Words to Live By – 8/10/22

Words to Live By – 8/1/2022

This is a deep one for a Monday, but the Universe was very insistent that this message needed to be shared.

What kind of world would we have if we stopped and reflected on how what we think, say, and act impacts our HIGHEST good and the highest good of all?

Stop for a moment and think about what that would look like: a world full of people acting in support of not only their highest good but the highest good of all. Making choices that benefit everyone involved. Getting your cake, eating it too, and having enough to share with others.

Ask yourself:

Does it serve your highest good and the good of all others to flip off a driver you think is driving too slowly?

Does it serve your highest good and the good of all others to complain about your job, family, friends, or your government on social media?

Does it serve your highest good and the good of all others to judge the color of someone’s skin, who they worship, or whom they choose to marry?

Before you make your next decision or take your next action that involves yourself and others, stop, take a breath and ask your higher power: God, Buddha, a Tree Spirit, Mother Nature, or whom every you feel connected to as a guiding force, “What serves my highest good and the highest good of all”.

It will take practice and effort but the rewards you will reap will not only benefit you but all of us. It is worth it.

We can build a world where everyone lives in kindness, respect, and harmony. A world where we take care of each other and the planet. A world where we can all be happy being ourselves.

Isn’t THAT the world for which we are all looking ?

Words to Live By – 7/30/2022

We go through life assuming that those we love know that we love them. We think that our words and deeds prove our love. And they do. But how often do we sit down and look a friend or family member in the eye and say with sincerity, “I love you”. Not as often as we should.

So today, pick a friend or a family member (or a complete stranger if you’re so inclined) and with complete presence and genuineness tell them you love them. Tell them why if you choose or simply tell them and leave it at that.

Do it in person if you can or through a video chat, but make a person to person connection.

Don’t require a response back and don’t be upset if they don’t respond the way you think they should. Your purpose in this exercise is to share your feelings with your loved one and the Universe. Your words of love with do a great deal to positively impact both.

Have a happy healthy day and a great weekend!

Words to Live By – 7/28/2022

The Universe’s message for today is short, sweet and simple.

SMILE!

Have a healthy happy day!

Words to Live By – 7/27

Make a list of all of the things you are grateful for: your family, friends, home, health, job, possessions, experiences, etc.

Then pay attention to how your attitude and your day change for the better.

Words to Live By – 7/26/2022

We have all had a thought, an idea, or a dream we felt drawn to follow and explore. Whether it was a childhood dream to be an astronaut or a goal to start your own business at age 50, we have all felt the tug at our hearts and minds to follow a path.

But, for many of us, we have also heard the words of friends, foes and loved ones telling us it is impossible: “You’re too old”, “You’re not smart enough”, “You don’t have the time/money”, “No one has done that before”, “You should give up”.

The thought today is, when you feel that pull, when you know in your heart you should follow a dream, DO IT!

Words to Live By – 7/25/2022

Lately, I have been working on connecting with my spirit guides and ascended masters through automatic writing, which I love and you should definitely try.

Through my “discussions” with these higher wisdoms, I have been encouraged to share some of what comes through in these messages.

The title of this and future posts, “Words to Live By” comes directly from their guidance and inspiration.

Think of them as social media fortune cookies and use them in whatever way serves your happiness and highest good.

Enjoy!

Practice Mindful Eating Habits

No matter what your health and wellness goals: to lose weight, improve your health markers (cholesterol, blood sugar, etc.), improve your brain health, or simply to feel more energetic, good nutrition is the best way to achieve your goal.

While having a solid nutritional plan is the best way to achieve your goal, just being in tune with and aware of your nutrition can make a big difference. That’s why I find mindful eating a great way to get in touch with what and why you are eating.

With mindful eating, you take the time to focus on not just what you are eating, but why you are eating, and how the experience makes you feel. Mindful eating gets you in touch with your personal hunger cues, improves your ability to taste your food, and makes the eating experience more pleasurable.

So, how do you practice mindful eating?

The first step you should take when eating mindfully is to get quiet. This may mean eating alone at first to avoid distractions or getting away from your desk or office. I had a friend that regularly ate lunch in her car so she could have time to herself to eat. Think of meal time as a type of meditation, connect with the experience, eat slowly, and enjoy it.

Once you have gotten quiet and focused, ask yourself:

“Am I hungry?”

If your stomach is growling, you feel weak or shaky, you are irritable, or have a headache then you are probably hungry. If not, then perhaps it is better to wait until you are truly hungry. Now, this does not mean skipping meals or starving yourself. However, as you get in touch with what physiological hunger feels like, you will be better able to take in nutrition when you body needs it rather than mindlessly shoveling food into your mouth.

2. “Do I want to eat?”

Sometimes our habits and emotions get the best of us and we eat because we think we are supposed to, “Hey, it’s 4pm it must be snack time”, “I haven’t eaten for 3 hours I’m not hungry but I better eat something anyhow”, or “Damn, that meeting was really stressful, I need a candy bar.” In these cases asking ourselves if we really want to eat or are simply responding to habit and emotions can keep us from making poor nutritional choices.

3. “Does this food choice support my goals?”

If your goal is to lose weight, eating a big bowl of popcorn and a box of chocolate covered raisins at the movies is not the best way to achieve your goal. Likewise, having a burger and fries won’t help your reduce your cholesterol. Asking yourself if the food choice supports your goal reminds you of what you are working so hard to achieve and can stop you from making a poor choice. If, after you ask the question, your response is to still eat the food then you must be willing to accept responsibility for the choice. Looking great in those jeans or ice cream, which is more important?

Once you have started eating, focus on the experience.

Eat slowly and consider these questions as you go along:

• What does the food taste like? Sweet? Sour? Spicy?
• What is its texture? Smooth, grainy, mushy…
• How does eating make you feel? Happy? Comforted? Guilty?
• Are you enjoying it? Eat slowly and consider these questions as you go along.

Every few bites, stop and ask yourself, “Am I satisfied?” If you are, then stop eating. If your answer is, “no”, then take a few more bites and ask again. Remember, it takes 20 minutes for your body to register fullness so take your time.

Eating mindfully takes work, and it is likely you will not be able to do it with every meal especially in the beginning. Start slowly and shoot for practicing for 2 meals every day.

If the process seems overwhelming, that’s ok. Start slowly with 1 thing at a time. Perhaps you can find a quiet distraction free place to eat and just do that for a few days. Next you can ask yourself 1 or 2 of the questions. Once it is your habit to check in before eating, then you can move on to another question or step. Progress at your pace. The key objective here is simply to create awareness of your eating in relation to your goals. Do not obsess over it, make it fun, enjoy eating!

If you need help building your nutritional plan or if you would like help learning to eat mindfully, I am here to help. Email me at achievewellness@ymail.com for a complimentary 15 minute consultation.

Plan to Get Moving

As you plan out your days this week (you do plan your days, don’t you), make an effort to schedule at least 15 minutes everyday to do some type of physical activity or exercise.

Whether it’s a 15 minute walk to start your morning, a 20 minute yoga session, 30 minutes working in the yard, or 5 minutes scattered here and there throughout your day, it is important to get and keep your body moving.

Daily physical activity stimulates your brain, improves the quality of your sleep, improves circulation, and can help support your immune system.

Whatever you choose to do, make sure it gets your heart pumping a least a little bit.

Most importantly, enjoy this little moment of “me time”. You deserve it and so does your mind and body!

Commit to Physical Activity

As a wellness coach, one of the most common excuses I hear from people about why they can’t: lose weight, lower their cholesterol, be more flexible, or be more active is, “I don’t have time!”.

This excuse, and “yes” it is an excuse, generally comes immediately after this person has given me a detailed rundown of the 6 episodes of “Yellowstone” they watched over the weekend or spent 20 minutes griping about how everyone on Facebook is saying this, that, or the other thing.

Here is the bad news, if you have time to spend hours sitting in front of the TV or scrolling through social media, you have TIME to exercise! The fact of the matter is you don’t WANT to exercise, so you make up an excuse that you are soooooo……..busy with soooooo…..many important things that you simply cannot squeeze 30-40 minutes of fitness into your day.

Sure, we all have days where work, family, and social obligations take up the majority of our day, but for most of us that is the exception, not the rule.

Now, here is the great news, you don’t have to block off 45-60 minutes 4-5 days a week to go to the gym to get some of the benefits of exercise. By simply being active throughout your day you can help improve cognitive function, improve sleep quality, lower blood pressure, and reduce muscle tension and stress. Even doing 3-4 minutes of physical activity every hour can yield benefits.

Let’s say you are awake for 16 hours each day, if you were physically active for 3 minutes every hour, by the end of the day you would have done almost 50 minutes of physical activity! That’s over 5 hours every week! I guarantee you can find a least 3 minutes every hour to do a little something.

This week commit to doing at least 3 minutes of physical activity every hour you are awake!

So, what can you do?

• Sit down and stand up from a chair, repeatedly for 3 minutes (or do body weight squats)
• Take 5 minutes and walk up and down a flight of stairs
• March in place for 1 minute, do jumping jacks for 1 minute, do butt kicks for 1 minute
• Step side to side while pushing your arms overhead for 2 minutes and heel taps with arm circles for 2 minutes
• Take 3 minutes to walk around your house picking up and decluttering
• Or any activity that gets your heart pumping and your blood moving

More is better here so if you can do 5-10 minutes during some hours all the better!

If you have a goal to lose weight or improve your health, you may still need to hit the gym 3-4 days a week for some purposeful workouts in order to reach your goals. But, just think how much easier it will be to hit your goals if you add 30 minutes of activity the other 3 days. Even if you are a total gym rat, extra physical activity during the day can provide a much needed mental and physical break from a sedentary work environment.

So banish your, “I don’t have time”, excuse and get moving! It only takes a few minutes every hour and your mind and body will thank you!