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