February - Focus on Love and the Heart

Okay - so my focus for this month is going to be love and the heart.  I'll share some heart healthy nutrition, focus on self-love, and loving your life and everything in it.

The first and most important type of love I want to focus on is self-love.  Not in the egotistical way people often think of self-love.  In fact, when we are vein and talk about ourselves constantly, it usually means we are actually lacking in self-esteem, self-love, and self-confidence.  Because of that we often "brag" in order to get recognition.  Who doesn't want recognition?  We all do but when we don't give it to ourselves along with love, we focus on getting it from the outside and anyone who will give it to us.

So, for the month of February, I challenge myself and each one of you to make a daily commit of self-love and recognition through a mirror exercise.  I want you to look yourself in the eyes every time you pass a mirror and say, "I love you, ________, I really, really love you.  I appreciate all you do and I accept you exactly as you are right now!" (Insert your name where the blank is.)

If you are in a private location, say it aloud. If you are in a public restroom, you can absolutely say it to yourself since I may get a lot of funny looks.  :)  If you want to still say it out loud you can use that as a conversation starter and teach others the importance of loving themselves.  When we all are completely full of love, there will be no aggression toward ourselves or others.  When we recognize that we are all connected and all more similar than we are different, we will find peace and compassion.  We all have feelings and emotions, we all crave love and recognition, we all have positive and negative experiences that affect us - we are all here living life on this planet and experiencing many of the same types of things although the specifics may be different.

The second part of the challenge is before bed go to the mirror and tell yourself aloud how much you appreciate all the things you did well during that day. It could be anything.  If you are having a particularly bad day, it may simply be that you got yourself out of bed and went to work.  Nothing is too small to acknowledge.  If you made a healthy selection of food or drink, if you acknowledged someone else and made them feel good.  If you got your kids to school on time.  It doesn't matter what it is - only focus on the good.  And finish up by saying, "I love you, ___________, and I really appreciate you.  I forgive you for all the things you feel need forgiving.  I forgive you for not giving yourself enough credit.  I forgive everyone who doesn't recognize what you do.  I love you!!  You are amazing.  I really, really love you!!"

Try this for the month - please tell me how you feel.  Do you notice any differences?  You may even want to journal about this so you see the difference.  Can you look yourself in the eyes when you say these loving words to yourself? Do you want to cry?  Do you notice a shift?  Please do share.  This can be transformational if you commit to it.

This month know that you are loved.  And focus on feeling the love from others put most importantly from yourself.  I love you!!  Namaste!!

January recap

So how did everyone do this month?  Did anyone (besides me) attempt to complete the January challenge?  Here it is and my results.

Every day in January I'm planning to do the following:

1. Meditate2. Run or Walk (3 miles minimum each day)3. Nature - get out in nature and enjoy the world around me4. Mirror Exercise - before going to bed every night I will look at myself in the mirror and compliment myself on my achievements for the day (big or small) and tell myself "I Love You!" ***5. Goals - review them morning and night6. Inspiration - read inspiring books at least 5 minutes7.Sit-Ups - Do at least 308. Push-Ups - Do at least 159. Fruits/Veggies - each at least 5 servings



Okay - I believe I did mediate every day.  Some days were definitely longer than others and I may have missed some because I wasn't tracking it but.  I think I got that one.

I completed 61.9 miles for the month.  Which I think of as a success and as moving me toward my annual goal of 700 miles but I didn't do it every day and not always 3 miles.

Read inspiring books every day!!  

Ate at least 5 servings of fruits and veggies most if not all days!

I've got to work on the rest of these.  I'll come up with a challenge for February and add the ones I think are most important back onto the list.  

I'd love to get your feedback, too!  

Make it fun

How often do you "not feel like" exercise?  Do you ever not feel like having fun?  Most likely not - or rarely when you are very tired and really should sleep.  But when we think we have to "workout", notice the word work in there.  I think we should rename it "funout" :) It's time to get moving in a fun way.  If you aren't moving think of ways to make it fun.  Here are some ideas and I'd love to get others:

1. Go for a walk with a friend or friends.
2. Go for a walk by yourself in nature.
3. Go swimming - join a Y or someplace with an indoor pool during the winter.
4. Go for a hike.
5. Go on an active vacation.
6. Chase your kids around.
7. Go to a laughter yoga class - all you do is laugh!!  It doesn't get any better than that.
8. Go skiing or skating.
9. Play frisbee.
10. Get some fun active games for the Wii or XBox Kinect.  (I often laugh in addition to the movement!)
11. Go for a walk with your dog.

I welcome your suggestions as well - but remember, it doesn't have to be work to be a workout.  Make it fun so you'll want to do it every day or at least several days per week!!

And give yourself credit for all your movements - don't think it doesn't count because you enjoyed it!!  It absolutely does count and that's really one of the points!!  Life is meant to be enjoyed.  Please share your experiences with me.

2014 Will Be Amazing

I hope the first day of 2014 has been spectacular!!  I have printed my goals and my January challenge to make sure I keep at them and I'll report here to be accountable and hope you will, too.  

Even though the temperature was in the low 20s and the wind was blowing, I made sure I went out for my walk/run in nature.  You can't really tell but the pond was frozen solid but it was absolutely gorgeous out.

We weren't walking long before my 7 year old was ready to go home because it was so cold.  My headband and gloves made him a little happier but left me a little more chilly : )

I have also decided that for the next three months I will be going dairy-, gluten-, and sugar-free!!  I did well with that today and easily ate more than 5 servings of fruits and veggies.  I completed my 30 sit-ups which I'm hoping to increase by the end of the month and 20 push-ups.  I've reviewed my goals, done my meditation and inspirational reading, all that's left is the mirror exercise which I'll do before bed.

 All in all, the new year is off to a great start!!  I am hoping to hear from some of you, too, confirming that you've started your year off right, too.  Even if you haven't, tomorrow is a new beginning!!  We can do this and we can help each other!!

Have You Had Your Blueberries Today?

Most people think eating healthy is complicated and takes too much time.  It is true that processed junk food is often more readily available and doesn't require any preparation  But it really isn't that difficult to add healthy food into your daily routine and start eliminating some of the foods that are not good for you and that eventually lead to illness.

Let's start with blueberries.



Did you know that blueberries...

• are low in fat (1 cup of blueberries has about 80 calories and basically no fat) (I don't actually recommend a low fat diet. We need healthy fats in our diet for optimal health but I'll discuss that another day.)  
• banish belly fat
• prevent cancer by attacking free radicals, causing cancer cell death, and blocking the growth of tumor cells
• strengthen your immune system
• soften skin with their antioxidants
• are high in fiber which is crucial for healthy digestion
• lower the risk of age related macular degeneration which is the leading cause of vision loss in older people
• decrease the chances of heart attack in women
• reverse age-related memory loss due to their flavonoids
• prevent and heal urinary tract infections (UTIs) because they contain compounds that prevent bacteria from sticking to bladder walls
• lower blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes

You can easily add blueberries to your diet by having them plain or adding the to cereal or smoothies.  I would highly recommend organic.  I have read that if you are not eating organic, the wild blueberries may be a better choice.  I also firmly belief that if it comes down to eating non-organic blueberries (or any fruit or vegetable) or not eating them, the benefits of eating them are worth eating them versus not.  

There are probably even additional benefits but you can see that this is a super healthy food which is very easy to add to your diet. 

Getting More Activity Into Your Day

I've been talking to a lot of people lately that feel overwhelmed when they think of exercising because they are trying to find a way to get to the gym for an hour when they already have a full day.

Please, please don't get overwhelmed by the thought of exercising.  Here are a few ways to bring more physical activity into your day.  These are really doable and you can build on this but get started today!!  You will glad you did!

1. Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
2. When you go somewhere, park at the far end of the parking lot.  
3. Look for even 10 minute periods during the day to do some physical activity.
4. Bring lunch to work and use part of your lunch hour to go for a brisk walk.
5. Do 10 squats every time the phone rings.
6. Get friends or family to exercise with you.  If you have kids, play a game of tag.  Your kids will love your attention and everyone benefits from the exercise.

When I used to work in an office building, I would go into my office and close the door and do some push ups, sit ups, squats, sumo squats, jumping jacks, and finish with the plank.  I would do that a few times a day plus whenever I started to feel stressed and it really helped.  I do need to warn you that it can be awkward with some skirts!  I also advise removing suit coats and high heels before beginning.  If you don't have an office and you don't have someone with an office that you can use, you can start a trend and see if you can get others to join you.   Have fun and be active.  It's good for your health on every level!

Find An Exercise Partner

It's always more fun to do things with our friends.  Exercise is no exception.  Find a friend (old or new) who also wants to be more active and set a plan for what you'll do together.  It can be as simple as going for a walk every day after the kids go off to school.

Working out with a friend is more enjoyable and holds you accountable so you don't miss your workout.

Here are a few tips:

1. Find someone who really wants to do this.  You both want to motivate each other rather than talk each other out of exercising while having coffee and donuts instead.
2. If you plan to go walking in the neighborhood, have a plan for rainy days or days that the weather keeps you inside.  The right workout video can make all the difference in the world.  Make sure you pick on that resonates with you or you won't do it.  
3. Make sure you both have similar exercise goals and objectives.  If one of you is a couch potato and the other is already an avid exerciser, this may not make for a great partnership.
4. Mix it up a little.  Add weight training or yoga once a week.
5. Make sure you both have a common time that will work every day so that scheduling doesn't become more work than the exercise. (One tip is that if your kids are on the same sports team, you can exercise together while they practice. That won't get you five days/week but it's a start.)  
6. If you are married or in a relationship, recruit them as a partner.
7. Go to some exercise classes at your local Y or any gym.
8. It's okay to have more than one exercise buddy - in fact, it is better.  If you are all friends and want to workout together, that can be great, too!!

Remember if you are really not enjoying getting active and exercising, you are not likely to keep it up.  Make it fun for you!!  Make it social!!  Make it happen!!

You can do it!!  Start today!