MER Virtual Event Recap with Cynthia Schaefer (December 2021)

About MER (Movement for Everyday Resilience):

Heather Skoll created MER (Movement for Everyday Resilience) specifically for those with vibrant energy yet struggling to move. This virtual series shares health information, resources, tips, tools, and welcomes different guest experts. The main goal is to provide Heather’s community with solutions that will build everyday resilience and enrich people’s lives!

Heather and her team would like to extend a special thank you to everyone who attended our third MER virtual event on December 2nd, 2021! The session was informative, providing tips and tools on “How to deal with holiday temptation!” If you missed it, you can watch a recorded video of the discussion portion of the virtual event by clicking on the link below.

The holiday season is filled with so many delicious foods, and with various opportunities to meet up with friends and family members, we can easily get carried away. However, the way we eat can affect the 4 pillars (body, mind, spirit, emotions). Therefore, Heather and her long-time friend Cynthia Schaefer guided us into a mindfulness discussion about staying healthy over the holidays.

So, how can we stay healthy during the holidays? Cynthia focuses more on “what we are eating” rather than the calories or quantities that we often pay attention to. Cynthia is an active gardener who believes that we should add more quality foods into our meals. For example, we can grow different types of herbs in our kitchens. Herbs have deep rich flavours that can give us a sense of satisfaction that we yearn for from foods that are considered junk. Cynthia believes we should be more mindful when attending parties. Though this is difficult, we can consume less if we engage more with other attendees. If we can interrupt our normal eating behaviours through making conscious food decisions, then we will have more positive outcomes. Do not think quantity, think quality!

Heather explains that by simply adding some movement we can make better choices when eating especially at parties. It is important to pause and scan the table first to see what foods are available. By doing this, we can choose the ones that are better for us rather than adding every and anything to our plates. She suggests paying attention and being more present with what we are eating. Additionally, we should assess our breathing. Heather provided a subtle yet great tool we can use while attending holiday events (watch the recording below for the demo)!

Finding a cut-off point during the holidays can be challenging. However, if we try to savour our food more, then we will learn how to be more mindful. Cynthia highlights that wearing loose fitted clothes like yoga pants to a party or event can make us eat more. It is good to wear something that requires a belt. The belt will act as an accountability tool. 

To sum up, we can enjoy the different types of foods we like, but it is important to choose quality foods. By adding fresh herbs in our diet, we can add some value to our lives. Doing intermittent fasting at least two times per week can lead to positive results. Cynthia explains how this type of fasting is beneficial (watch the video to get more details). 

If you need to learn more from Heather Skoll, please check out her website at heatherskoll.com. Cynthia Schaefer can be reached at flurbanparadise.com! You can also get a copy of Cynthia’s book (Your Food is Your Future) at Amazon.ca or Amazon.com.

Stay tuned for upcoming virtual events in 2022! The sessions will continue to be free, and will be hosted virtually via Zoom. We hope to see you at our next one. In the meantime, please stay safe and healthy — Happy Holidays!

About Cynthia Schaefer

Cynthia flourishes in her own urban paradise in Davie, Florida. She is the founder and facilitator of the South Florida Edible Gardening and Sustainability meetup and FB groups, and she is the co-founder of The Caring Community. She recently released her book Your Food is Your Future. Cynthia does wellness consultations using homeopathy, herbalism and food, to help clients reach their peak wellness. Click here to learn more about Cynthia.