The Strength and Confidence of a Bolivian Woman

I have been here a month and there is so much to share but
today I would like to tell you about the Bolivian women. This subject is close to my heart especially since it’s my passion to help and inspire mothers and women across the world to love who they and the body they are in completely.

The women here are confident, beautiful and strong! You see it in the way they talk, move and dress. They all wear beautiful outfits with a variety of bright ornate colors.

They carry a purse to match their outfit, a piece or two of jewelry and sexy sassy heels that complement their figure (or maybe I should call them stilettos). When you pass them on the street they smell of fragrant flowers & perfume and you can feel and see the pride, joy and confidence they feel about their body as they are walking down the street. Imagine feeling that way?

I have noticed that these women, mothers and young girls are untouched by the media so far. In this town there are no billboards or ads to tell them how to look, dress, feel or be and they shine with happiness that exudes in knowing that they are truly beautiful and comfortable in their own skin.

I must also mention the indigenous women who cannot be bothered with the latest fashion or trend. They have their own unique style and are also comfortable in their own body and are especially strong mentally and physically. Here in the market you see mainly indigenous women running their businesses while carrying their children on their back from here to there with boxes or heavy bags in each hand walking to where they need to go. It’s so amazing to see.

Of course I have to mention the mamas who always give so much of themselves. Here breastfeeding is highly encouraged in order to provide children with the most nutrition and it is done openly with such pride. When you notice a mother breastfeeding, you can see her face beaming with confidence in knowing that she is providing the best she can for her child.

So that is a little bit of the life I am living at the moment, I am surrounded by confident, strong, beautiful women who love who they are for what they are. They come in all shapes and sizes and each one of them seem to appreciate their body for what it is. 

Can I also tell you that it is totally contagious! Yes, walking among these women every single day I find myself feeling sexy and even more confident.  I even bought a pair of sexy jeans and boots
that compliment my voluptuous figure. Here my head is held high and I thank the good Lord for a strong butt and legs that carry me up hills and help me walk for hours (because here everyone walks everywhere). For my arms that hold and carry fresh groceries for blocks so that I can eat. And for strong lungs that help breathe life into my body as well as a heart full of compassion for all the people that I see daily suffering on the street.

So to all beautiful mothers, women and young girls who think that the media should dictate what you should wear, think about your body or how you should feel. I encourage you to surround yourself with other women who feel confident in their own skin. I challenge you to embrace the body you have and decide right now how you want to feel about body regardless of how much weight you think you should loose or gain to feel better about yourself.

Ask yourself:
 Do I want to feel confidant, sexy and strong as I walk down the street, sit at the café or go into work? How have my legs hips, thighs served me and can I imagine my life without them?

 or
do I want to feel ashamed and insecure of the incredible body and beating heart that has maintained
me through my whole life?

And when you nourish your body, eat to feel strong, focused, energized, sexy and confident.

Ask yourself every time you sit down for a meal or rush to have breakfast:

Is what I am eating serving this completely incredible body of mine? Is it helping me to feel strong more energetic and focused?

And if you think there is no possible way that you can ever feel this way about your body, that it’s just too hard not to be hard on body or yourself, do as the saying goes in my own words:

Act as if you are confident and soon you will start believing it!

Until next time! Much love and strength, you amazing, strong , beautiful woman!

xo, Nancy

Forgiveness and Eating for Pleasure

Today I am going to talk about a subject that is near and dear to my heart because it's something I have struggled with most of my life.

I am talking about emotional eating. Most of us have done it at one point in our lives or another.  I always felt that somehow after I ate, I would feel better, but was it really about the food I thought I needed?

Allow me to ask you this: Have you ever downed an entire package of chips, crackers, or cookies? Ate pizza or cake until you felt sick? Drank more coffee or wine than your body wanted?

Do you remember how you were feeling at the time?

I ask because sometimes we overeat to help distract us from that deep emotional pain or discomfort.

So for a moment think about it—have you noticed that sometimes when you overeat you’re not really hungry at all? Maybe you were lonely, angry, sad, resentful or totally frustrated.

Maybe you felt something else you couldn't quite put a feeling too.

So what hurt is it that YOU are holding on to? 

It's time to get in touch with your power of forgiveness....

Imagine confronting your uncomfortable feelings instead of eating because of all the emotion? 

The most divinely perfect way to do that is forgiveness.

4 Steps to Your Peace  of mind and weight loss

If you’ve been suffering because of past hurts, I ask that you first try forgiving whoever or whatever it is by trying just one of these 4 simple yet powerful steps. 

You may find that not only your soul begins it's healing process but that food will be something you actually enjoy and don't need as often for comfort.

• Talk to sympathetic friends and family about your desire to forgive. Talking with others is tremendously comforting and you may find they are supportive in what you want to do. 

• Write a letter to the person you’d like to forgive. You can decide whether or not you send it later, but by  putting it on paper, it makes it real and affirms how you feel and why. 

• Don’t forget to forgive yourself. Sometimes we can be harshest with ourselves. We do so much better when we feel better, so don't shame or put blame on yourself. Take the situation for what it is...you can only change now!

• Understand that you are responsible for your own attitude. Don’t let holding a grudge keep you from feeling free, open, and powerful in your own life.

Remember when you forgive, you release yourself from a painful burden. Forgiveness doesn't mean that what happened was OK, or that if someone hurt you, they are welcome back into your precious life.  It just means that you made peace with the pain and are ready to let it go and move on to a new way of living. 

It also means that your relationship with eating just became less complicated.

Wishing you Good Health and Happiness Always, Nancy XO