Saturday, December 21, 2013

Before you write too many New Year's Resolutions...Read This.

I don't know about you, but I am really hard on myself and never seem to be satisfied with my accomplishments when I look back on the year that is leaving us. This year we say good-bye to 2013. I tend to start with the negative: I did not get enough done, I was not a good enough mother, wife, sister, daughter, friend, employee etc. I still have closets to clean and drawers to organize and stuff to donate....and ...and ....and.

I never liked New Year's Eve celebrations, the drinking, the overeating, the watching the ball drop, the feeling that life in the year of 20_ _ had gone too fast.

I have a strangely different attitude this year. I have never before felt this calm about another year moving by. As I contemplate the reasons why, I have discovered something that I did differently during this year than all other years: I have taken better care of myself. I HAVE TAKEN  BETTER CARE OF MYSELF. There, I said it!

I am not saying I have been perfect in every area. For example, going to the gym has been put on the back burner more than it should, but I jump rope in the garage if only for 10 minutes a day. I have concentrated on figuring out what was missing in my diet to cause intense cravings and the need to eat more often than I should. I have figured out how to eat for energy and for my best health. I am relying more on holistic practitioners to figure out how to keep me healthy. I am staying out of the conventional medical world where prescription drugs abound.

I have experimented with dairy, fats, proteins, raw cheese, grains, and yes chocolate too.

This New Year's Eve, I will have a very different feeling going into 2014. I am going to continue my "Year of Ultimate Health" which began April 2013 and ends in March 2014.

Before you write down all of those harsh New Years Resolutions ( I will never drink or eat again!) that are broken by February, why not just write down this one: "I WILL TAKE BETTER CARE OF MYSELF IN 2014!"

Make a declaration which states your intention for 2014 and write it out on a piece of paper. Post this declaration at work, on your wall in your home office, on your dashboard in your car. Just by writing it down, your mind, body and soul will take you there, I promise.

I made my declaration last April and it has worked beyond my wildest dreams:

April 2013 - March 2014
"The Year of Ultimate Health"
 
I wish you love and health in 2014.

To Your Best Health,

Denise Lovat
Certified Health Coach

Visit my website at: http://www.deniselovathealthcoach.com/Services.html
to schedule a  free 1-hour health history consultation.



Saturday, December 14, 2013

Holidays Bring PeopleTogether ....are you sure?

No matter how hard we try, holiday-time can be stressful and sometimes unpleasant. Perhaps you and your mother's relationship has suffered this year. Maybe you and your spouse have been so busy taking care of your family and children that you have not made anytime to keep the fire burning. Do you have an old friend whom you are estranged from for a silly reason? Do you wish they were still in your life?



When we repair relationships, it can benefit our health immensely. Love relationships can bring immense happiness and joy, but when they are out of line, they can be the source of unhappiness, stress, misery and bad health.

Whether it is your mom, your sister, your brother, your spouse or and old friend, this December is a good time to start to heal and repair. You can try some of these strategies to get you started on the road to relationship recovery:
  1. Make the first move: Who cares if you have to be the one to reach out. We are past the trivial, aren't we? Give this person a call and ask them to meet for a tea, coffee or cocktail. Tell them you were thinking about them and that you want to get together.
  2. Learn to forgive: Harboring angry feelings about a relationship are unhealthy habits which cause little pockets of unhappiness in your body. Some day if you have enough of them they can present as disease. Forgive everyone for everything even if it is hard. The power of forgiveness is for the person who forgives, for you!
  3. Change Yourself:  You know that saying, "the only person you can change is yourself." It is true. You can only change yourself and your reactions to other people's behavior. Instead of reacting with scorn or silence, reach out and heal.
If you need some help with your spouse, this is a great article about a technique called
H-E-A-L: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-mindful-self-express/201304/four-steps-relationship-repair-the-h-e-l-technique

If you need some help with your mom, this is a great article about moms and daughters but could apply to anyone: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-mindful-self-express/201304/four-steps-relationship-repair-the-h-e-l-technique

To Your Best Health and Merry Christmas!

Denise Lovat
Certified Health Coach

Visit my website at: http://www.deniselovathealthcoach.com/Services.html
 to schedule a  free 1-hour health history consultation.

Saturday, December 7, 2013

Can you make the necessary changes to live out your life in good health?

I find myself at the grocery store almost every day of the week.  I like looking at the produce, shopping and having that time to relax and discover new things to buy. I really like older people and talking to them in the grocery store brings me joy.  The elderly are very sweet and interesting. The elderly always have comments about the price of food, the quality of food or the weather.




I was saddened by my conversation this week with an older diabetic man. His resistance to change, even when his life depends on it, seems stronger than his love of life itself.

We were admiring the sweet potatoes and how they were .59 cents per pound. He said "these sweet potatoes look great don't they?" I agreed and asked him how he usually cooked them. He said he baked or boiled them and that he was a diabetic. I told him that I bake several sweet potatoes in the evening, slice them in half, add coconut oil and put them in foil so that I can reheat in the morning for breakfast. I told him that I dip the delicious hot chunks of sweet potato in almond butter and that sweet potatoes have become my favorite breakfast.

He indicated that his doctor told him not to eat any fat or oil, so coconut oil was out of the question, (proper cell function depends on good fats). He then told me that he was a widower and that when he found out he was a diabetic, he was a vegan for a week and "never felt better." He went on to say that he liked the "traditional food like meat loaf, steak and baked potato."

I almost asked him to repeat the sentence that he just said and to listen carefully to what he was saying.

He said "I was a vegan for a week and NEVER FELT BETTER!" If that was the case, why wouldn't you want to feel that way always and forever? Why would you revert back to what is making you sick?

I am afraid he does not understand the impact that food has on his health. I am afraid that his doctor has not made it clear that he needs to drastically change what he is eating and that each time he eats, his food goes to the cellular level to either make his body work well or to disrupt his cell function and wreak havoc. I am afraid it is too late for this gentleman to make the changes necessary to live out his life in health and joy.

Can you make the changes necessary to live out your life in health?

Here are 11 tips to help you live to be 100!
  1. Don't retire
  2. Floss every day
  3. Move around
  4. Eat high fiber breakfast
  5. Get at least 6 hours of sleep 
  6. Consume whole foods
  7. Be less neurotic
  8. Live like a Seventh Day Adventist: cherish your body on loan from God
  9. Be a creature of habit
  10. Stay connected
  11. Be conscientious
For more detail on each of these tips, go to: http://health.usnews.com/health-news/living-well-usn/slideshows/in-pictures-11-health-habits-that-will-help-you-live-to-100/12
source: US News and World report

To Your Best Health,

Denise Lovat
Certified Holistic Health Coach

Visit my website at: http://www.deniselovathealthcoach.com/Services.html
 to schedule a  free 1-hour health history consultation.








Sunday, December 1, 2013

What is derailing YOU from reaching your health goals?

If you are not prepared for meals, this could be derailing you from reaching your health goals?

Today is Sunday. Sunday used to be my least favorite day. I would think about the week ahead of school or work and wonder how I was going to get it all done.  In college, Sundays were strange days because it was a lonely, uneventful day full of homework and feeling bad about being behind on homework and missing family time.

Now, Sundays are my favorite days. I have claimed them as mine! I have made Sunday's my day of cooking and getting ready for the week. Instead of letting the week knock me down like a title wave, I control how my week begins by having loads of prepared food in my refrigerator to take wherever I am going or to eat at home at meal times. I feel as if I have at least 10 extra hours a week just by taking the steps to PREPARE for meals in advance. Do we eat left-overs everyday? YES and I think it is the only way to live!

Today my cooking is underway with green lentil soup with kale, carrots, onions, celery, seranno chili peppers, tomato sauce:




I have also prepared spaghetti squash and acorn squash to add to our meals as sides:




I tried out these collard green wraps, with all raw julienned beets, carrots, cucumbers, green peppers and smashed avocado. I had one for lunch and loved them:



Lastly, I baked four sweet potatoes and have the coconut oil already on them to reheat and smother with almond butter for my breakfast of champions this week!





I hope you can take some time on Sundays to prepare for your meals for the week ahead. It is a great way to stay healthy and stay on track to reaching your goals.

If you would like the Vegan Collard Wrap recipe, please got to http://www.deniselovathealthcoach.com/Services.html. Where it says "request information, send me an email and write COLLARD WRAPS.

To Your Best Health,

Denise Lovat
Certified Health Coach





Sunday, November 24, 2013

To Visit ...the verb

Visit \vi-zet\ verb: 1: to go to see in order to comfort or help 2: to call on either as an act of courtesy or friendship 3: to dwell with for a time as a guest.

I had an "aha" moment this weekend. One of the things that I miss so much that I used to do as a child is visiting family, friends and acquaintances on the weekends....every weekend. Often we would go with our parents on Friday nights to my Aunt Bernice and Uncle Ed's home near Outer Drive and State Fair. My parents and aunt and uncle would play canasta or Michigan rummy while we played with our cool older cousins. We would dance to 96 Tears by Question Mark and the Mysterians (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7uC5m-IRns). We always ordered Buddy's Pizza from the "original" store on Conant. I remember how delicious it was with Faygo orange pop at midnight. Sometimes we would actually stop by the Top Hat hamburger on 8 mile and get a whole bag of burgers. My Dad must have had the munchies after a couple of shots and beers. The buns on those warm hamburgers would be almost soaked through before we got to eat them when we arrived at home. Not a great idea right before bed!

On Sundays we would visit both sets of grandparents. I loved that because my grandpa Surdel would always give us silver dollars. While he spoke hardly any English, he always had the greatest smile on his face when he snuck us a coin without my Mom seeing him.

These were magical times and the memories are so very clear. I wonder if we have lost the art of "to visit, the verb" in our crazy busy world. I know that I have not been the best visitor.

Make a plan to visit family, friends and acquaintances more often. Stay connected, not only during the Christmas season but all year long. Connecting with people makes our lives better and makes great memories. I hope you can rekindle a friendship, comfort an old friend or make someone's day by your presence. "Reach out and touch somebody's hand, make this world a better place if you can." (http://www.allmusic.com/album/reach-out-and-touch-the-very-best-of-diana-ross-mw0000711299)

To Your Best Health,

Denise Lovat
Certified Health Coach

Visit my website for tips on how to survive the holidays without gaining weight: http://www.deniselovathealthcoach.com
Go the to Services Page and at the Request Information Box type in : HOLIDAY TIPS and hit send.




Monday, November 4, 2013

What is vitamin "G" and what can it do for YOU?

We have all seen people I would call "up with People" who are never in a bad mood. These people used to really annoy me, especially when I was at a low point in my life or  when I let myself be in a bad mood. HOW CAN ANYONE BE THAT HAPPY ALL THE TIME! ICK.

I have a hunch that one of the things they have going for them is vitamin "G," GRATITUDE.



In my health coach training we were exposed to an exercise where we wrote down three things every night before bed that we were grateful for. It was an interesting exercise for me. The first couple of nights I actually had a hard time thinking of three things I was grateful for. I was making it too hard. 

  • I am grateful for getting up this morning.
  • I am grateful for my four limbs.
  • I am grateful for my eye sight.
  • I am grateful for a home to live in.
  • I am grateful that I am able bodied and can leave my house each day.
  • I am grateful for my two sisters for their support.
This gratitude exercise started to accelerate and get easier as I wrote in my journal each night.  My overall mood shifted to more positive and the little things that would normally annoy me, did not. I have been sporadic at writing in the journal lately and I am glad I ran across this 21 Day Gratitude Challenge which starts on November 7, as a reminder.

Try it! See what can happen in 21 days. I would love to hear your results.
Sign up for the challenge, it is free and you will be a part of a community of kindness, what could be better.

I would like to thank my IIN classmate for posting this challenge on facebook.

To Your Best Health,

Denise Lovat
Certified Holistic Health Coach

Visit my website complimentary Raw Energy Bites Recipes http://www.deniselovathealthcoach.com
Go the to Services Page and at the Request Information Box : type in RAW RECIPES


 

Friday, October 25, 2013

Our Family Only had One Car and one OVEN...today I am thankful for my WHEELS!

Today I am thankful for having my own wheels. My Dad worked at Stroh's Brewery and had a "driver" pick him up. Not a "driver" like Metro Cars, but another man who worked at Stroh's who lived near by and kind of came our way on his way to work. My Dad paid him weekly for gas.
My Dad did this so that my Mom could have our Chevrolet Impala to do what she needed to do. Happy Wife, Happy Life! I love you Dad. Can you imagine! Today when you jump in your car try to be thankful that you have wheels too!

I am also thankful today for double ovens with convection on top (4 racks) and conventional on the bottom (2 racks). How in the world did our Mothers do it with ONE OVEN and four children! The reason I am thankful today is that I spent the morning preparing NOT TO COOK this weekend.

Here is what I made in order: roasted brussel sprouts with red onion, roasted carrots, roasted beets, vegan white bean with kale soup (so delicious and so easy) and vegan green lentil soup with kale, tomatoes and veggies and raw energy bites (almond butter, chia, sunflower, pumpkin seeds, oats, honey YUM).







 
 
What do you do to get ready NOT TO COOK!
 
To get these soup recipes go to: deniselovathealthcoach.com and contact me through the contact box. Type in SOUPS!



Friday, October 18, 2013

I love the smell of Fall at the Royal Oak Market!

 
The view of the market is incredible: smell, touch, texture, people, produce, nourishment!

 
Saturday morning is my quiet time to plan my Sunday of cooking for the week

 
The colorful peppers remind me of my grandmother's garden and the value she
placed on her vegetable garden.

 
The magnificence of this display is a work of art
 

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Do you want to be in CONTROL?

The answer to this question is probably yes! for most of us. Who doesn't like to control their day, control their destiny, control how things work in their family. Who doesn't want to protect everyone from harm and make sure everyone is all right! I have big news for you, I mean big, big, big news.

The only thing you can control in life is how you treat yourself and how you interact with others.

You can only control how you "feed" yourself on all levels (food, emotion, spirituality, who you socialize  with etc.) and how you treat yourself (does your inside voice talk negatively or positively?).

Can you control how your husband or children behave? feel? express themselves? eat?  Can you control how your mother feels about you or your children or her life or your life? Can you control what is deep within other people. If you think you can, you must be super-human all powerful.

The only thing you can control in life is how you treat yourself. It is time to stop trying to control things that are out of your hands.  Is it time to begin to look inward and start treating yourself better with better food, better exercise, better relationships, better sleep, more kindness, more time, more prayer.....to start to begin better life?

Every day is a new beginning, every meal is a new beginning, every interaction with another human is a new beginning to do something different and ......well.....better.

My hope for you today is that you treat yourself better today than yesterday.

To Your Best Health,

Denise Lovat
Certified Holistic Health Coach

Visit my website for my complimentary Raw Energy Bites Recipes http://www.deniselovathealthcoach.com
Go the to Services Page and at the Request Information Box : type in RAW RECIPES

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Help Someone....Daily and Be Healthy

We are all so busy inside our own heads with our own problems, and tasks of the day that sometimes we miss the little things in life that could make a huge difference in our health. It is a proven fact that when we go outside of ourselves and reach out to others, we are happier! I don't mean digging a well in a third world country. There are probably 20 simple ways each day that you can help someone....if you are paying attention and coming outside of yourself.

Mahatma Gandhi once said that “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”

Your actions of kindness can change someone's entire outlook on life as well as your own. 

Recently my 18 year old son and I were in the grocery store. We were second in line with the customer in front of us with a large order. I whispered to him to go bag her groceries. He moved to the end of the belt and started to bag, even asking the woman if she would like her milk in a bag. She laughed (good medicine). The woman was so appreciative by this small little act of human helping human. The cashier was taken aback as well and said that he hoped my son's good deed was paid forward to him.

Often at Meijer I like to surprise the person ahead of me and bag their groceries (because I want to get out of there AND I want to help). I always  ask their permission first. No one has ever refused the help.  One time, the person I bagged for waited for me to ring my order up and helped me. I think this is SO FUN and contagious!

Consider some recent research*:
  • Students who performed five acts of kindness a day increased their happiness
  • Providing emotional support to others significantly decreased the harmful health effects of certain kinds of stress among older people
  • People who donated money to charity got a boost in a feel-good part of the brain, as revealed in brain imaging research
*http://www.liveyourlifewell.org/go/live-your-life-well/others 

I recommend building "helping others" into your daily life. You will reap the rewards.

If you want to dive deeper into the benefits of helping others, I recommend Stephen G., Post's book  "The Hidden Gifts of Helping." He is Professor of Preventive Medicine, Head of the Division of Medicine in Society, and Director of the Center for Medical Humanities, Compassionate Care and Bioethics at Stony Brook University. Visit him on his website at www.stephengpost.com/hiddengifts.

Now get out there and help someone!

To Your Best Health,

Denise Lovat
Certified Holistic Health Coach

Visit my website for my complimentary Raw Energy Bites Recipes http://www.deniselovathealthcoach.com
Go the to Services Page and at the Request Information Box : type in RAW RECIPES

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

No Gym Membership, No Excuse, Pick up a Jump Rope!

My children took karate from a crusty old man who had a great big heart. He was a good disciplinarian and taught me how to jump rope like a boxer. I am so thankful for that lesson. Many times I do not feel like driving to the gym or doing a formal work-out. I realize that in nice weather it sometimes makes me angry to be inside when the sunshine and freedom of the outdoors is calling me.  What do I do on those days? I pick up my jump rope and head outside to the driveway, or go for a short run with my jump rope and jump 25 times at all the corners that I turn on. I am accelerating my heart rate in short bursts, I feel ALIVE and am not confined to the indoors and working on machines or treadmills.

Here are two good videos to help you learn how to jump like a boxer!
It is hard at first, but you will improve greatly very quickly.



You can find jump ropes at Sporting Goods Stores, like Dicks Sporting Goods and Dunham's.

Don't worry about how fast or how long you do it at first. I recommend you try to jump for 5 minutes each day, not continuous when you first start (5 minutes can seem like an hour). Take breaks whenever you need to. You will start to build endurance and strength. Let me know if you give this a try!
 
To Your Best Health,
 
Denise Lovat
Certified Holistic Health Coach
 
Contact me through my website and you will get FREE recipes - Five Fall Crock Pot Dishes to come home to

Saturday, September 28, 2013

Do you desire Financial Health? Experiment with CASH

This week I did an experiment with cold hard cash. Each month when my credit card bills come in, I am always amazed at how much money I have spent. I am always convinced that the bill that American Express has sent is someone else's. Alas, the bill always turns out to be mine. American Express never makes a mistake.

My experiment: for one week, use only cash when purchasing anything. My experiment has been a great learning experience and a way to reset financially.

Using cash for all purchases has really made me think long and hard about each and every purchase this week. I am a real consumer. I go to a grocery store at least once a day and find things to buy wherever I am, even in church!

Here were some of my thoughts while shopping this week: Do I really need another bag of $20.00 cacao powder when I have 1/3 of a bag at home? Why buy 8 peaches when some might go bad before we eat them, just get 6? Just because something is on sale, does not mean you have to buy it? With only $60.00 left in my wallet, I better save some for gasoline.

I invite you to experiment with cash and reset your finances. I cannot wait until my credit card bills come this month and say "0" due. Imagine the freedom!






Monday, September 23, 2013

Are you Feeding your Worry? I Have a Secret Weapon...

One of the first things I did to improve my health was to search for a way to decrease worry. As a mother of three children who would soon be teenage drivers, I would lay awake at night worrying about all the bad things that could happen as my children grew up to become adults. Laying awake at night worrying cannot possibly be good for your health...heart racing, tossing and turning, sleep deprivation.

I stumbled upon an article that changed my life. The result of reading the story has armed me against worry that can impact health negatively... the constant downward spiral kind of worry that is heavy on you when you go to bed and heavy on you when you wake up. My mind would always take me to the worst possible scenario. This tool  that I discovered is my secret weapon against worry and a key to good health.

I want to share this secret weapon with you today, in the hopes that it can change your life and improve your health. The article was written by Mary Lou Quinlan and was featured in the November 2010 issue of Real Simple Magazine. Mary Lou Quinlan's mother was ill most of her life. Her name was Mary Finlayson and her secret weapon was writing down on any old piece of paper her worries and prayers and placing them in her "GOD BOX" for God to take off her shoulders. When Mary Finlayson died, her children found not one but 10 "GOD BOXES" spanning many years of their lives. Reading through all the notes was like looking at the tapestry of their lives. It moved me into action.

I immediately bought my first "GOD BOX" at Michael's crafts. I have it pretty near full and I am in need of my second "GOD BOX." Sometimes my prayers are answered within minutes. It is AMAZING! The answers I have received and the relief I feel by physically writing down my prayers and worries and giving it up to God, has improved my health by at least 100%.

The first year I gave "GOD BOXES" to everyone I knew for Christmas. Today I continue to give this gift to many women whom I meet in my life.  If you decide to use a "GOD-BOX" and you have positive results, I would love to hear about it. Email me at deniselovathealthcoach@gmail.com. Please pass this secret weapon on to others in your life, it is worth sharing.

I invite you to read the original story in Real Simple here: http://www.realsimple.com/work-life/family/relationships/inside-god-box-00000000045743/index.html

The author Mary Lou Quinlan has also written a book which was a New York Time Bestseller and she has an inspirational website: http://www.thegodboxproject.com/.


To Your Best Health,

Denise Lovat

For my FREE recipes and tips on how to kick sugar go to: www.deniselovathealthcoach.com


Thursday, September 19, 2013

Make an Inconvenience a Positive Experience for Your Health

This week, we had one of our automobiles in the shop being fixed after being rear-ended on the highway (yes, both front and rear). With everyone needing cars to get where they have to go, I decided that I would be the one to "pretend I did not have a car" and turn this inconvenience into a positive experience FOR ME!  I decided that I could last three days (Tuesday - Thursday) in this world, by riding my bike. After all, Wheatgrass and Sprouts (www.wheatgrassandsprouts.com) my part-time job is only 2 miles away and Whole Foods is only 2.5 miles away and the clients I am working with  this week are only about 12 miles each round trip.

Well today is Thursday and I made it! Over the three days "pretending I did not have a car" I have logged over 70 miles on my bike. I am here to tell you that my metabolic rate has gone up and I could feel myself burning calories throughout the day. The multiple short bursts of exercise throughout the day have been great for keeping my body moving naturally while enjoying the gorgeous pre-fall weather. Oh and yes, the saddle-bags I bought earlier this summer for my bike are THE best purchase of the year.

Are there things in your life that are inconvenient that you could turn around to benefit your health?


To Your Best Health,

Denise Lovat
Health Coach


Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Do You Really Want that Cookie or is it a BIG HUG you Need ?

Habits are very powerful things that get their claws in us and will not release us until we reprogram our brain. According to Charles Duhigg, author of the New York Times Bestseller "The Power of Habit," "A habit is a choice we make at some point, and then stop thinking about it, but continue doing it. Often we do it everyday. Put another way, a habit is a formula our brain automatically follows: when I see this cue, I will do this routine in order to get that reward."  Sometimes we think we need a cookie, but we really need a hug. Read on.....

If you have ever played the piano, you may have some insight into this subject. When you practice a song and play one part incorrectly over and over, you are programming your brain and fingers to play it incorrectly. To change wrong to right, you have to play it correctly at least 20 times before your new habit takes hold. Have you ever dialed the wrong phone number of a number you call frequently? When you redial it correctly, you can feel the muscle memory in your fingers and the comfort ( or rightness) of dialing the number correctly.

Any habit can be eliminated but we need to do some homework and experimentation to figure out how our habit dug in so hard.
Charles Duhigg says there are four steps to manifesting the change you want to embrace:
  1. Identify the Routine
  2. Experiment with Rewards
  3. Isolate the Cue
  4. Have a Plan
This is a solid approach to changing behaviors that are getting in your way. You can buy Charles Duhigg's book or read this detailed article adapted from the book in EXPERIENCE LIFE Magazine: http://experiencelife.com/article/the-power-of-habit/.

What habit would you want to experiment with?



To Your Best Health,

Denise Lovat
Health Coach

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Where are YOU on the health "Spectrum?"

I woke up today with an analogy in my head, "Just like an autistic person is on the "autistic spectrum", we are all on the "health spectrum."  Where are you on the "health spectrum?" Are you  at the low functioning end where McDonalds and Wendy's reside? Are you at the low end where you are eating out everyday and letting others control your health destiny? Are you in the middle of the "health spectrum" where you are eating salads, salads, salads and feeling miserable and deprived? Are you a vegetarian eating delicious cheeses, pastas and breads ( I am jealous of you!)? Have you ever tried veganism? Will you dare to TRY IT RAW?

I have great news. Where ever you are, you can move. YES! Where ever you are, you can MOVE to higher functioning on the "HEALTH SPECTRUM!" Now go to work.





Wednesday, September 11, 2013

So Many New Beginnings on this Journey To Health

Sometimes we want to believe that a "5 Day Miracle Diet" can change our bodies, our mental state, our lives in just 5 days. This is unrealistic and sets us up for disappointment. When you set out to change your health, it should not be to fit into a dress for a high school reunion, to lose 5 pounds before the weekend so that you can eat and drink whatever you want.  When you start your journey, you should have yourself in mind! If you are in for the long haul of taking back your health, you will reap the benefits. Here are FIVE simple things to be conscious of to help you set your mind straight. Above all, be present while you are travelling on your journey to health:
  1. Each day is a new beginning, to do different what you did the same yesterday.
  2. Each meal is a new beginning. Every time you eat, you can make a different choice than you made the meal before.
  3. Each time you interact with someone, you can change the way you behaved the last time you interacted with them.
  4. Each time you begin to talk to yourself, you can make it positive talk instead of negative talk.
  5. Each time you blame someone else for something in your life that went wrong, know that you are the only person who controls your destiny.

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Fasting for Health...a cool concept

Recently, PBS ran a special titled "Eat, Fast and Live Longer with Michael  Mosley." Here is the link if you want to take a look:http://video.pbs.org/video/2363162206/. Michael is a British journalist and physician who loves life. He wants to live long and be healthy. The bottom line of the PBS special is that fasting 2 days a week (eating about 500 calories on the fasting days) and eating normally 5 days a week was the best plan for Michael to change his blood work to show a positive result. I thought I would give this a try. I fasted on Monday and Tuesday of this week. I ate very minimally and only when my stomach grumbled very loud. I was surprised how easy it was. I drank green tea and water during the day. Michael Mosley hopes that this "revolutionary" way of staying healthy takes off. As he says in the very beginning of the program, "it's all about what you eat, or what you don't eat."
Do you think you might try this out, experiment for a few weeks to see what effect fasting could have on your health?

Saturday, August 17, 2013

Put Yourself on Your Priority List

Many women in particular have trouble coming to terms with the fact that in order to gain the health you desire, you need to put yourself first. For whatever reason, women feel guilty about taking care of themselves.  Here are some great tips from www.sparkpeople.com that can help alleviate the guilt with facts and logic:

"First, decide that you deserve some time to yourself each day. Stop feeling guilty for taking time out for you, and realize in the long run, it's a win-win for everyone. When you are tired, stressed out and pulled in too many directions, it is hard to give your best to all you must accomplish. Remember, self-time is not selfish—it's a necessary dimension of self-care!

Decide how best to spend "me" time. How each of us chooses to spend free time is as individualized as we all are. If you had an extra 15 minutes, a half hour, an afternoon or an entire day, what would you do to make yourself feel rejuvenated, relaxed and happy? Write
a list and keep it handy when you begin scheduling time into your calendar.

Evaluate the things that are wasting your time each day. Do you check your emails
constantly and end up spending more time on your computer than you planned? Do you answer personal calls in the middle of your workday? Run to the supermarket daily to pick up dinner rather than plan in advance and shop once? If this sounds like you, you must take the time to organize your responsibilities, and you will gain more free time than you can imagine.

Learn to say "no" to requests to do things that you don't really want to, don't value or don't bring you satisfaction and joy.

Ask for help with chores that don't necessarily have to be completed by you alone.

At the beginning of each week, take a few minutes to designate specific time slots for all that must be accomplished—including "me" time. Treat your personal time like you would any other appointment and make it non-negotiable.

Commit to a minimum of 15-20 minutes of "me" time every day. Do something (or nothing) that completely lets go of responsibilities and releases your mind, allowing you to be alone with your thoughts.

Create a daily ritual. This can be a bath, listening to music,
taking a walk or meditating. Make it something you can look forward to. Years ago, when my children were small and life felt too hectic and overwhelming, I created a ritual for "me" time. I decided it was well worth it to get up 45 minutes before the rest of the family to enjoy my coffee and breakfast in solitude. To this day it's my time to read, daydream or just bask in the sounds of silence. Looking forward to this time, and a coffee pot on a timer, gets me out of bed with a smile on my face.

Stop wishing you had more time to yourself, and commit to carving it into your schedule. Rather than bemoan your lack of time, change your approach and create the time using the tips above. You will be amazed at how a little bit of time to yourself can make a huge difference in your health and happiness!"