Balanced Life Happy Life
13 Weeks to Creating a Happier You
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
TABLE OF CONTENTS
FORWARD 8
PREFACE 11
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 13
THOSE I NEED TO THANK 13
HOW TO USE THIS BOOK 16
PART I: SOUL-NOURISHING FOODS 19
Introduction: Soul-Nourishing Foods™ 20
What Are They? 20
Chapter 1: Self Care/Inner Joy 27
Taking Care of the VIP 27
Chapter 2: Socialization 48
Why Can’t I Just Be Alone? 48
Chapter 3: Relationships 59
Looking for Connection 59
Chapter 4: Spirituality 76
What does it Mean to You? 76
Chapter 5: Career 81
What is my purpose? 81
Chapter 6: Money 92
Friend or Foe 92
Chapter 7: Enlightenment 102
Who Needs It? 102
Chapter 8: Home 107
Home Sweet Home 107
Chapter 9: Creativity 118
Finding Your Inner Child 118
Chapter 10: Health 126
What’s Wrong with Me Doc? 126
Chapter 11: Movement 139
No Couch Potatoes, Please 139
Chapter 12: Home Cuisine 151
Feeding Your Body Gluten Free 151
Chapter 13: Dual Energies 165
The Fine Dance between Masculine & Feminine 165
PART II 171
13 WEEKS TO BALANCE AND HAPPINESS 171
EXERCISES 171
Practice 173
Soul-Nourishing Food One: Self-Care/Inner Joy 176
Soul-Nourishing Food Two: Socialization 178
Soul-Nourishing Food Three: Relationships 180
Soul-Nourishing Food Four: Spirituality 181
Soul-Nourishing Food Five: Career 182
Soul-Nourishing Food Six: Money 184
Soul-Nourishing Food Seven: Enlightenment 187
Soul-Nourishing Food Eight: Home 188
Soul-Nourishing Food Nine: Creativity 189
Soul-Nourishing Food Ten: Health 191
Soul-Nourishing Food Eleven: Movement 193
Soul-Nourishing Food Twelve: Home Cuisine 194
Soul-Nourishing Food Thirteen: Balancing Dual Energies 195
PART III 199
Design Your Life Blueprint 200
Journal 205
Financial Freedom Journal 237
TOOLS 242
RESOURCES 244
BIBLIOGRAPHY 250
How to Use This Book
In my quest to find a balanced life, I have learned that we live in a society that expects everything to be fast - fast food, fast cars, fast answers, and fast weight loss. Expecting immediate results may not result in a lifelong change. As a consequence, we find ourselves on a hamster wheel continuously dieting, searching for happiness externally, and perpetuating the cycle of an unhappy and unfulfilled life.
There are three parts to this book. Part I provides a description of each Soul-Nourishing Food. Part II is the 13-week practice to strengthening each Soul-Nourishing Food. Finally, in Part III, you will find the Balanced Life, Happy Life Design Your Life Blueprint, the Balanced Life, Happy Life Journal, and the Financial Freedom Journal.
Part I: Understanding Soul-Nourishing Foods
In Part I, each chapter discusses a particular Soul-Nourishing Food and offers suggestions to help you work on that particular area.
In order to obtain the results you want, you need to understand and balance each of the 13 types of Soul-Nourishing Foods:
Self-Care/Inner Joy
Socialization
Relationships
Spirituality
Career
Money
Enlightenment
Home
Creativity
Health
Movement
Home Cuisine
Dual Energies
Part II: Complete the 13-Week Practice
In Part II, you will learn how to implement various steps and ideas towards bettering a particular Soul-Nourishing Food. There are four 13-week cycles. Each week of the 13-week cycle, you will work on a particular Soul-Nourishing Food. By the end of the cycle, you should see improvement in each area. For best results, repeat the cycle three more times until the year has been completed. Feel free to continue working on your Soul-Nourishing Foods™ for as long as you would like and need to. Remember that this is a continual lifelong practice.
Part III: Record Your Goals, Emotions, and Finances
In Part III, you can begin journaling feelings and changes that you are experiencing or noticing. The act of journaling is a chance to think about what you want to change but to also acknowledge all the great things which are going well in your life. Too often, we spend more time focusing on the negatives in our lives rather than on the positives. It is in the acknowledgement of the little daily wins we each have that produce the greatest joy. The act of writing down your goals, feelings, and gratitude helps to shift your mental state. This is an important part of the process and should not be skipped. Make it a part of your morning of evening ritual to release all the chatter in your brain and to give you better perspective.
In the Financial Freedom Journal, you will be able to figure out your financial budgets in order to better reach your financial dreams and freedom. Change only occurs when we are aware of our spending.
Go to www.tastingwellness.com to sign up for bonus content. It is our way of thanking you for taking this journey to a balanced and happy life.
Introduction: Soul-Nourishing Foods™
What Are They?
There are many types of relationships – the relationship we have with ourselves, our loved ones, our career, our spirituality, our creativity, and even with our money. These “relationships” are what I call Soul-Nourishing Foods. Soul-Nourishing Foods are just as the name describes – foods that nourish the soul. They are areas in our lives that when in balance, feed our souls, make us happy and bring us serenity. When those areas are not fully developed, we find ourselves unhappy, unfulfilled and experiencing frequent malaise.
There are thirteen Soul-Nourishing Foods™:
Self-Care/Inner Joy
Socialization
Relationships
Spirituality
Career
Money
Enlightenment
Home
Creativity
Health
Movement
Home Cuisine
Dual Energies
Physical food is what we eat for nutrition. Too often we eat food not because we are hungry but rather because one or more of the thirteen Soul-Nourishing Foods™ are out of balance. For example, someone who is having difficulty in a relationship with a partner will become stressed, sad or anxious. They may have difficulty expressing their feelings for fear of further damaging the relationship. In an effort to avoid those feelings of stress, dread, or anxiety, they may turn to food for comfort and for avoidance.
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About the Book
There are many types of relationships—relationships with yourself, others, your career, your creativity, and your money. When one or more of these kinds of relationships, called Soul Nourishing Foods™, are out of balance, your health and happiness can be compromised. This book will help you understand the thirteen relationship types, how they affect your health, and how you can begin to nurture them on your path to a life of abundant joy.
“This is a beautiful account of a personal journey from the painful depths of emotional crisis to the redemption of a life of fulfillment. Elizabeth takes the holistic approach and integrates the nourishment of the soul and body. Her message is simple yet powerful and poignant: be One—to yourself and the harmonious Universe.”
— Marion Betancourt-Albrecht, MD
“Elizabeth’s personal journey is inspiring, and from it, she has created a comprehensive and practical guide to bringing more balance into your life.”
— Nicole Egenberger, ND, Clinic Director, Remède Naturopathics Integrative Clinic for Natural Medicine
About the Author
Elizabeth Gavino is an author and a Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach. She found her true calling after spending two decades working in the health insurance field; she knew there were better paths to health than those offered in the current disease-management system.
As the founder of Tasting Wellness, she is deeply passionate about inspiring others to have balanced and fulfilling lives. It is through the balance of their thirteen Soul Nourishing Foods™ that her clients find vibrancy. She has written articles for The Huffington Post’s “Healthy Living” section and has been a speaker for various groups. When she is not writing and speaking, she is creating a specialty clothing line, strengthening her relationships, and enjoying life.
For more information, visit her at www.tastingwellness.com.