brinkley and the great Lady O turning 60 this year! 

Christie states what I encourage myself and others to practice everyday; the power of NOW:

"No matter what your age is, you only have now. So it's always about living in the moment and being in the moment...I refuse to let those numbers define me and I just try to face each day positively."

YES! YES! YES! Love her!

And of course, Oprah is forever wise:  

“No matter where you are on your journey, that’s exactly where you need to be. The next road is always ahead.”

— Oprah

As for me? This time, I choose to be excited about 50 (unlike 40). I choose the meaning and the focus because I know that how I feel and what I do will highly impact how I age and how I will continue to age. No, it's NOT about denial, but rather seeing circumstances as they are and knowing what is in my control and what is not.  I can choose youthful thoughts or "old beyond my years" thoughts. Thanks to my mom the phrase: "I am getting old" is foreign language to my brain. The truth is, we can choose to allow those old BS (Belief System/Bull Shizit) stories (and we all got them), of not being young enough, smart enough, or whatever enough to rule our heads OR, we can choose to appreciate our wisdom, appreciate what still works in our body and I for one, can embrace my wrinkles! Okay, of course, that does not mean I'm not shopping for the best skin care right? Let's not get crazy! :) I can choose to fuel my body with food that will keep me alive as opposed to food that is dead in a box. We really are what we think AND eat.  I will also not forget to grow my spirit by nourishing my relationships and to look for ways to give back that present themselves every day.  
The years will go by. 1 year, 5 years, 10, and 50 years are going to come no matter what. That we cannot control. So, how do you want to be living them when they get here? Like Michelle, I want to be a really fly 80-100+ year old!

 I want to hear from you! How will/do you age? Will you embrace it, conquer it, surrender to it or deny it? Which will you choose?

Peg Haust-Arliss, LCSW-R, CCT, AADP, CPNLP is a certified cognitive therapist, strategic interventionist, NLP Practitioner, and health coach.

Go to her websites and grab your free reports:   

How To Manage Stress From the Inside Out:
PegHaust.com

AND

5 Mistakes You Don't Want to Make (Includes Bonus Recipes!)
LiveMoreCoach.com

STRESS AND THE F FACTOR

As a cognitive therapist I help my clients understand that our thoughts are directly connected to our emotions; we feel what we think.  But, it's not just our mindset or thoughts that create how we feel,  it's also the F factor: FOOD. Not just the food we feed our bodies, but also the food we feed our spirits. It's how we feed the areas in our lives that matter; areas like our relationships, our family and friends, our careers, our personal growth and contribution to others. All these areas are vitally important when it comes to the state of our emotional well being. When we neglect them we die inside, or we may feel we are just existing wondering if there is more.  But when we nourish these areas of life it feeds our hearts and minds and we thrive!

Food that we eat and food for our soul go hand in hand. Consider times when life was not going well. Did you ever use food for comfort? If you're like most of us you have. And what's "comfort food" anyway? You know, those high carb, sugary and salty goodies that we all crave now and again especially when there's excess stress in our lives. The problem is it's a perpetuating cycle. Because of today's hectic lifestyle, the stress often leads to going for the junk food that doesn't serve us and that typically leads to crashing and burning which makes us go for more junk. The ups and downs in blood sugar creates turmoil for your emotional state. This may commonly show up with intensified feelings of anger, nervous tension, frustration, which in turn creates turmoil in your relationships, your job, your motivation... Round and round we go; our nerves go up and down, and sometimes so does the scale. Sound familiar? So yes, we feel what we eat!

Hey you know what? I am certainly not perfect. Perfect is boring and stupid anyway!  Food IS meant to be enjoyed and celebrated too! But, I know that there is a food and mood connection and understanding the F Factor is vital in becoming truly emotionally fit.

Peg Haust-Arliss, LCSW-R is a certified cognitive therapist, strategic interventionist, relationship educator, board certified health coach and soon to be author. 

Check out her websites and grab your free report:   
5 Mistakes You Don't Want to Make (Includes Bonus Recipes!)
www.PegHaust.com  
www.LiveMoreCoach.com
 

GOOD MOOD SNACK

Looking for a snack that's quick and easy to make, good for your body AND good for your brain too? Here is my trail mix that will make you happy and healthy.

Here's Why: 

Research shows that nuts and seeds just might boost your brainpower and balance your moods.

According to Professor James Duke, many varieties of seeds and nuts contain tryptophan, an important amino acid that the brain converts to serotonin. Roasted pumpkin seeds and dry sunflower seeds are an excellent source of tryptophan, making them a safe, natural way to relive mild depression and insomnia. Additionally, sunflower seeds are high in thiamine, an important B vitamin for memory and cognitive function.

Coconut oil provides an alternative fuel source that the brain can use to work optimally once again.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/040037_coconut_oil_alzheimers_disease_saturated_fats.html#ixzz2ehibCAip

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/019885_nuts_and_seeds_cognitive_function.html#ixzz2ehfE64nC

Ingredients:
Raw sunflower seeds
Raw pumpkin seeds
Dried cranberries
Coconut flakes (unsweetened)


Directions: 
Toast the raw seeds in a non stick skillet on low to med flame. Keep the pan moving and tossing; it will only take a few minutes to get them golden brown.
Mix in the dried cranberries and coconut flakes.
Enjoy!  

Peg Haust-Arliss, LCSW-R is a certified cognitive therapist, strategic interventionist, relationship educator, board certified health coach and soon to be author. 

Check out her websites and grab your free report:
 5 Mistakes You Don't Want to Make (Includes Bonus Recipes!)
www.PegHaust.com  
www.LiveMoreCoach.com

Tomato Mac and "Cheese"

I believe in the 90/10 rule, well okay, sometimes 80/20  for holidays and vacations :)  90% of the time eat really healthy and 10% of the time treat yourself to some of your favorites. I don't believe in deprivation and for me this recipe is one of those 10 % times!
Sunday night is pasta night at our house and I was craving some good old fashioned mac and cheese. But not just any mac and cheese, I wanted the kind that my sister used to make. She would add tomatoes and cheddar cheese soup and I loved it! I wanted to recreate that a bit more elaborately. It turned out so great!   Here's what I came up with:

TOMATO MAC AND "CHEESE"

1 lb Elbow Pasta  ( I used PastaJoy Brand, Brown Rice Pasta)
1/4 cup Earth Balance Butter 
1/3 cup flour
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
1-2 cloves of garlic minced
S+P to taste
For the Cheese Topping: Adapted from Forks Over Knives "No Cheese Sauce" Recipe
This reflects a bit more tahini and cashews than the original recipe:
1 large onion roughly chopped
1 large red pepper roughly chopped
6 Tbs of raw cashews
2 Tbs of tahini
1 cup nutritional yeast
salt to taste

Preheat oven to 350
Cook pasta according to package instructions
In a medium saucepan melt butter and add flour to make a paste
Add tomatoes and garlic and S+P. Cook for a few minutes until heated.
Drain pasta and put back in pot. Stir in tomato mixture.
Put in 9x13 casserole dish
Cheese Topping: 

Add all ingredients to high powered blender
Blend until smooth and creamy
Pour over the pasta
Sprinkle with bread crumbs if desired
Bake uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes

I hope you like it! ENJOY!


Live More Every Day,
Peg

Peg Haust-Arliss, LCSW-R is a certified cognitive therapist, strategic interventionist, relationship educator and soon to be board certified health coach and author. 

Learn more about Peg and her services:

www.PegHaust.com  

www.LiveMoreCoach.com
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