I don't know about you but I always reflect on the year when my birthday rolls around.

Did I accomplish some of the goals that I set for myself? 

Or did I procrastinate and not tackle any of my goals?

Some of the goals that I set for myself I did accomplish.

-Getting additional training besides my health coaching certification (Digestive Intensive)

Finally applying to graduate school to eventually become a clinical nutritionist once I sit for the board exam and pass it.

I can honestly say. I did not reach all of the goals that I set for myself. 

Fear of failure sometimes kept me from doing things along with thinking about things too much to the point that it led to no action.

I think those two things stops many of us from setting goals and taking action to achieve them.

When goals are too big, they seem too far out of reach.

Breaking large goals into small goals is a better way to reach your goals. It also allows you to celebrate your wins along the way.

What were your goals for the year?  Did you reach them?  If not, why?

​ Comment below.

It always amazes me when people are willing to spend $3000 on a TV or $1000 on a smartphone but they don’t invest in their own health.

I’m not saying that you should have to spend thousands of dollars to achieve optimal health but you should invest in your health in other ways. Some of these things are low or no cost.
Here are 5 ways that you can invest in your health:
1.Buy as much organic as you can.

You can do shopping in bulk sections of stores that have them or by shopping at stores like Aldi’s or Costco. You can also visit www.ewg.org and download their shopper’s guide to pesticides or download their Healthy Living app.


2. Get enough good quality sleep.
How?
Don’t eat 2-3 hours before bed.
Cut off your smartphone and unplug your wireless router 2-3 hours before bed.


3. Exercise throughout the day.

You don’t have to set aside time to go to the gym to exercise. Get up from your desk and walk around or stand up every 15-20 minutes. Get a drink of water or take a trip to the bathroom. If you ride the bus, get off a stop or two before your bus stop. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Park further away from stores.


4. Filter your water.

I use an Aquasana filter but you can get whatever filter you can afford.


5. Limit your EMF exposure.

EMF stands for electromagnetic fields. These fields are generated by wireless devices, microwaves, smart meters, electric cars, CFL & LED light bulbs, wiring and power lines that give off dirty electricity.

Why limit your EMF exposure?

It affects your heart, your muscles, your nervous system and much more.

There are a lot of things you can do to improve your health that are low or no cost to you.  You just have to do them.
Have you tried any of these to improve your health?

Comment below. 

I know what you are thinking chewing.

How could chewing have anything to do with my health?

What if I told you that chewing well can help you have more energy.

Who isn't looking for more energy?

How?

Digestion takes a lot of energy.  If you chew your food well, the digestion of your food takes less energy. Since less energy is being used to digest your food, your body can use that energy for other things.

The second reason that chewing your food is great for your overall health is that it puts less stress on your digestive system.  When you chew your food well, it slides down the esophagus and into the stomach better. Unchewed food has a harder time getting through your digestive system.

Chewing can also help with gas, bloating and abdominal pain by making it easier for food to travel through the digestive system by making it easier for your body's enzymes to break down your food.

The final reason and this is a big one.

Chewing your food can help you lose weight. Chewing your food is a great way of getting you to slow down when you eat instead of hastily shoveling food into your mouth until your done. This helps you to feel fuller quicker on less food.

Some ways that you can make sure you slow down while you eat:

1. Say a blessing, prayer or what you are grateful for that day.
2. Practice mindful eating.  Use all your senses to really enjoy your food. It may feel awkward or weird at first but give it a try anyway.  Trust me it's worth it.

Have you tried paying attention to how you chew your food or tried any of the suggestions on how to slow down your eating?

Comment below about how it went.


  

Self care sounds like a luxury but it isn't.

It reminds me of when you are on a plane and the flight attendant tells you to put on your oxygen mask before you help someone else put on theirs.

You cannot take care of your loved ones if you don't take the time to take care of yourself first.

I cannot honestly say that self care has always been on my priority list.  Sometimes even when it has been it has fallen off of it.

There is always something else that needs to be done but self care is just as important as those other things.

Set aside 5 to 7 minutes to do something to help you relax or something that you enjoy. 

Here is my Self Care Routine for most days:

1. I choose what essential oils to put in the diffuser in the morning. What those essential oils are depend on whether I want to feel relaxed, energized, uplifted or a combination of all three.

2. I do some stretching.  Some are yoga poses. Some are other stretches.

3. I always try to fit some form of exercise into my day.  I'm not talking about going to the gym to workout for hours but fitting exercise into my daily activities. For example, I walk to work most days after I get off the bus.

4. After work, I journal about the day and I list things that I am grateful for from that day.

5. After journaling, I apply some essential oils like Balance, Petitgrain or ones from the Yoga Collection and meditate for 5-7 minutes.

6. A few hours after dinner I lay on my Spoonk Acupressure Massage mat for 30-45 minutes.  (I am not affiliated with them. I just like their mat.) It is a nice way to relax before going to bed.

Do you have a daily self care routine?  Is so, what is it?

​If not, what stops you from starting one?

What happens when you start using essential oils?

In my case, one of the things that has happened is that scents and smells that once smelled good. Don't smell so great.

Think cologne and perfumes.

Laundry detergents seem very potent.

When I go down the laundry aisle in most supermarkets, the scents just smell so unnatural.

People who use those types of laundry detergents. Their clothes seem to give off these scents.

It seems as though using essential oils has made my sense of smell more sensitive to those unnatural scents.

What has your experience been with essential oils and your sense of smell?  

This is Day 18 of the 21 day Meditation Challenge.  I do meditate everyday but it has been nice to do a different type of meditation. I have to admit I have not been a part of this whole meditation challenge. The only reason why I heard about it was from my life coach.

Each meditation is about 20 minutes. It is a guided meditation. Oprah narrates and then Deepak leads you through the meditation.  There is a centering thought. A journaling exercise & of course the guided mediation with a mantra that you recite in your mind as you meditate.

I really like the idea of a centering thought. I have used this to combat some of the negativity I might run across doing my day.  It lifts me up from that. Negativity tends to be very draining for me.  It has been nice to have something that can help shield me from that. 

Have you participated in this meditation challenge? Comment below.

 When a new year starts, a lot of people decide to cleanse. One thing that they forget is that not only do you want to detoxify your body you also want to detoxify your home.

Here are 5 ways to do that.

1. Ditch the toxic cleaning products.  If you have to put on a Hazmat suit, those are products that you shouldn't be using in your home.

          Instead make your own cleaning products using white vinegar, hydrogen                            peroxide, castile soap, baking soda & essential oils. Just google to find DIY recipes.

    2. Ditch the toxic air fresheners and instead use essential oils. 

        You can diffuse them if you have a diffuser or you can put a couple of drops on                 cotton balls & put them in your rooms.

    3. Use no VOC paints if you have to paint. VOC stands for volatile organic compounds. They can cause respiratory problems, lung, heart or kidney damage or even cancer.

   4. Be careful when you buy furniture.  A lot of materials give off toxic chemicals. Shop for more eco friendly furniture.  

    5. Check out your carpeting and flooring before buying.  Those can off gas chemicals too. Most home improvement stores have more eco friendly options so make sure you ask about them.


Sources:

https://www.greenamerica.org/green-living/eco-friendly-paints-and-stains

A lot of times people go to conventionally trained doctors and are told, you will never get well.

They are told that about arthritis, diabetes, lupus, etc.

I'm not telling you that you should never go to your doctor again but contrary to popular belief your doctor does not know about every type of healing technique that is out there.

He or she only knows what they were taught in medical school.

Unless your condition is caused by a mutation, there is hope.

If your doctor will not explore other options, do the research yourself.  

I know some of you don't like to read but if you could read a book that could improve your quality of life by reducing or eliminating pain or improving your health in general maybe you should change your mind.

Where should you start?

Visit your local library's website and search for what you are going through. You would be surprised at how many books have been written about so-called incurable diseases and how these conditions were greatly improved or eliminated.

Don't settle for ill health.  There are so many healing arts out there. You just have to start looking and think outside of the conventional healthcare box.

When I was in normal conversation with two different women on two separate occasions, they both said," I don't have time to worry about my health."

They didn't think anything of saying that but I thought if you are not going to worry about your own health who is.

When did your health become something that should not be taken care of?

I know as women we tend to juggle a lot of things but if you do not have your health you will not be there for those you love or for those special moments in life.

As women we have to make our health a priority. Not just for our loved ones but first for ourselves.

You are worth it.

Take small steps to improve your health. 

Don't try to change a whole bunch of things at the same time because you will just get frustrated and quit.

Write down the first health goal you want to accomplish. 

Make it realistic and measurable.  An example of an unrealistic goal is that I want to lose 50 lbs in 2 weeks. A more realistic goal would be I would like to lose 1-2 lbs in a month.

Tell people who are part of your support system about your goal so they help you  achieve your goal.

Place your goal in a place where you can always see it so it serve as a reminder and if you can't achieve your health goals alone consider hiring a certified health coach. A lot of them specialize in weight loss or other areas that can affect your weight.

And remember women your health is worth it.  Nothing in life should stop you from taking care of your health.

As people age, most people blame getting older as the reason why they are falling apart Getting older doesn't have to mean that has to happen.

​In The Blue Zones- 9 Lessons for Living Longer by Dan Buettner, older generations in these zones do not have all the problems that we have as they age.

​What are we doing wrong in America?

​1. Standard American Diet-too much sugar, eating the wrong kinds of fat, not eating nutrient dense food.

​2. Toxins Everywhere

• ​in the food we eat, the air we breathe (both indoor and outdoor), the water we drink
• mercury fillings
• in the products we put on our skin, in the products we use in our homes , the chemicals that come from our carpets and furniture
• Medications

​3. Not resolving emotional traumas

​Unresolved emotions can cause physical changes in our bodies.  Use techniques such as The Emotion Code, Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), Reiki to release them.

​4. Gut issues that lead to not absorbing the foods that we are eating.

​What cause gut issues?

• ​People eat foods that are not good for their guts (gluten, dairy-for some, soy, eggs).
• Over the counter and prescription drugs cause changes in our gut communities.
• Stress affects our guts
• Healthy foods can fall into this category if you have issues with them.

​5. Loneliness

​In this country, independence is stressed over community. As people start their own families, they lose touch with their immediate family or friends.

As people age, friends and family members die and people don't visit as much. Loneliness can actually weaken your immune system.
​
 www.thetruthaboutcancer.com/feeling-lonely-cancer-connection/

6. Vitamin Deficiencies

​Due to the growing practices for  food in this country, our foods don't have the nutrients that they once did.  Even if you eat the healthiest diet, you will still have to supplement.

​What  supplements should everyone take?

​Consult your doctor if you are on medication before starting to supplement

​​1. Multivitamin

​2. Vitamin D that has E, A and K in it

​3. Vitamin C taken in divided doses throughout the day (Check out doctoryourself.com to see some of the diseases that can be reversed from taking certain doses of vitamin c.)

4. Magnesium taken in divided does throughout the day. You'll know if you have taken too much because you will get diarrhea. Just reduce the dose if that happens.

​5. Omega 3 Fatty Acids (Reduces inflammation and is great for the gut and brain)

​6. Probiotics, Fermented Foods and Fermented Beverages

If you have small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, your symptoms can worse when doing any of these.

​Getting older doesn't mean that you have to have poor health. There are many things that you can do.

I suggest you start now.



​