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Cassan Ferguson

Food cravings and their meanings

Cassan Ferguson
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Food cravings and their meanings

Food cravings have the power to make us go out of our way until we find that special craving fix. Hunger is controlled by our appetite when we feel hungry, where as cravings are control by our brains and what are bodies are lacking and truly needing. Cravings are quick fixes, and often are the wrong fixes.

It may feel good in the moment to munch down an entire slab of chocolate, but afterwards we tend experience a sugar low and end up feeling lethargic. WHY? Because the quick fix craving did not support or fuel the right need of the body. That’s why it is so vital to know and understand cravings, as a means of empowering, strengthening and nourishing your body by sourcing the right minerals from the right healthy sources.

FOOD CRAVINGS AND THEIR MEANINGS

SUGARY TREATS

What your body really  needs 

  • Tryptophan
  • Sulphur
  • Phosphorus

Healthy alternatives 

  • Spirulina
  • Sweet potato

CHOCOLATE

What your body really needs

  • Magnesium

Healthy alternatives

  • Raw nuts
  • Legumes
  • Fruit

SALTY

What your body really needs

  • Chloride

Healthy alternatives

  • Fish
  • Unrefined sea salt

FRIED FOOD

What your body really needs

  • Calcium

Healthy alternatives

  • Cheese
  • Kale
  • Broccoli

CAFFEINE

What your body really needs

  • Salt
  • Iron
  • Sulphur
  • Phosphorous

Healthy alternatives

  • Garlic
  • Tomatoes
  • Tomato juice
  • Fish
  • Eggs
  • Nuts
  • Meat
  • Black cherries

CARBS

What your body really needs

  • Chromium

Healthy alternatives

  • Kale
  • Flax seeds

STOP THE CRAVING

When I start craving unhealthy food on a regular basis I know that my body is secretly telling me something. When I dig a bit deeper and question “what is it that I am craving?” then I assess how I can replenish that missing mineral that my body is really wanting and needing.

If you find yourself constantly craving unhealthy foods and drinks, become aware of it, and opt for a healthier option. After all we are what we eat, and what we eat determines how we will mentally, physically as well as, emotionally run the day. Choose wisely when it comes to your body, you won’t regret it!

Just be you

Cassan Ferguson
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Just be you

Why do we pretend or profess to be something that we are not, instead of just being us? Why do we choose to hide who we are, when we can just be ourselves? Is it because we maybe don’t like who we really are? If so, what causes that way of thinking, where does it stem from? I know, I know, I just threw out a bunch of questions all at once. But it’s always good to do a heart check every so often, to see where we are at and if we’re living in healthy space.

REALITY VS FALSE PERCEPTIONS

I wrote an article not so long ago where I expressed how tired I was of trying to pretend like I had it “all together” when I didn’t. It was a very real, raw and honest post. Little did I know that, that post would mean so much to others that stumbled across it online. It even inspired someone in the U.K to start an online Instagram project called #thenotsoperfectproject whereby you post images that are real, raw, transparent and honest. As opposed to perfectly posed and edited images. Therefore encouraging more authenticity vs “the perfect ideal”.

Normally, we like to post about the good stuff, the pretty stuff, the fun stuff, our highlight reel if you will. And yes, we should post whatever we like on our personal accounts. Sometimes people never show the real them, rather they show a distorted perception of what they want you to believe about them. They show or portray something that’s very far from who they are. And yes, it’s a personal choice as to how people choose to behave online, and in person. But how will others truly be inspired or feel encouraged by the authentic real version of who you are if you are constantly hiding behind a facade?

OWN YOUR STORY

For example when I wrote said post, I was opening up about my emotional mess. I was being honest with what was said, and my hope was that it would encourage others out there to not feel like they are alone, especially if they are going through something similar. Sometimes, when we are honest with ourselves, and who we are, people feel that we are more relatable. If we were more honest with ourselves, and owned who we are and enjoyed being ourselves – I think that people will naturally gravitate towards us and be inspired by us.

Often people fear being themselves because they are afraid that others may not approve, or like who they are “the good and the ugly”. But I believe and have seen for myself to be true – that the right friends stick around, and they will get you, and they will love you regardless of the ups and downs.

JUST BE AUTHENTICALLY YOU

  • Just know that who you are is a gift to the world.
  • Who you are has the potential to inspire, encourage and empower.
  • No one can do what you do quite the way you do it.
  • Own your story, do not let it own you. Let your story inspire and encourage others.
  • Who you are consists of passions, dreams, talents, gifts, struggles, challenges, and victories. Every bit of you is amazing and unique – there is nothing to be ashamed of.

I think that if we were more conscious of owning our stories, and owning who we are. We would present a more confident and authentic version of ourselves to the world. Now, obviously I am not encouraging you to walk around moaning about everything, or say something negative online as a means of owning it. Rather, I am challenging you (and myself) to look a little deeper and question if we are being true to who we really are. Celebrate who you are, own your story, and share your authentic self with others. You never know whose lives you may touch through just being authentically you.

For when you feel like a bad mom

Cassan Ferguson
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For when you feel like a bad mom

A reoccurring conversation that comes up between moms is that we always feel like we are not doing enough for our kids, or we feel like we are messing this parenting gig up. ‘Mom guilt’ has it’s best intentions on most days sure, but on the other hand it clouds our logical reasoning and thinking, and causes us to feel like total failures.

Not so perfect Pinterest mom

We want to be the perfect “Pinterest mom”, we want to home school our children, grow organic veggies, make healthy homemade meals, have time to make DIY art projects with our children, make sure they can spell their name or write a book by four years old. But, the reality is that sometimes we don’t always have the time or the energy to do all those things for our kids.

Sometimes we feel tired, frustrated, sometimes we yell at our kids, sometimes we hide in the bathroom as a means of catching our breath and personal space, sometimes we feed our kids junk food because we don’t have the time or head space to cook. Then we feel guilty that we are not on “top form”, and not rocking at this thing called motherhood.

Does this mean that we love our children any less? Why do we place this pressure on ourselves? Why do we compare ourselves to other moms ?

Behind the scenes reality

I can guarantee you that every mom has her “not so glam” mom moments. I call them the “behind the scenes” moments – the real life moments. Sometimes we assume that other moms have it all together and that they are just rocking at this parenting gig. Their Instagram pictures of them with their kids looking perfect, picture perfect, and maybe it is perfect. But that picture doesn’t reflect their real behind the scenes moments (the sleep deprivation, the mess, the tears, the tantrums, the chaos, frustrations, their realities)

Sometimes we even feel shocked when we realise that other moms don’t have it all together, and that they too feel frustrated and like they are failing in some area too.

When you feel like you are failing – just remember:

  • Tomorrow is a new day
  • Apologise if you lost your cool
  • Try your best, and know that your best is good enough
  • Laugh more
  • Have a sisterhood to rally around you
  • Just know that your children love you regardless – you are the best mom for them
  • Just know that every other mama out there struggles

Most importantly just know that you are the best mom for your little people. All we can do is try and put our best foot forward, trust in God to give us the grace, wisdom, courage and strength as we navigate our ways through motherhood.

I totally believe that if we lean on God in this season of motherhood he will give us the joy, love and energy that we need to rock parenting.

More love, less judgement

Cassan Ferguson
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More love, less judgement

Everybody feels entitled and justified to pass reckless judgements. Sometimes with the intention of hurting others, or without even realizing it. The thing is we all naturally form judgments in our minds based on our perceptions, assumptions, and according to what we believe and what we think we know to be true.

We may find ourselves judging someone’s lifestyle, someone’s flaws, someone’s life choices, someone’s success or failures, the list could go on and on, when actually it shouldn’t. You see it all the time online, everyone is quick to form harsh opinions based on assumptions and personal opinions – lacking facts and, quite frankly, celebrating when others fall short.

Sometimes people judge and criticize others because of their own insecurities, it makes them feel good when they see others fail.

JUDGING OTHERS IS A CHOICE

When we judge others it speaks more of our character than it does of the person we judge. Judging others is a choice, it’s not something that we are forced to do. It’s something that we feed by entertaining it, and falling prey to acting out on it. Going against judgmental traits means we need to let love lead in our thoughts, in our hearts, in our words and in our actions. We need to ask ourselves if what we are thinking and saying is motivated by love or by insecurity.

Anyone can find the dirt in someone. Be the one who finds the gold in others.

MORE LOVE – LESS JUDGEMENT

  • The next time you catch yourself judging others, stop and ask yourself if you would like the same judgmental treatment being acted out towards you.
  • The next time you catch yourself judging others, try putting yourself in their shoes and try to empathize with them instead.
  • The next time you catch yourself judging others, pray for them and encourage them.

The world has enough critics out there, why not be an encourager and a believer of people. People make mistakes. Sometimes we forget that and we place people on pedestals. Then when they fail at things, or do something that disappoints us, we act shocked and often condemn them and their actions, when it’s not our place to judge them.

After all, we are all human, we all make mistakes, we all have flaws, and we all fall short. Thank goodness that God is a forgiving God. His love covers and cleanses every sin. Why not start today by letting Gods love lead you in the way you think, speak and behave.

The four agreements

Cassan Ferguson
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The four agreements

I stumbled across an article discussing the four agreements (be impeccable with your word,  don’t take anything personally, don’t make assumptions, and always do your best) Basically in a nutshell the article was encouraging that if we apply the four agreements within our working environments, through to relationships and friendships then it will help to strengthen ourselves as well as others.

These four agreements sound easy on paper, but can be actually quite hard to achieve. As it requires a constant effort to work on the following areas and be intentional about doing so.

Here’s a closer look at the four agreements:

BE IMPECCABLE WITH YOUR WORD

Our words can be used to either build, encourage, empower others, whilst on the other hand they can breakdown, discourage , hurt others. Therefore, we need to be intentional whenever we are communicating with others to speak with love and integrity. 

  • Speak with love and integrity.
  • Say what you mean.
  • Avoid gossip, or speaking down on yourself or others.
  • Always speak the truth in love.

DON’T TAKE ANYTHING PERSONALLY

Often we read into things that aren’t even there or aren’t even true. Maybe we do that out of insecurity, because we lack the confidence to know who we are. Sometimes people may treat us according to their insecurities, therefore we need to know who we are to not let those words shape or define our character and confidence.

  • Listen to constructive criticism, and learn how to grow from it.
  • How others choose to speak to you or treat you is not always a reflection of you, sometimes others respond out of their own personal insecurities.
  • Know who you are, and never let others define who you are.

DON’T MAKE ASSUMPTIONS

I don’t like assumptions personally. I feel that assumptions aren’t based on actual facts, they are merely created around our imaginations and perceptions of others. Sometimes we assume because we are too afraid to confront others and ask. Don’t fall into the assumptions.

  • If you aren’t sure about something, then find the courage to ask as means of understanding the truth with clarity.
  • Communicate clearly with others, be honest, open and as transparent as possible.

ALWAYS DO YOUR BEST

  • Sometimes we find ourselves in trying seasons and situations, which in turn may cause us to stress or may encourage us to quit without even trying. If we go in with the mindset of ” Just try and do your personal best” then you will walk away from that situation and season knowing that you did the best that you could possibly do, and whatever follows from it follows.

These four agreements may not be easy to successfully pull off on a day to day basis. Thank goodness that we can always press refresh and try our best regardless. Learning to actively apply things until it becomes a natural instinct may require patience and perseverance.

What do you think of the four agreements?

God meets us in our mess

Cassan Ferguson
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God meets us in our mess

We tend to fall into the trap of thinking that we can’t go to God if our lives are in a mess – we think our lives are too messy, or not good or perfect enough for God to see. Sometimes, we may even believe the lie that we have to first sort out the mess (shame, guilt, heartbreak, disappointments) before turning to God.

But that way of thinking is a lie – a lie that the enemy wants you to believe: that you are not worthy, not perfect enough, not faultless or blameless. This, in turn, stops us from reaching out to God, our Father. We then isolate ourselves and start to feel burdened, trapped, and lonely. Almost like we are suffering and suffocating in our mess. But God wants us to live a life that is filled with his goodness, his favour, and joy.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. – John 10:10

If you find yourself in a season where you feel isolated and overwhelmed by your mess, just remember that God is always on your side, wanting the best for you and your situation. Just know that regardless of who we are or where we have been, he is always there for us, ready to meet us wherever we are at in life.

The truth about God vs our mess

1 . God loves us regardless

  • But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. – Romans 5:8
  • I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love.
    With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself. – Jeremiah 31:3
  • For the mountains may move, and the hills disappear, but even then my faithful love for you will remain. My covenant of blessing will never be broken,” says the Lord, who has mercy on you. – Isaiah 54:10

2 . God hears us

  • In my distress I cried out to the Lord for his help. And he heard me from heaven; my cry reached his ears. – Psalm 18:6
  • Then they cried to the Lord in their troubles, and he helped them and delivered them. – Psalm 107:19 

3 . God heals and restores

  • Come to me and I will give you rest, all of you who work so hard beneath a heavy yoke. Wear my yoke, for it fits perfectly, and let me teach you; for I am gentle and humble, and you shall find rest for your souls; for I give you only light burdens. – Matthew 11:28 
  • He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds. – Psalm 147:3
  • Fear not, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed. I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will uphold you with my victorious right hand. – Isaiah 41:10

4 .  The truth sets us free from the lie of the enemy

  • Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. – John 8:32
  • But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. – Ephesians 5:13

He makes all things new

Just know that God can take any mess and turn it around and turn it into something beautiful. Your mess does not need to define and dictate how you go about living your life. You do not need to be perfect in order to go to him, or call out to him. He is ready and waiting to meet you exactly where you are at.

If this post spoke to you or encouraged you and you would like to know more regarding living in a relationship with God, then may I encourage you to click on the link below.

Can diet affect our mood?

Cassan Ferguson
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Can diet affect our mood?

What we eat has the power to affect (not always drastically) our health, mood, and behaviour. Dietary changes can bring about changes in our brain structure (chemically and physiologically) which can lead to altered behaviour.

For example, we can experience a sugar high from unhealthy sugary diets, which in turn forces us to have a major sugar low. Those short bursts of energy often lead to tiredness and crankiness. In short, what we eat either has the potential to feed and nurture our brains on a chemical level, or it can lead to mental exhaustion, anxiety, and depression.

FEED YOUR BRAIN

If we want to ensure that our moods are balanced, we need to be more conscious and aware of feeding our brains by incorporating the following into our daily lives:

  • Eat a balanced breakfast: Don’t skip breakfast in the mornings. When we are more intentional about eating healthy, well balanced breakfasts in the morning it will increase brain activity and boost our energy levels.
  • Omega 3 fatty acids: Omega 3 fatty acids can influence mood and behaviour. It can be found in fish, meat, and in nut oils.
  • More Vitamin D: Vitamin D increases levels of serotonin in the brain.
  • Exercise: This helps with de-stressing; it also releases feel good hormones.
  • Don’t overdo caffeine: Coffee and teas with caffeine in it can act as a stimulant, which in turn can increase levels of anxiety.
  • Drink more water: Drinking more water keeps you hydrated, flushes out toxins, increases energy, promotes weight loss, and boosts your immune system.
  • Emotional eater: Some people eat when they are happy, or when they are sad or anxious, while others won’t eat anything at all. Before falling into the trap of emotional eating, pause for a moment and ask yourself: “Are my emotions influencing my need to eat right now?” Be in control of your emotions, and don’t let them dictate to you what you eat. Respect yourself enough to eat the right kinds of foods that will nourish your body.
  • Do more de-stressing activities: De-sressing activities are things that help you to relax and they make you feel good whilst you are busy doing them. This could be going for a walk along the beach, reading a good back, painting, or meeting a friend for coffee. It could be anything that makes you feel less stressed and happy.

A healthy lifestyle not only changes your body. It changes your mind, your attitude and your mood. 

In-between the weeds

Cassan Ferguson
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In-between the weeds

I had a personal revelation the other day in my oh-so-tiny garden that has been personally challenging me. It was a normal sunny Sunday afternoon. I was feeling anxious. So I did what most normal-ish people do and I headed outside to catch my breath.

As I was standing in my tiny backyard, I looked around and noticed that the one flower bed looked untamed; wild; overthrown with weeds and some very dead looking plants, whilst the rest of my flower beds looked lush, beautiful and very well kept. I closed my eyes and concentrated on deep relaxing breaths, as I felt the sun shine against my face. I opened my eyes and I knew that it was time to finally sort out the mini flower bed, aka “the flower graveyard.”

I began removing the dead plants and weeds.  I then removed the rocks and tossed the soil repeatedly, and finished it off by watering the soil. When I saw that the soil was weed free and freshly prepped I started to envision what could be planted in this flower bed.

As strange as this may sound I had a revelation whilst gardening. I felt God say to me: “Just like this flower bed needs to be nurtured, and taken care of, so do you.”

IN-BETWEEN THE WEEDS

This made me think of the following:

1. Weeds and rocks: Weeds and rocks stunt and stop the growing process. Often in our lives we let lies, distractions, disappointments, and hurt stop us from moving forward. Therefore we need to be mindful of sifting out and uprooting the weeds in our lives.

2. Remove the dead: Often dead things take up unnecessary space, and block the potential that lies within. Removing dead things that aren’t growing  within our lives frees up space for new things to be birthed.

3. Toss the soil: In order for plants to be able to endure all seasons well, the soil needs to be tossed and prepared. The soil needs to be maintained well, as it supplies the minerals and nutrients that the plants need in order to grow. When the soil is good and healthy, the roots anchor themselves well, allowing the whole plant to flourish.

4. Sow new seeds: Once the flowerbed has been prepped, there is now space for new things to be sown. It’s the same with us: when we let go of things that stop us from flourishing, we create space for something new to be birthed.

5. Water: Watering nourishes a plant and it helps the plant to grow. In life we need to invest in things that feed us, nurture us, and grow us in character.

6 . The Gardener: The gardener has the vision for the garden and knows its potential. The gardener also takes care of the plants by watering, pruning, and removing weeds  and unwanted materials from the flowerbed. The same is true for us when it comes to being in a relationship with God. God knows the vision and purpose for our lives. If we let Him, He will always look after us, and help us to flourish and overcome any obstacle. He will remove dead things, weeds, and any unhealthy fruit. If we let Him, He will lovingly restore us, strengthen us, and help us to flourish no matter the season.

If you would like to find out more about being in a relationship with God, then may I encourage you to click on the link below.

Celebrate love

Cassan Ferguson
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Celebrate love

When last have you celebrated your significant other, just because? When last have you taken initiative and done something special as a means of surprising them and making them feel loved, special, and valued? And no, I am not talking about celebrating their birthday, or Valentines Day, an anniversary, or whatever other holiday. I’m talking about celebrating and surprising your parter, just because you can and because you want to.

Often we get so caught up in life, work, and family responsibilities, that our spouses and partners fall to the bottom of our list of priorities. Our relationships can easily become neglected, and we fall into the “mundane-boring” marriage trap. Yes, life is real, and relationships and family dynamics can be tricky and require work from all involved. But there is always room for fun, and there is always time to celebrate one another, and it often doesn’t require a lot from us – just the intention and our time.

Celebrate love in little ways

  • Surprise them
  • Leave little notes for them to find
  • Go on dates often, and do something different each time
  • Laugh together
  • Encourage one another
  • Listen more
  • Continue to dream together

Not every day can be a fairytale. We are still human after all, and life gets real sometimes. However, nurturing the fun element within a marriage and relationship brings the balance in and amongst the hard and tiring. We shouldn’t just merely “endure” and “survive” our marriages, we should be enjoying them. Marriage should be a constant adventure, one in which we enjoy exploring and experiencing with our spouses.

Fight the mundane in your marriage, and start thinking of ways in which to make your marriage more fun by celebrating love and by celebrating one another.

In the stillness

Cassan Ferguson
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In the stillness

Just the very thought of pressing pause on life for a moment in order to breathe and to be still can make us feel anxious. We have become so accustomed to fast-paced living that we forget to take time out to rest, relax, and recharge. Our heads and hearts are constantly filled with noise and anxious thoughts – to the point where we don’t even know to think straight.

I know I struggle with the thought and concept of “slowing down” or “being still”. I feel guilty when I am resting, or when I find myself catching a moment to just breathe. Funny that we feel guilty at the thought of resting… Why do we feel guilty when it comes to doing things that nourish our very souls ? Why do we believe the lie that we are not worthy of rest? It’s almost like we need to prove our worth by being busy – so busy “being busy” that we burn out.

God has really challenged me lately when it comes to resting and being still. I was constantly on the go, trying to “do it all” when all of a sudden I worked myself to a big breakdown. All the things that I was trying to juggle collapsed all around me, and I could not find the strength or the willpower to pick up the pieces.

BE STILL

In that time where I felt very broken, very lost, so unworthy, and felt like failure, that I felt God say to me “Be still”. I fought with God: “I can’t be still, God, I’ve got things to do!” Then God said again, “Be still”. I wrestled with it, but I decided to try it out – “being still,” that is.

I sat on the beach one morning and said to God: “Okay, I’m being still God… now what?” There was silence, just pure silence. There I was, sitting on the sand, staring at the waves, and I was conscious of my breathing. I felt a deep sense of calm and peace fill my heart and mind. Then after a while, I heard God say to me:

“It will be okay, The wind and waves still know my name!”

In my brokenness, in my mess, I knew that I was not alone. I knew that I was worthy of being fixed. I was worthy of His love. That no matter where I am at, or what state I am in, He sees me, and He will always meet me where I am at.

I knew in those moments that being still in His presence meant that I had to be intentional about it, and that I had to change my attitude that I had towards resting and being still. When we are intentional about being still in God’s presence, we allow ourselves to rest in Him. When we are still in God’s presence, we are more open to hearing the voice of God speak to us.

Be intentional about resting. Rest with the intention of being still, so that you can hear what it is that God is trying to tell you. Let Him comfort, guide, and refresh your soul.

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