Carol Egan

Reverence: This Day Will Never Come Again

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Gweedore Bay and Islands Special Area of Conservation (SAC) is a protected coastal and marine site located in County Donegal, Ireland. I took this photo September 3, 2018

“This day of your life will never come again.” ~Thomas Merton

Such a simple sentence. And yet, when I allow myself to move beyond thinking about these words and actually feel the truth of them, something profound rises in me.

Reverence for these quiet early morning moments, writing in the dark before the sun rises. Reverence for my puppy who’s taken to curling up around my head on my pillow (his pillow, it seems). Reverence for the breath moving through my body, and the extraordinary gift of being alive. Reverence for the things I plan to do today, and the things I will definitely not do today, with the weight of Merton’s words reminding me of the sacredness of this day.

And yet, how easily I forget. How often my attention drifts to things that, in the larger landscape of my life, matter so little. How easily my thoughts and my energy get pulled toward things that hold so little value. And then, at some point, I notice. Perhaps the noticing is the practice.

I’m reminded that reverence isn’t merely something I feel. It’s something to practice, not by trying to choose the right thoughts, but by letting the unimportant ones pass. It lives in the decisions I make, the way I care for myself, and the ways I contribute to the lives of others. Each choice is an opportunity to honor what truly matters to me.

Merton’s thought stirred me back to Chapter 17 of Michael Singer’s The Untethered Soul, “Contemplating Death.” Singer says,

“It is truly a great cosmic paradox that one of the best teachers in all of life turns out to be death. No person or situation could ever teach you as much as death has to teach you.”

Singer’s chapter isn’t simply about dying, but more about how we choose to live now, very much in keeping with Merton’s teaching. Merton invites us into the wonder and sacredness of the present moment, while Singer offers us the 10,000-foot view, reminding us of life’s impermanence and the preciousness of the time we have.

“A wise person realizes that at any moment they may breathe out, and the breath may not come back in. It could happen any time, in any place, and your last breath is gone.”

So the question for us is, do we wait until the end of our lives to recognize what death has to teach us, or do we choose, right now, to live with reverence for the sanctity of this one precious day that will never come again… one day at a time?

Reverence.

That’s the word that rose up in me when I stopped thinking about Merton’s words and allowed myself to feel them.

What about you?

“This day of your life will never come again.”

What rises in you?

Prepping For Clean Eating

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PreppingjpgWith clients, and at events, I always say, “it is not about food.” What I do as a health coach is not simply about what you eat, it is not simply about food. What I do as a health coach is I support you in living your life fully. We are biochemical machines. Our mind, our body and our Spirit run efficiently, IF given the proper fuel needed, IF given nutrient dense foods laden with vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, anti-oxidants, enzymes and all the cofactors provided by whole food sources. So while what I do as a health coach is not simply about food, it is our starting point. When you “crowd out” toxic foods by adding in nutrient dense, whole food choices, you turn your body on at the cellular level. You will immediately notice a boost in your energy level, your mood, and how amazing it feels to be in your own body!

 

Planning and preparation are essential to eating clean. Choose two days per week to plan ahead for your week. IF you have healthy food choices prepped and ready to go, clean eating makes healthy, vibrant living possible! Organize your ideas. Choose foods and recipes you love, but always incorporate simple go-to’s with more creative, fun recipes that you think or know you’ll enjoy… and that you know will satiate you. But before you head off to the grocery store, make a list of all the ingredients and items you’ll need.  Creating a list before you get to the store will insure that you buy all the ingredients you need for the meals and snacks you selected to make. When you get home at the end of a long day at work, or you are packing your lunch ingredients up for the day, won’t it be so wonderful that you have things prepped and ready to go?

 

Preparation is the key to success in everything we do, so I set aside time to prep for clean eating on Sundays and Wednesdays. I wash, cut, and get
ready to go all the ingredients I need, so I can literally create most anything in just minutes. Taking 2 days per week for prepping healthy, clean eating meals ahead not only saves us time when we are tired at the end of the day, or are dashing off early in the morning, it too will reduce stress associated with the “not enough time syndrome” many of us experience with our very full schedules. By setting aside a few hours a week to prepare healthy, clean meals and snacks we set ourselves up for success in so many ways.

 

  • Wash, cut and bag fresh fruits and vegetables. I prep fruits like pineapples, mangoes, melons and even grapefruits for smoothies, juices and even salads, since they require more time to prep than let’s say an apple or a banana. I too de-stem strawberries for quick access.  I  wash and prep  spinach, kale, salad greens, celery, carrots, peppers, sprouts and even skin my lemons for my salads and juices, so that I can whip-up a quick juice or salad in a snap too!  And I even bag or “Mason-Jar” my salad the night before for the next day!
  • Complex carbs. Pseuodo-grains. I always prep quinoa ahead, for quick, ready to go use, to scoop on my salad, make a breakfast cereal, or even add to a veggie sauté. I love to prepare chia puddings and bake sweet potatoes ahead too for another breakfast choice, a snack, or even top the sweet potato with broccoli for a perfectly light, complete dinner. Oh, did I say that the smaller size Mason Jars are perfect for chia-seed puddings on the go to?

Carving out time to spend in the kitchen might seem like yet another task to do, but I assure you, setting aside just two days to make preparations for the rest of your week will offer you both healthy food choices as well as reduce any stress equated to preparing meals last minute. It really becomes a win-win. Your health and energy soar. Your weight stabilizes. Your skin glows. Your stress diminishes. Kind of a “no brainer,” if you ask me!

 

Happy Prepping for clean eating!

6 Get Healthy-Hacks

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6HealthHacksGet Healthy!

Throughout life we unwittingly take on the behaviors of those we are closest to and end up becoming who they are, their habits, their outlooks, their approaches and even their philosophies on life.  The foundation on which we build our whole life is a sum part of the thoughts, ideas and outlooks of the people we grew up with, and spent/spend the most time with … until we get that who we are is not who we want to be! 

I have compiled a mini-list of time-tested practices for you to implement into your day to get healthy, in mind, body and Sprit! 

  1. Stop eating as soon as you feel full.  We often feel guilty about how much food we consume after we have walked away from our plate.  Stop associating negative feelings with your delicious dinner; all you have to do is make a small change in your eating habits:  stop eating as soon as you begin to feel full!
  2. Juice. Mostly vegetables. Juicing alone can transform your life, because, like an IV, the vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants, enzymes and phytonutrients bypass digestion and go straight to your cells. 
  3. Take time to meditate.  Meditation helps us to stop and quiet our minds. Do you know that meditation literally tames the voice in your head? Yes, meditation can slow down that obsessive think gin! Meditation also builds resilience and thickens the gray matter in our brain, the region known for self-awareness and compassion. If you lead a busy lifestyle and feel disjointed and scattered, I highly recommend developing a meditation practice. Heck, I recommend a meditation practice even if you are not scattered! Who couldn’t use a little more self-awareness and compassion?
  4. Take yourself on a date.  Most of us drive hard everyday,  but how often do we take time to celebrate ourselves?  Plan a date with yourself!  Take yourself out to your favorite restaurant, a quiet, cozy bookstore, schedule time to meet friends, or go pick apples at a local apple orchard. Create time in your day, in your week to do something for YOU.
  5. Book a massage.  The benefits of massage are endless.  A few:  
    • Relieves stress
    • Improves circulation
    • Strengthens the immune system
    • Encourages relaxation
    • Why? Because it works!

    A massage is great way to release tension, detoxify your body, release anxiety, and more.  

  6. Try a yoga class or go to the gym. Are you looking to release tension, aggression, and anxiety all while improving your physical fitness and sleep habits?  Research demonstrates over and over and over again, that people who consistently engage in physical fitness activity are less stressed, and have a better night’s sleep!

As Seen In:

Forbes Huffington Post Better Connecticut Bella Mia Magazine Boston News Network Blog Talk Radio

Carol Egan – Heal Your Digestion to Heal Your Life

Let’s Talk About Health

I work with accomplished professionals who want to look and feel as healthy as they are successful. They spent years prioritizing success over health, and are now troubled by excess weight, exhaustion, and foggy thinking at work and home. I help them take control of their health, so they can focus on what matters in their life and career.

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