Happy Valentine’s Day from the Substantial Sample team and all of us at More of Me to Love!

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Featured Weekly Tips

MENTAL WELLNESS: “Soul Food” by Golda

Feel the Love this Valentine’s Day

Whether we’re in a relationship or not, lots of us want more love in our lives.  That desire only gets amplified on Valentine’s Day. But I’ve got news for you: you have way more love in your life than you ever noticed before! Take a moment to think about the people in your life. Do you have a best friend who thinks you’re the bee’s knees?  A co-worker who thinks you’re the cat’s pajamas? Maybe a sibling who thinks you’re great but doesn’t have a catchy and arcane slang term for it? Take a moment to really think about all the people in your life who think you’re wonderful, even just a little bit. Write them down. That’s the first step to attracting more love into your life! Want to learn more about locating love in your life? Then check out Soul Food.

NUTRITION: “Feed Your Life” by Sara

Learn the Art of the Mindful Meal

Paying more attention to your food can have wonderful benefits. And no, not weight loss, as you may have been told before. This conflation (mindful eating and weight loss) ruins the idea of mindful eating because listening to your bodies’ satiety cues is important - but mindful eating is not about eating less and losing weight. Mindful eating is about deriving the maximum possible enjoyment from your food, learning more about yourself and your personal tastes, and more. Rather than undergo the very daunting task of *POOF* becoming a mindful eater all the time, this week, I want you to simply find one time when you expect to eat alone. We’re going to call that a “Mindful Meal.” Try the following things to make it a mindful meal.

FITNESS: “Fitness For All” by Sue

Pass No Judgement this Week (It May Be Harder than You Think)

This week, just say no to evaluating your health and the health of others based on inconclusive constructions (like BMI) or physical appearance. Don’t judge others based on what they look like. If you find yourself judging someone else’s health - or your own - based on her or his physical appearance, remind yourself, “I don’t know a thing about that person.” If you’re feeling particularly bold, try introducing yourself; that will help you recognize the value of knowing who a person is - not what his or her health situation is. People are more than the way they look and the state of their health. To learn what kind of judgments have been levied against me for my physical appearance, check out this week’s Fitness For All blog. This tip is brought to you courtesy of Dr. Jon Robison, whose Special Report, 10 Things You Can Do Right Now To Ease Concerns About Your Weight And Improve Your Health, was recently published by the Wellness Council of America (WELCOA).

Blog Topics, Resources and Forums

• Why Settle for Burnt Toast? by Melissa
• Rapid Weight Loss Involves Risk

Word of the Week: Patience, by Jay

I try very hard to exercise patience, but it’s hard because I like things done quickly, efficiently, and right. Unfortunately for me and my own sense of calm, the world doesn’t work in those three ways. Read more about Jay’s feelings about patience.