on Mar 12, 2017 in Fitness, Inspiration
A strong body is a healthy body. The benefits of building muscle mass or strength are many; decreased aging, better posture, better balance and endurance, increased energy, mood elevation, burn more calories, better weight control, increased immunity, greater self-esteem. How to get stronger: If you want to build muscles…you have to work your muscles until they’re tired. It is the principle of overload. When you work your muscles until they tire, your body sends signals for your muscle tissue to repair and build. Because your body is highly adaptable, if you train using the same amount of resistance over and over, you will maintain your strength, but not build muscle mass or strength. Instead you’ll need to increase the amount of resistance or weight you’re using every 2 to 4 weeks to keep pushing your body to build...
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on Mar 6, 2017 in General Wellness, Inspiration, Mindfulness
Sometimes it is not so much what you need to be doing, but what you need to stop doing that can lead to a happy life. Here are a few things to consider…not doing! Pleasing: All of us want to be loved, needed, and valued. But sometimes we can be so afraid of being rejected that we make ourselves needed. If they need us, they won’t leave us. But trying to please people to make ourselves happy and fulfilled, ultimately leads to disappointment and frustration. Happiness comes when we thoughtfully decide what we do and do not want to do. Then giving comes from a place of joy, with no expectation of return, no frustration in our efforts going unappreciated, no feelings of being a doormat. Let Your “No” be Heard: Some people find it hard to say no. They may have mental chatter that says things like, “You should!”, “You ought to!” or “What will happen if you don’t?” At times it may feel easier to say yes, than to deal with the fallout of saying no. But saying yes to things you know you don’t want to do is like giving a piece of your life away that you’ll never get back. You’ll get caught in the rut of spending all your energy coping with what life throws your way, and none of your energy will get focused on helping you build the life you want for yourself. Happiness comes only when you learn that saying “no” is about loving others as much as loving yourself. A reluctance or inability to say no is often accompanied by a reluctance to communicate difficult emotions and feelings. It is easy to avoid communicating fear, needs, frustration or anger. Thinking things like; “I should, ought to, need to” can make you try to bury these emotions, but these emotions are there to help you make better choices and find your own direction. You need to listen to these emotions and allow them to guide you into decisions and behaviors that help you create the life you want to live. Busy for the Sake of Being Busy: It’s a myth that being busy or having a packed schedule is equivalent to being a person of importance. Gaining...
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on Aug 14, 2016 in Inspiration, Nutrition, Weight Loss
Eating is comforting, satisfying, and necessary. But when food is pleasurable and so plentiful, it can be hard to know when to stop eating. How do you communicate to your stomach that you’re done? Try these tips: Eat mindfully. After each bite, chew slowly and savor all the flavors. Slow down and really enjoy your food. People who just mindlessly gobble their food do not feel satisfied and eat more calories than people who slow down and really take the time to enjoy their food. Eat pleasure-fully. Plan a pleasurable activity post-meal. Give yourself a reason to want to get up and away from the food. Sometimes you don’t want a meal or snack to end because it may be the first rest or fun you’ve had all day. Planning in time for recreation, rest, and relaxation is as important as brushing your teeth. Make it a daily habit. Eat flavor-fully. Infusing flavors into your dishes satisfies more senses than just your taste buds. Your body craves deliciousness, so give it what it wants. Savory aromas and piquancy provided by additions — such as ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and fresh rosemary, mint, or basil — create a dining experience that treats the wandering taste bud. Eat experience-fully. Sit at a table and when you can, make the location you eat a peaceful, beautiful environment. Use a cloth napkin, a place-mat or cloth, or a pretty glass. Add a sprinkle of parsley or mint to your food as a garnish. When researchers served the exact same product to people, (a store bought sponge cake); one on a plain dish unadorned and one on a decorative glass dish sprinkled with powdered sugar and two raspberries, people rated the powdered sugar version with raspberries as more filling and satisfying. Eat fat-fully. Eating healthy fats can make you feel fuller, longer. Stick to reasonable portions of heart-healthy unsaturated fats, such as those found in avocados, olives, walnuts, and almonds. Eat Bean-fully. Try adding a quarter to half cup of beans to each of your meals. Beans slow gastric emptying and regulates blood sugar levels in a way that greatly enhances your feeling of fullness. The greater satiety effect is not only in the meal you eat beans , but...
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on Aug 1, 2016 in General Wellness, Inspiration
Being busy doing all the time can you leave you burnt out, resentful, and lonely. Find time for personal connections. Keeping relationships healthy helps you stay energized and moving forward. Make an effort to have positive interactions every day. Some days it’s easy, when jokes are flying and moods are high; on other days, reach out to someone and exchange emotional support. Help a friend or co-worker be more optimistic by pointing out silver linings. Offer encouragement, commiserate when someone is stressed or sad, and compliment when you see someone doing things right. Smile and make eye contact with everyone you see throughout your day. Schedule time in your calendar to spend with people you enjoy. Like scheduling time for exercise, make it a routine. Be all Ears. Instead of thinking about what you want to say to someone, stop and just listen. Then reflect back what you heard them say and ask, “Is that what you’re saying?” Add one of these relationship-builders to your calendar this...
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on Jul 20, 2016 in General Wellness, Inspiration
Not only do we come in all shapes and sizes, but our personalities can range from angel to ogre. Deep down inside though, we’re all humans who want others to like us. The next time you’re tempted to see all horns and no humanity in someone, try this… Remember that to err is human. And some humans err quite a bit. People aren’t always nice. They say the wrong thing, they get distracted, they forget. Just remember: We all face similar issues in life. Try to find sympathy or empathy for them. When someone is being difficult or ignoring you, try to understand their feelings. Just because you don’t share them, the emotions are still valid. Remember how your problems sometimes make you do things you regret. Put yourself in their shoes. Think about what others do and then about what you’d do in their position. Would you make the same choices? Be honest. Discover each individual’s humanity to see them...
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on Jun 20, 2016 in Fitness, General Wellness, Inspiration
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