A Little Inspiration for a Beautiful Sunday

We were asked in this challenge to post a video today. I have not yet recorded any videos except for some Facebook lives so I decided to borrow one I have seen often and and still move me when I watch it. I felt the need to use one that inspires me every time I watch it. 

I have seen this video many times and it never fails to choke me up. I love this man's story of strength, perseverance and ultimate victory. I think it speaks to the resilience of the human spirit when a person has someone else's belief in them and also believes in themselves enough to use the energy from that belief to accomplish what they previously thought was impossible. 

What would you do if you knew success was the only outcome? To what heights would you soar? What chances would you take? If you knew you could not fail, how far would you stretch the limits?

Do you know that the only thing that gets in your way is you? What are the limiting beliefs that hold you back from being your best self? 

Let's Have Some Fun

DO YOU LIKE A CHALLENGE?

As I mentioned in previous entries, I am participating in a challenge to post a blog entry every day of the 31 days in July. I find that to be the most effective way for me to move forward in much of what I do. I mean, who doesn't like a good challenge? I not only accept them as assignments to move forward, but I like to use them to spur people toward their healthy lifestyle goals. Today's blog is supposed to discuss what we do for fun in our life or business, so I thought I would give a little glimpse into both.

In my business, I like to challenge my clients to do something that moves them ahead in their pursuit of good health. Sometimes it has nothing to do with what they eat, how they exercise or how much sleep they get. Sometimes it's to empower them to do something they don't expect of themselves...step outside their comfort zone and do something scary. 

I can't tell you how many times people have said to me, "I could never do what you do/did." Of course, I thought the same thing until I realized I didn't have a choice if I was going to stay alive. You don't know how strong you can be until the alternative to being that strong is detrimental to your health and ultimately, your life. 

So I challenge anyone who is reading this entry to do something today, however small, that is uncomfortable and a little scary. If you are an introvert, start up a conversation with a stranger. Try a new recipe with ingredients you never used before. Do a Facebook live video about what you are up to today. It doesn't have to be a long one, just a minute or two. That was my scary monster a few weeks ago and now, I can do it with much more ease than when I started. When you do something outside your comfort zone, you realize you can do what I do/did. And your comfort zone expands.  

In my personal life, I love a good game of Trivial Pursuit. My sister once told me that I have an incredible memory for meaningless facts and I believe she's right. I can pull the answers out of the deep recesses of my mind and I have no idea how they got there. I also might be a little competitive in that area. 

In two weeks, my family and some old friends will get together in Maine for an annual memorial badminton tournament played in honor of my late sister-in-law. It's a day full of good fun, friendly competition and lots of food (lobster rolls...YES!) It's always fun to see whose names will end up on the cheesy wooden trophy each year. The honor usually goes to the young folks but occasionally a seasoned team will make the cut. In any case, I always look forward to the weekend. 

Find a way to challenge yourself and move from your comfort zone. You might surprise yourself and your comfort zone will expand. 

When was the last time you thought about improving your health? How would you like to feel better than you have in years? to not only add years to your life but life to your years? Click here to schedule a complimentary breakthrough session with me.

Five Steps You Can Take Right Now to Improve Your Health

LET'S GET HEALTHY

There are many steps one can take to get started on a healthy lifestyle. This is by no means an exhaustive list of improvements but it's a good start. Success is more likely with a series of small incremental changes over time rather than a complete overhaul of every habit one has developed over a lifetime.  A nutritional consultant/health coach

Drink plenty of water

Water is important for all systems in your body to work properly. It helps to remove toxins from your body, keep your temperature regulated, minimize fatigue, healthy weight management, great for the skin, prevention of muscle cramps and many other benefits. You don’t have to feel thirsty to be dehydrated. Every day you should be drinking half your body weight in ounces of clean fresh water.

Get plenty of sleep

Lost sleep cannot be made up. You should be getting between seven and nine hours of sleep per night. Adequate sleep will improve mood, reduce stress, lower risk of chronic disease, improve  cognitive function, aid in healthy weight management among other benefits. Electronic devices should be shut down at least an hour before bedtime. The blue light emitted from the device interrupts the production of melatonin which signals the brain that it’s bedtime. 

Exercise daily

Exercise doesn’t have to be a chore. Play with your kids, dance, do yard work, walk, take the stairs, park at the end of the lot. You don’t have to go to a gym to get the benefit of exercise. Just move your body every day.  Exercise can improve mood, reduce stress, support cardiovascular health, minimize the risk of serious disease, improve quality of sleep,  stimulate muscle growth, prevent osteoporosis and provide many other benefits.

Take a quality vitamin supplement

Even if you choose nutrient dense foods, your body will still benefit from a good quality supplement. Because of over farming, chemical fertilizers and pesticides, our food system is not what it used to be. The nutrient levels that were in our grandparents’ food, do not exist in our modern food system. 

Eat local when possible

Even organic produce that has been shipped all over the world loses a lot of its nutrients by the time it gets to the store. Eat produce that has been locally grown. It will keep you healthier and will support your local farmers. 

Go to www.yourpoweryourhealth.com to sign up for a complimentary breakthrough session for help developing your healthy lifestyle. You'll be glad you did.

THE NOT SO SWEET TRUTH

LET'S TALK ABOUT SUGAR

Do you feel like you need to eat something sweet at certain times of the day? Do you fall into an afternoon slump that you think requires a sugary snack as a pick-me-up? When you have a sweet tooth, do you stop at nothing until you satisfy it? You might be addicted to sugar. Many of us are. 

Sugar impacts the same part of the brain that cocaine does. In fact, when laboratory rats are addicted to sugar and cocaine, given the choice between the two, the rats will usually go for the sugar. It's a powerful drug.

Sugar addiction was not always the scourge it currently is. Prior to the 1970s, sugar was consumed in reasonable quantities and was not as prevalent in foods as it is today. We consume a lot more processed food like substances which are full of sugar, salt and cheap, unhealthy fats. Additionally, when the Farm Act was introduced, it became much more lucrative for farmers to grow copious amounts of corn. They needed to do something with all the corn that was grown so they started feeding to grass eating animals like cattle, making fuel and developing a super sweetener called high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). 

HFCS became an inexpensive way to sweeten foods and particularly soft drink beverages and replaced imported cane sugar which is subject to tariffs and therefore much more costly to use. Unfortunately, HFCS is very addictive, overloads the system and causes insulin resistance, leading to metabolic syndrome then ultimately diabetes.    

The corn industry would like to convince us that the impact to your body from "corn sugar" as they now call it is the same as cane sugar but that simply is not true. HFCS is higher in fructose which goes directly to your liver to be stored as fat. We have more people developing a non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) from overconsumption of soft drinks containing HFCS than ever before. According to the studies cited here, the use of HFCS vs. cane sugar is far more toxic, especially in females. 

Many of us are powerless in the face of sugary treats. As part of my health transformation, I was able to kick sugar addiction but it wasn't easy. I now empower my clients to do the same for themselves. It can be done and the results are remarkable when they are successful. They have so much more energy, sleep better, lose weight, have fewer mood swings due to sugar imbalance and an overall sense of improved well-being. It is so worth taking the leap.   

Would you like to have a conversation about your struggle with sugar addiction? I can help you kick sugar to the curb forever. Go to www.yourpoweryourhealth.com to sign up for a complimentary breakthrough session. You'll be glad you did.

“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” – Mahatma Gandhi

Happy Birthday USA!

Do you ever use your birthday to reflect on your life and where you would like it to take you? I do that each year on my birthday and on December 31st. I don't always make the changes I think I should make but I do a little self evaluation. 

The past two years however, have been a little different. I made lists and although I haven't accomplished everything on those lists, I have made progress that, in years past, I did not make. I'll give you some examples of the changes I have made for 2017 and 2018. Here comes another list...

• Daily journaling

In 2016, I pledged that each night before I go to sleep I would journal at least one page of whatever was on my mind. It might be what happened during the day or what I have planned for the next day or just random thoughts that are running through my mind. About three months into this experiment I decided to add a gratitude list to each day's post that includes five things from that day I am grateful for. I have continued this practice every day since 1/1/2016 except for a three day period when I was in the CCU and didn't have access to my journal.

• Meditation 

I have not been as vigilant in this area as I would like although I am getting better. In 2017 I learned how to do Transcendental Meditation and have been doing it daily somewhat regularly since last summer. I am supposed to meditate twice a day for twenty minutes each but the second session does not often happen. I have found this practice to be helpful in gaining clarity and supporting creativity in my new pursuits.

• Read "A Course in Miracles"

Anyone who has read or attempted to read this book knows it is not a fluffy summertime novel or easy beach reading. I began this book on 1/1/2018 and have faithfully read each day's exercise and tried to incorporate it into my life. I have not been so good about reading the text, although I am getting better about reading it more regularly. This is not an easy assignment and will likely warrant my attention again next year. It is meant to be read over the course of 365 days and is better accomplished with guidance from someone who has had the experience. I have not been good about following that guidance.

• Exercise

Since my heart attack in September 2017 (more about that another time), I promised myself that I would make exercise non-negotiable as soon as I was cleared to start. I participated in a cardiac rehab program for nine weeks that ended in early January 2018 and immediately began a ten week fitness program that I have continued doing.  IT helps that I am the Nutrition Lead for the center where I exercise five days per week, only missing class when I am out of town or have an inflexible scheduling conflict. If  am out of town, I try to make up for the missed time in class by walking a lot wherever I am.

• Blogging

I have had this on my list for the past two years, along with publishing a monthly newsletter. I am just now starting the blog, as noted by my participation in this challenge. This summer I am accepting challenges that push me out of my comfort zone and make me put myself out there for the world to hear/see my message. It's the way I can be the change. My dream is to bring the information to people who want to embrace a healthy lifestyle but have know idea how or where to start. 

There are other items on my list that I haven't kept up with but what you see above is a far cry from the old me. My birthday is in October and maybe, just maybe, this list will get a little longer. 

"I may not be where I want to be, but thank God I'm not where I was." - Keith Kochner

   

Where I Am Going

WHAT'S ON THE HORIZON

Here we are on Day #3 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge, and now the assignment is to talk about where I am going. 

As I mentioned in my prior posts, I discovered my passion when I was faced with a significant health challenge almost nine years ago. At that time, and until April of this year, I was gainfully employed in a corporate tax department. In my spare time I was developing my practice as a Nutritional Consultant and Health Coach and growing my health and wellness business. On April 27th I retired from my 'day job', so now the fun begins.

I have seen a lot of blog posts that include lists so I am going to put one together here. These are my plans in no particular order. 

I will continue my individual coaching practice

I have a thriving individual coaching practice that I will continue to grow. I love what I do and find the one-on-one relationships I develop with my clients to be very fulfilling and I love celebrating their successes with them.

I will develop a group coaching program

One of my dreams has been to develop a recorded group program to offer online that can be evergreen. This is a way for me to help more people than is possible with only the individual coaching program. 

I will  do public speaking

Nothing makes me happier than to teach people what I can about making healthy, manageable changes to their lifestyles. I love engaging groups and encouraging dialogue and the sharing of ideas. I always learn at least as much from the group as they learn from me.  

I will write a book

I have been told on several occasions that I should write a book about my journal to wellness and I am inspired to do so. I will be attending a writers' conference in November to learn a few things about how to realize my dream of being a published author.

This probably seems like a list of pipe dreams but it keeps me going in the direction of fulfillment. Wish me luck!

  

How I got Here

MY STORY

This is Day #2 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge and I am instructed to talk about what brought me to this place...my back story. Who doesn't love a good story?? So here I go...

In December 2009, Christmas Eve in fact, I received a phone call while I was walking through WalMart, shopping for some last minute who knows what. It was the office of the surgeon who had performed the biopsy on a suspicious spot in my left breast. We know how this is going to go, don't we? Of course the results were positive for malignancy, but I would not have access to the surgeon until the 28th of December...four agonizing days waiting to hear what's next.

After a rather subdued Christmas, I was able to meet with the surgeon who's first words were, "you probably saved your life". She said that because I chose an immediate biopsy over the alternative of taking the 'wait and see' approach for six months. I'm not a 'wait and see' type of person. That has come in handy many times in my life.

Fast forward to surgery in January, chemo February through June, radiation all of July and August, and Herceptin infusions until February 2011. It was a tough year but one that would change my life. While I was unable to do much else, I did some research to try to figure out how I could prevent a recurrence of my cancer. I found that cancer cells are fed by sugar and a lot of the food I was eating easily converted to sugar. 

I decided to change my eating habits to eliminate processed sugar and to eat only whole, clean foods.  I had not consumed any alcohol since I started chemo because my liver was being abused enough with all the poisons being pumped into my veins and I have not had a drink since. I attended Weight Watchers meetings for the accountability only (because I didn't want to follow their program) and, after a while became that meeting's poster child. I lost 135 pounds and trained for the Susan G. Komen 3-Day 60-Mile Walk for the Cure.

After successfully losing a fair amount of weight and completely changing my life, I realized I really loved this stuff...living a healthy lifestyle, having a lot of energy and fitting into much smaller clothes. I also realized I could help others do the same so I looked for a way to do that. I found a nutrition program that also taught me how to coach and became a Certified Holistic Health Coach (CHHC). A few years later I became a Certified Nutritional Consultant (CNC) and along the way, have also earned a certificate in Whole Food Plant Based Nutrition. This is what I was meant to do. 

I have been coaching for about five years and it is the most fulfilling work I have ever done. In April, I retired from the career I had for over thirty years that paid the mortgage, put food on the table and gave our family a very nice lifestyle. But now it's time to do something I LOVE and I have found it. 

I have known so many people my age who still haven't found what they want to do when they grow up. I am one of the lucky ones because I have.

Welcome to Your Power...Your Health!

MY NEW LIFE

    

  

This is the second phase of me stepping out of my comfort zone. I am currently involved in a 31 day Ultimate Blog Challenge. The challenge is to write a blog post each day for the month of July and post it.

Using social media for anything other than an occasional post on Facebook and most recently, recording Facebook live videos on my group page, is so far out of my wheelhouse that I can't even imagine it. I am being challenged to tweet and use hashtags.  I am also supposed to comment and share other blog posts, none of which I have done before.

So here I go...

I recently retired from my career of more than 30 years as a tax professional. I am now following my heart and growing my nutritional consulting and health coaching business. In that effort, I am trying new things to make myself more visible...like Facebook live and the Ultimate Blog Challenge.

I was recently challenged to record some Facebook live videos at a conference I attended. The first time was a little terrifying but I have done several since then and it gets easier each time. I don't know that I've gotten any better at it but at least I'm not as self-conscious and tongue-tied as when I started.

I'm hoping that this blog challenge makes me a better blogger and helps me to navigate this new arena. I attempted to start a blog about two years ago but got overwhelmed with how it all works. Now I have more time to learn about this new world of communication so I'm diving in.

Join me as I find out how this blog stuff works, and what I am supposed to do with all these hashtags. I hope I can learn how to use this platform and I can teach you a few things about finding your way to and maintaining a healthy lifestyle while I do.

Stay tuned.