Tuesday's Tip

Make some eating rules. 

I get a lot of questions about how to change your eating habits and become more healthy. If you are starting now, start off with just a few simple rules and see how that works for you. Here are three to get you started:

1. Eat a wide variety of different foods. Don't get stuck in a rut when it comes to eating. Different foods provide different vitamins and minerals that your body needs. Not only that but you don't want to get bored. If you eat same old meal over and over and over again, you are more likely to get cravings and splurge on something fatty and disgusting.


2. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. You should get AT LEAST 5 servings of fruits or vegetables per day. Remember, that is the bare minimum so please try to get more than that.

3. Limit unhealthy fats. All it takes is for you to read your labels before eating to see if the food contains too much of that yucky saturated or trans fat. Read more about the various kinds of fats here.
Your body does need some fat to function so don't go crazy here. Just be informed and make good decisions.

 
These three rules are a great starting point for an overhaul on your eating habits. Stay tuned next week, as I add a few more for those who are further in their journey.

Tuesday's Tip

Make a wellness plan. 

My days, as I am sure yours are as well, are jam packed with "to do" items, appointments, commitments, meetings, etc. Every Sunday night, as I am writing out my calendar for the upcoming week, I am often shocked by how much I have agreed to do over the next 7 days. With a schedule like this, it would be easy to put exercise and healthy eating on the back burner. But, knowing myself, I am so much happier and centered when I am working out so I refuse to let that happen.


Here is what I do to ENSURE success. I call it my "weekly wellness plan". I take out my fridge calendar which has long columns for each day. The first thing I do is write in the commitments I have already made. Then, I look at each day and determine when would be the best time to work out. Sometimes, it is at 5am. Other days, it will be a DVD workout during naps. Occasionally, I find a free evening and text my neighborhood friends to see if they would like to walk or run the hills near my house with me. In addition, I figure out which nights we will be home for dinner and what we will be eating on each night. On the days when I have an eating/drinking occasion in the evening, I make sure I can get lots of calories burned earlier in the day in anticipation of all the temptations I'll face. It is really easy once you get into the groove. 


I use a yellow highlighter to mark my workouts so they won't be missed. Let me tell you there have been many days when I meander over to the calendar at the beginning of the kids nap time and realize that I have a workout scheduled. If it wasn't on the schedule, it wouldn't get done - plain and simple. 


I literally snapped this pic of my fridge calendar just now...

 
Having a wellness plan helps to motivate me into exercising regularly. Seeing it all spelled out on my fridge calendar gives me a sense of focus and control. If you plan your exercise and food ahead of time, you will be likely to find success with it as well. Once you create your wellness plan, print it out and place it where you can see it everyday. Let me know if you start this or if this is something you are already doing. I am always here for you, anytime so don't hesitate to ask. 

 
 

Let's talk about your mess.....

They say that a cluttered house is a sign of a cluttered mind and I definitely believe that to be true. Pretty much everyone I have ever met who lives in a disorganized house is also completely disorganized in life.  Ever watch Hoarders on A&E? Can you think of a single example of one of those people that seemed to have their life in order? Nope, they are pretty much all crazy cat ladies and hot messes of individuals.  Ok, that sampling is definitely extreme but you get the idea. 


I watch the show every week and during the last episode, something struck me. In just about every single instance, the hoarder spends a good deal of time blaming the mess on someone else. It's not *their* fault that they are sitting in mounds of trash. It's their darn kids that decided to stop taking out the garbage. It's the fact that they inherited everything from their Mother's house. It's because they are disabled. Excuses...excuses....excuses....


So, let's translate the unfathomable messes that are shown on tv to a smaller scale, shall we? I have a friend; We will call her Bea. Bea lives in constant chaos. Her house is a mess. Her kids misbehave. She has a husband that might as well be a bump on a log for all the work he does around the house and in their lives. As the weeks, months, years pass by, junk continually accumulates throughout her home as well as in her mind. Living in a state of disarray makes it hard to get a grip on the things she needs to do to turn this around. 


Bea says she wants to live a better life but isn't willing to make a change for it to happen.In my humble opinion, it is time for some serious action. But, like most things in life, it takes baby steps to get things started. 


Enter Flylady. 

“I know that you have become overwhelmed by your home and the chaos that you have been living in. We are here to help you and it doesn't cost you a dime. Keep in mind that your home did not get this way overnight and it is not going to get clean in a day. We are going to teach you how to take Baby Steps and establish little routines for getting rid of your clutter and maintaining your home. This system will work for anyone; it doesn't matter if you work outside of your home, stay home with children, retired or work at home. You can do this, you have just needed someone to pat you on the back and give you a great big hug to get you started. “ ~FlyLady

I did this years ago and still practice many of her techniques today. You need 31 days of baby steps to get your house into order. My challenge to all of you that need some help decluttering your house (which will get you on your way to decluttering your mind) is to start this TODAY. Don't delay. And report back to me and let me know how it's going. As silly as it sounds, when you are no longer living in confusion, the harmony that follows will enable you to continue a journey toward complete wellness. It's a great place to be.

Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.
~Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.