Baby Steps to Wellness
I wonder how many people reading this article had a New Year's
wellness  resolution to get healthier, or to lose weight, or to exercise
more? I also wonder how many people have stuck to their wellness
resolutions? The biggest problem that I've seen, not only with
wellness goals, but also with any major changes. I will be the first to
tell you that it is a struggle for myself as well - We make great
resolutions, but our daily activities don't add up to our eventual goal.  
This is an effective strategy for any wellness goal, or any goal in
general.
Maybe, Marketing your business ( www.getclientsnow.com ) Lifestyle
changes, ( www.sparkpeople.com and wellness test ), Financial
Planning, Building a website, or Search Engine Optimization. Anything
worth doing is worth doing right and a little at a time. So what are
some daily activities that you can do to start on your journey to
wellness?
1st and foremost is to be certain that you are drinking enough water -
take half your body weight - that is the number of ounces of water that
you should be drinking every day. When a body is made mostly of
water, shouldn't it be replenished - What are dehydrated plums
called?  Don't be a prune!
2nd Get moving. Even if it is just a total of 30 minutes broken into
segments all day. Take a walk, Dance with the kids, use the gym
equipment you bought and is sitting in your basement, mini
trampoline, treadmill, stationary bike, thighmaster...I don't care - just
use it.
3rd Watch what you eat - remember, everything in moderation.
Wellness is not about fads. Don't eat 10 pounds of anything - even if it
is supposed to be good for you.
4th Read Labels know how much a serving is and know how much
junk is in what you eat.
5th Eat Good Carbs and Good Fats meaning whole grains and
Omega 3 fish oils, Flax seed oil, Evening Primrose Oil. Borage
Oil...etc. We need carbs to keep energy in our cells. We need fat for
our skin, brains, hearts, and other organs to keep them healthy.
6th cut out Sugar and Sugar substitutes. Stevia is a plant source
sugar substitute, Tupelo Honey is another great sweetener, and it
bypasses the pancreas, so diabetics and hypoglycemics are safe
with both of these.  An acupuncturist once gave me his theory on
Splenda - They take a sugar molecule and combine it with chlorine -
which is a poison. Supposedly the body won't absorb it because it is
combined with chlorine, but there are many health problems
associated with Chlorine 9such as false estrogens which cause
hormone imbalance)  So, combining the chlorine and sugar, I have
difficulty believing that there won't be problems ahead. Equal is very
close in chemical structure, and I have major problems with it. (
Altering my monthly cycle, headaches, making me crave real sugar...)
Saccharine is also not great. Raw Sugar is better than the substitutes,
but sugar and sugar substitutes don't promote wellness.
7th Keep your mind active - Puzzles, Reading, Writing, Anything to stop
the mental vegetation process.
8th Don't follow fads - Faddism allows ad agencies to decide how you
eat. Frequently promoting the garbage that they can't get rid of. A few
years ago we were supposed to avoid eggs, next we were to
eliminate all fat, Then we were supposed to eat as much meat as
possible and eliminate carbs. Now we are supposed to drink Milk, eat
Oatmeal and whole grains. I think they are finally on the right track.
Fads encourage 1 or 2 things and forget about balance. Proper
balance seems to be what is most important. We don't all have to
rush out and become vegetarians. Most vegetarians don't know how
to get enough protein anyway. Soy may not be the best option - check
out www.mercola.com, there are many articles on the dangers of soy.
9th Destress. Stress is the cause of more than 60% of chronic
illness. Stress reduces our immune system's ability to react to
threats.  What will help you destress? Exercise, Calming Music, Baths
with orange or Lavender oil. Tension Tamer tea from celestial
seasonings, Massage, Deep breathing, Taking time for yourself,
Meditation or prayer.
10th Cut the Caffeine and nicotine. Don't flip out if you can't do all of
these things. It's all about wellness. And Baby Steps are the way to
get there. Think of it as a Journey, and every Journey begins with 1
step!
Wellness