It happens only once every four years and it’s tomorrow! Of course, I mean leap year. Tomorrow there will be an extra day in this year, a little more time to do something special that we wouldn’t otherwise have.  What will you do?

Before you answer that question, take a few minutes to think about how you DON’T want to spend your extra day – bingeing, totally obsessed with food, hoping and praying for a better life without taking any action to make that happen, or recuperating from a sugar hangover.

Whether you’re in recovery or still searching, how you spend the extra 24 hours that are given to you this month is up to you. Many times, food addicts, both those who are recovering and those who have yet to find recovery, spend more time reacting to life than they do acting in a deliberate way to make their lives better.

Rather than waiting for someone else to plan your day, decide what you want to do. Instead of working your schedule around everyone else’s take a few hours to do what matters to you. If you have small children or other responsibilities, arrange for relief and take time for yourself.

At first, it may not seem like it but the gift of an extra day can make a profound difference in your life. We meet food addicts all the time who come into our programs saying that they couldn’t continue to binge for even one more day. It was on that one day that they hit their bottom and never wanted to live a food-obsessed life again. That was the day that everything changed for them.

The first day of recovery, the first 24 hours of abstaining from bingeing, was the beginning that created a life filled with hope rather than desperation. It was that first day that provided a foundation for a life once unimaginable.

So, when you wake up on February 29^th, take a few minutes to think about the value of having an extra day and make the most out of the next 24 hours!

It’s great to be back home in Vancouver! While I love Florida, Vancouver is my home and where I feel most comfortable. Much of that is because my family is in this area. As I may have mentioned a time or two or five thousand, I especially love spending time with my niece Georgia. That’s us together in our latest photo.  She’s gotten so much more mature in the short time I’ve been away.

Returning home and seeing Georgia has me thinking about the importance of appreciating each day and staying present in the moment. It’s so easy to get caught up in planning and running from activity to activity without enjoying anything. Food addicts who are still bingeing struggle even more so with this. The overwhelming physical cravings for and obsession with food make it impossible to appreciate any moment that doesn’t involve food and even then, there’s no true joy in bingeing for anyone.

For those who have found recovery, appreciating each moment becomes easier. It begins first with gratitude for experiencing freedom from the bondage of the overwhelming need to eat and the total obsession with thinking about and planning to binge. Once the food addict stops bingeing and finds recovery, they are able to pay more attention to the people and things in their surroundings. This is when life can become truly magical.

Watching a bird soar high into a bright blue sky, enjoying the beauty of the first spring flowers, looking at an amazing piece of art, seeing the magnificence of a flowing stream, the excitement in child’s face or the exuberance in a new puppy are ordinary yet spectacular moments that make up each day and all things that go unnoticed when a food addict is bingeing.

Taking some time to look around and appreciate the joys in each day not only makes every minute special but it helps to stay focused on the present moment which will add up to a great life one day at a time!

If you have yet to find recovery, we can help. Our next Acorn Intensive takes place from March 20 – 26 in Vancouver.

Are you wearing red today? According to the American Heart Association, “On the first Friday of every February, which is designated as American Heart Month, the nation comes together, igniting a wave of red from coast to coast.”

Go Red for Women® is the American Heart Association’s global initiative to end heart disease and stroke in women. Launched in 2004 to close the gap in awareness, Go Red quickly expanded into a worldwide movement dedicated to removing the barriers women face to achieving good health and well-being.

Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, killing more women than all forms of cancer combined. Learn what it means to Go Red For Women to help women like you fight back:

G: GET YOUR NUMBERS

Ask your doctor to check your blood pressure and cholesterol.

O: OWN YOUR LIFESTYLE

Stop smoking, lose weight, exercise, and eat healthy.

It’s up to you. No one can do it for you.

R: REALIZE YOUR RISK

We think it won’t happen to us, but heart disease kills one of three women.

E: EDUCATE YOUR FAMILY

Make healthy food choices for you and your family.

Teach your kids the importance of staying active.

D: DON’T BE SILENT

Tell every woman you know that heart disease is our No. 1 killer.

American Heart Month, a federally designated event, is an ideal time to focus on heart health and how that relates to food addiction.

For food addicts, heart health is especially important. Having abused their bodies for years by bingeing and, in some cases, purging, many are at even greater risk for heart disease. Among the risk factors for heart disease are lack of physical activity, eating foods high in saturated and trans fats, obesity, high blood pressure, uncontrolled diabetes, and high cholesterol. All of these things are common in food addicts.

The most effective way to maintain good heart health is for food addicts to eat healthy, nonaddictive foods and exercise.

If you need help, we’re here and if you’re wearing red today, please email us a photo!