Feel good, French style

Woman power is in the air these days. Alicia Keys recently announced the launch of her new site I Am A Superwoman.com and unveiled her Blogger-in-Chief on Good Morning America, the bubbly and smart Alexis Tirado. Last week, Wonder Woman got a full make-over, trading in her signature superhero briefs for a sleek pant and biker jacket combo almost as good as a Balmain runway look.

This new generation of super women is about to shake things up, and we need it. On the one hand, women recognize that a Super Woman who juggles several full-time roles – career woman, mother, wife, friend – can’t do everything perfectly and shouldn’t have to. On the other hand, The Superwoman Squeeze – that pressure to do it all – lingers. A recent study found that 86% of full time working women do most of the housework and 77% do most of the child rearing.

We might have let go of the Super Woman model, but it’s tempting to want to chase after her trophies – a  job title, perfectly-toned triceps, a Featured spot on Etsy, or a home in the country. In one of the only memorable scenes in Sex and the City 2, Miranda and Charlotte popped their lids and revealed the pressure inherent in maintaining the image of perfect moms.

External standards are hard to measure up to, and one size can’t fit all. We need to re-invent a Super Woman who is at once inspiring and accessible; empowering and pragmatic; universal and personal. This means that being a Super Woman has less to do with the external world and traditional measures of success, and more to do with what’s happening on your insides. It’s your attitude, not your calling card.

My Super Woman may look different than your Super Woman, but she shares the same inner core:

1. She nurtures her sense of self.

Your sense of self resides deep inside. It’s your inner voice, your knowing wisdom. Building a ready access to that knowing place is an on-going process. It starts by building awareness and by getting to know yourself, both the shadowy aspects and the glowing ones.

Building the connection with yourself and exploring its ever-changing contours contributes to the richness of life. It happens in a multitude of ways — when you create a little time and space for yourself, when you listen to your body, when you check-in with your gut, when you take the time to appreciate your food, or when you put your thoughts and feelings to paper. Having a strong sense of self doesn’t solve your problems, but it does confer confidence and benevolence, elevating you to super hero status.

2. She cultivates optimism.

Optimism is a way of looking at the world, a belief that you’ll experience life in a positive manner, and that good things are plentiful. Since to a large extent our perceptions create our realities, perceiving with rose-colored glasses can make today’s “bad,” upsetting, or scary situation look interesting.

Optimism isn’t about taking an unrealistic Pollyanna approach to life. It’s about planting the seeds of joy within yourself. Those seeds become the roots of serenity, of happiness and of well-being. No matter where you tend to operate on the glass half-empty, half-full spectrum, optimism seems to be a naturally occurring brain function in everyone. Neuroscientists studying the brain found that your brain lights up more when you think about positive events as compared to negative ones. You literally give more brain juice to the positive stuff.

In a world full of suffering and problems to heal, it’s comforting to know that combat begins by harnessing your own joy power. Optimism is the Super Woman’s turbo charger.

3. She engages with her world.

When you come from a place of strength inside, reaching beyond your own self happens naturally. Boundaries and old protection mechanisms tend to melt away.

Today’s Super Woman is connected with others and with her world in dozens of different ways. She cares for her family and leads a company. She smiles to someone down on his luck and runs a foundation. She makes the news and tweets a comment. Whatever her modalities, however big or however small, and regardless of the challenges and frustrations inherent in interacting with others, she is a Super Woman for trying.

Painting yourself into the larger picture of humanity begins with little brushstrokes. It may mean adopting a different take in relating to others – family members, colleagues or friends. This entails letting things roll more easily off your back, assuming good intentions over bad, and perhaps sucking it up to make someone else happy over yourself. In sum, acting like the grown-up version of you as frequently as possible.

That Sunday-best self is your inner Super Woman, the apple of your eye, the winged heroine zooming through the sky.

Live épanoui*

Elisa

* in full bloom

Last week, we talked about finding your fitness fixette – activities which maximize your enjoyment and integrate into your daily routine.  My own fixette is two-fold. On the one hand, walking. My feet take me almost everywhere, and I practice focusing my mind, a never-ending challenge.

Lately, I’m also hooked on my Latin dance class. It’s the perfect combination of music, movement, and an addictive instructor, Michael. His Brazilian bumbum is perfection (more on Brazilian bumbums below).

Photo by AleRoda

If you haven’t yet sprung into action, here are some more practical ideas to get energized from office to home to hotel room.

1. Office revivers:

- Release some endorphins. Instead of reaching for coffee or snacks, get up, stretch your legs and hit the stairs or a mini-trampoline (order on amazon.com). What better way to feel like a kid again in between your million dollar deals?

- Drink in energy. Make a plan with a colleague or two to replace Starbuck runs with a walk around the block and a green juice. Fresh air and live nutrients will rejuvenate you instead of depleting you.

- Adjust your posture. Good ergonomics at the office keep your neck and shoulders relaxed. Check-in regularly to see that your spine is straight, your feet on the floor, your wrists flat, and your monitor at eye-level.

2. Business trip solutions:

- Give yourself permission to do less. When you’re travelling and over-scheduled, fitness can fall by the wayside. Instead of dropping it entirely, take the pressure off. Jog 15 minutes on the treadmill instead of your usual 30 minute run, for example. Zap business dinner calories by doing this first thing on an empty stomach.

- Play the Pick-up Game. Annemarie Colbin, the founder of the Natural Gourmet Institute (foodandhealing.com), suggests spending a few minutes in your hotel room picking up things and putting them down (i.e. chairs, bags, lamps). A quirky way to get your heart moving and practice lifting from your core.

- Pack your favorite DVD. From yoga to Core Fusion to groovy dance, most of your activities back home come in to-go versions. Gaiam.com offers a complete selection. If you don’t have time for a full class, feel like you’ve done something nice for yourself by doing a portion.

3. “I’m too busy” solutions:

- Hit the Wall. To tone your thighs, try the Invisible Chair. With your back against the wall and your legs as wide as your shoulders, pretend to sit in a chair and hold 30 seconds. Repeat 3 times during the day.

The Lazy Push-Up means you don’t have to even touch the floor. Put your hands flat against the wall and do 20 push-ups, paying attention to your breathing.

- Move your bumbum with a trainer. Getting a professional’s support with your fitness endeavors often makes the difference between aspiration and reality. Recently, I was introduced to a holistic fitness coach, Brenda Vongova, who takes a joyful and intelligent approach to movement.

The Harvard-educated Brenda works with a small number of clients because she saves the world by day at the United Nations. She specializes in slimming and redesigning the body holistically. Her Body Lift program takes only 20 minutes a day and can be done anywhere, without equipment. You can also add on the Vongova Tummy Tuck routine, or her Brazil-inspired Bumbum Lift (vongova.com; tel. 917 561 0451).

Who’s joining me in Ipanema?

Live épanoui*!

Elisa

* in full bloom

Sunday morning blueberry pancakes, a picnic of baguettes and brie at the Philharmonic in the Park, family reunions over bagels and lox…What would life be without our daily bread and its rituals? Alas, in the era of “no white foods,” bun-less burgers and low-carb muffins, bread and its cohorts have become the objects of guilty frustration. To indulge or not to indulge?

My days in France taught me the principle of indulging in good measure. A week-end croissant, a hot crèpe after a long winter’s walk, a few bites of bread but lots of veggies and protein. Good measure makes sense and works a lot of the time, but it leaves us in a perpetual state of policing. Whether they live in Paris or New York, my friends still struggle over their baguettes.

Luckily, a third way has emerged. Here’s how you can have your cake, and eat it too!

• Go back to basics with true whole grains.

We’re right to shy away from the refined, industrialized carbs which abound these days the world over. They bring our bodies little nutritional or energetic value, encourage weight gain, and cause cravings for more of the same.
Instead, turn the clocks back a couple generations, before Wonder Bread and Special K.
Incorporate real whole grains into your daily routine. These include steel-cut or old-fashioned rolled oats, no-sugar added mueslis, sprouted grain dry cereals (Food for Life’s Ezekiel 4:9, for example) and grains like brown rice, kasha, millet and quinoa.
These provide long-lasting energy, satiate our natural need for carbs and keep us happy and skinny.
Grains may seem a bit esoteric at first, but are increasingly easy to find, and great for kids. If you can boil pasta, you can make whole grains.
While these aren’t traditional components of French diets, even classic French chefs like Alain Ducasse are rediscovering the flavor and ease of céréales complètes.

• Bank on high-quality breads.

There is quite a difference in how your body reacts to whole grains versus bread. Since breads are made from flour, there is naturally some processing involved. Hence, our blood-sugar balance is disrupted, with a more likely impact on our waistlines.
Enter a modern-day miracle (actually based on centuries-old savoir faire) flourless, sprouted grain bread (Food for Life, Manna Organics). This has become a staple for sandwiches and morning toast, not only because it keeps me fuller longer than regular bread, but also because it tastes heartier (and goes so well with melting butter!)
If there’s no sprouted grain around, I look for interesting breads made by people who are passionate about quality (spelt is a favorite, with no added sugars or oils).

• Relax.

When whole grains are your staple, you gain a new appreciation for natural, whole foods. They feel different, and they taste good. Your palate begins to change too, trending towards a reduced sweet-tooth. When you eat the real thing, the refined stuff doesn’t hold as much appeal.
Incorporating lots of whole grains into my diet has made carbs a non-issue. Instead of counting calories, I’m diving right in – to my kasha, quinoa and organic bakery’s lovingly-crafted croissants!

Live épanoui*!

Elisa

* in full bloom