THE POWER OF PAUSE
Resetting the body and the mind: how the power of the pause can transform your health and wellbeing
Have you ever been on that wheel of repetitive behaviours that you know aren’t serving you but seem unable to stop? Each morning we perhaps resolve to do better, eat more healthily, drink more water, be wine-free in the evening.
We do well for the first part of the day but by mid-afternoon our resolve is fading and we are already negotiating with ourselves: one glass only tonight, I deserve a biscuit with my coffee after that stressful phone call/meeting…and the variations go on.
While our bodies are wonderfully sophisticated with systems that are able to get rid of toxins, over time, through poor dietary choices, caffeine, alcohol, stressful lifestyles and exposure to environmental toxins, these pathways can become sluggish. Creating space and hitting pause even for a few days gives us the opportunity to evaluate and make different choices, allowing our bodies a chance to purge themselves of unnecessary stressors.
There is a growing trend of people looking for programmes to help support them in re-balancing and re-connecting with themselves. Paradoxically we have never been more connected, certainly from a technology standpoint, and yet somehow we seem to have lost the connection with ourselves.
There’s been much said and written on the subject of the pandemic being a watershed, an opportunity to re-evaluate and make changes, and that is of course true; that it brought so many things to a head for so many people. This movement was already underway but exacerbated by the global pandemic. We were forced to be physically disconnected, forced to be socially distant, our freedoms removed, and we started asking ourselves questions about what we wanted, how we wanted to live, how we wanted to feel.
There’s a famous quote: “The chains of habit are too light to be felt until they are too heavy to be broken.”
The fastest way to change how we feel is to take an honest look at what we are consuming both mentally (think news and social media), and physically (what we are eating and drinking). Taking a few days to hit reset interrupts habitual behaviours. Habits are so powerful because over time they become unconscious, like brushing our teeth, or driving a car, we don’t even have to think about what we are doing, the activities are so ingrained.
So from a mental perspective embarking on a reset in our habitual behaviour provides the opportunity to reconnect with ourselves and make more conscious choices. It’s stepping back to give us a fresh perspective. The secret here is not to make too many changes that overwhelm us. It’s better to set one or two small goals such as drinking more water and cutting out alcohol and caffeine for a few days rather than completely trying to re-invent ourselves. Small changes, implementing one or two healthier habits that are more likely to stick over time.
This can be hard because by the time we’ve reached a point when we really feel that we need to make changes we are often feeling pretty depleted both mentally and physically. We have also probably broken our promises to ourselves so many times that we may not actually believe we have the discipline to make it through even a few days. Self compassion is important here as our negative self-talk makes it more likely that we will give up.
Physically giving our bodies even just a few days to reset often results in better sleep, digestion and energy levels. We feel less cravings and may even experience joint pain relief as inflammation reduces. Mentally, we have more clarity and feel more positive. We feel better about ourselves because we followed through and maintained our integrity. The link between gut health and how we feel is now well documented and with 80% of the immune system being housed in the digestive tract the importance of gut health cannot be overstated.
Sugar and processed foods are the enemy of gut health. Our microbiome consists of trillions of bacteria and other microorganisms in the digestive tract. When our microbiome is out of balance (our good versus bad bacteria) we have what is known as gut dysbiosis resulting in a wide range of symptoms.
Eating mindfully and being focused on our food mouthful by mouthful, chewing slowly and savouring our food without the distractions of TV or being online leads to better digestion. As we tune in and listen to our bodies, we become more aware of when we are full and are less likely to overeat. Eating mindfully helps us to reconnect with enjoying our food, fully appreciating the aromas, textures and flavours.
So how do we reset? In broad terms, a short reset programme should consist of ‘clean’ eating:
- Drinking lots of water (at least 2 litres each day).
- Plant-based foods, plenty of colourful vegetables, spinach, broccoli.
- Wholegrain beans, nuts and seeds.
- Fruits containing a good source of vitamin C and fibre (think oranges and blueberries).
- Spices such as turmeric, ginger and garlic.
- Eliminating any processed foods, caffeine, alcohol, fizzy drinks, fruit juices, and sugar.
Journaling each morning and evening about our feelings can be a useful supporting activity to help maintain our connection to the goals we have set, as well as documenting our successes. This level of mindfulness provides us with the encouragement to stay the distance, to reflect and to check in with how our body is really feeling.
And, of course, it goes without saying that there is a myriad of asanas that support digestion and the healthy functioning of our organs; from simple movements to the many twisting poses of yoga that massage our internal organs.
DX4 BODY BALANCING SYSTEM
Forever Living has launched its DX4 body-balancing system to help reset the body and mind. It’s a system of seven nutritional products and supplements that support hydration, energy and metabolism. These work synergistically as part of a four-day programme designed to jump-start wellness and improve the mind-body connection.
The company spent three years creating the system, developing products that work together, along with an accompanying programme that includes mindset exercise, guided food intake and clean recipes, to help the body purge unnecessary stressors and declutter the mind.
DX4 focuses on major body systems: digestion (liver and gastrointestinal), urinary (hydration and kidneys), and the brain/mind. It includes a four-day supply of seven nutritional products and supplements. The body's needs are primarily supported from DX4's contents for the first two days along with plenty of water. The programme also allows for healthy, vegetable-rich salads and clean, natural snacks. Recipes for these, along with the mindset exercises and programme instructions, are available in the guide included with each DX4 system.
It’s designed to give you the inspiration to cleanse bad habits and negative thoughts with a mindful, present and intentional approach to supplements and lifestyle goals. Featuring six brand new supplements designed specifically for DX4, combined with Forever's flagship Forever Aloe Vera Gel, made with 99.7% pure inner leaf aloe vera.
£143.20
Available online: https://shopnow.foreverliving.com/gbr/en-gb/products/nutritional/659-DX4