Top 15 Best Healthy Gift Ideas

My favorite 10 gifts started out on this list.

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Then I expanded it to 15 and made this video for you.

One of the gifts in the top 10 did not make it into the 15.

Why? It is still a great gift if you know the person’s dreams and goals deeply. Otherwise, the gift goes from meaningful to “huh?”

Post-edit ...

Thanks to a listener who mentioned I forgot to say the name of the chime company! Oops. It is TreeWorks.
Their website is http://www.treeworkschimes.com/

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7 Day Easy Gratitude Challenge

You will lower your stress and improve your relationships when you take this simple Gratitude Practice Challenge.

For 7 days write one note of appreciation to someone and mail or give it to them.

The gratitude lowers your stress.

The note improves your friendship.

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Holiday Stress-Grinch Be Gone

There are three tried-and-true keys to prevent the holiday stress.

  1. Be Choosy. Decide ahead which priorities are important for your holiday season. And forget the rest. This article by Brian Tracy has 5 great questions to ask yourself. It focuses on business - so adapt the questions to your personal life.

    Click here

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2. Be Organized. The chaos that occurs when you find out your party-shirt is stained - the night of the get-together … or when you run out of tape in the middle of wrapping gifts? Avoid it.

Click here for a great resource.

3. Be Wise. Don’t go into debt for your holidays.

Here’s a free Christmas budget planner for you by a Certified Money Planner.


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Paleo vs Intuitive Eating

Can the Paleo Diet and Lifestyle exist within the framework of Intuitive Eating?

It’s about “why” you re choosing a Paleo Diet. It’s about recognizing the danger of any set way of eating triggering the diet mentality.

Are you eating Paleo “mindfully” - or just chewing on some chicken while you walk around the house and think “I’m healthy.”


Holiday Guide: Five Ways to Prepare Yourself Now

A friend of mine is in a frustrating situation this year, deciding if his family is going to “do Christmas” as usual. With his office now being their living room, it is a bit tricky for a tree.

Another friend asked, “How do you show up to family gatherings confident in clothes? When you’ve lived mostly in sweats this year and put on 15 pounds, nothing fits.”

You can enjoy this season, no matter what. Here’s how -

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  1. Set your intentions.

    When December 31st rolls around, what emotions do you want to have experienced? What memories will be beautiful to you? What do you consciously choose as most important this year?

    Write these out where you can see them. Then when you consider your decorations, your cooking, or get invitations, you will have your intentions top of mind.

  2. Once you know your priorities, schedule them and communicate them.

    (Then say “no” to the rest.) This one is hard for me. The planning is easy, but the saying “no” is harder.

    When you say “I am going to host one party and go to 2; the rest of the time I am going to make memories with my spouse and kids” it can be a challenge to turn down other invitations.

    When you say “We are going to the mountains for Christmas” and extended family gets upset, it can be uncomfortable.

    Just remember those intentions you set.

  3. Worried you will overeat and put on weight? Learn to savor your holiday treats.

    This is part of Intuitive Eating and one entire session in my online holiday course “Holiday Health Challenge:2020.”

    You don’t have to wait until the holidays - you can practice this now.

    Select a favorite treat and, undistracted, take one bite. Pay attention to the taste. Rate it. Then take a second bite and do the same. Then a third. On so on. Around the third to fifth bite you will notice the intensity of pleasure decreases. There is your cue. Stop.

    You can always have it again later.

  4. Schedule in the movement you need to feel energetic through the season.

    Don’t ignore your daily walks or whatever exercise keeps you feeling great.

  5. Know your challenges and prepare.

    For me, lack of sleep is a big one, so I know during the holidays when extra activities are going on, sleep must be an even higher priority.

    If your clothes are a little tighter after this year, don’t go on a crash diet - or skip the parties. And don’t wait until the day before to plan what to wear. Prepare. Go buy one great outfit that fits right now. Eat well and move well in the Holiday Health Challenge. Then donate that outfit in 2021.

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What will you do to prepare yourself for the holidays?

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The Paleo Diet Explained

What is the paleo diet?

In this video I explain the basics of the Paleo Diet and Lifestyle. Most importantly, I answer if it is right for you.

Paleo is not a low carb or high protein diet. While some gurus push it as such, the National Institute of Health research shows the focus to be on low processed foods that can grow in the wild.

Is paleo a weight loss plan? If you have been eating a lot of processed food and sodas, you will likely lose weight when you kickstart your paleo diet.

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Should you do the paleo diet? If you have medical or health concerns that would benefit from no grain or low grain, or no dairy, the paleo diet would fit in with an Intuitive Eating plan.

If you are trying Paleo as your next diet, another form of restricting you eating habits, it could trigger the diet mentality and not be the best for you.

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Life Lessons on Confidence, Trust, Friendship, and Happiness

On our trip to the Tetons and Yellowstone National Park, I experienced several “ah-ha” moments.

For example, for a few years I have been intentionally eliminating what drains my energy and increasing what fulfills me. As I was getting ready for the trip, I created my usual plans.

  • Pack several books to read

  • Gather the lotions and potions for some self-made spa time

  • Select my music for long relaxation times

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Then I realized, I don’t need those things on this trip.

Why?

Discover how to create that fulfillment, completeness, and happiness in this video.

Plus, nine other life lessons you can use right now.


How to Plan for Your Next Hiking Adventure

I learned several lessons on our Grand Teton / Yellowstone hiking trip. While I did a few things “right” I also had some embarrassing lessons.

To help you prepare for you next fitness travel trip - especially if it involves hiking - here are the 12 tips I learned.

(Since Christmas is not far away, it’s set to “12 Days of Hiking”) Enjoy!

“On the first day of hiking my health coach said to me” … Be sure to plan your gear, your directions to and from each trailhead, and your groceries

“On the second day of hiking my health coach said to me” … That detailed plan of which hikes you’ll do which day?  Be ready to be flexible.  Snow or closed roads or anything may change your plans.

“On the third day of hiking my health coach said to me” … Have your phone or a laptop for researching those last minute plan changes

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“On the fourth day of hiking my health coach said to me” … Whatever you have planned to do in your free time -- cut it in half.  That huge stack of books you think you’ll read on the plane and at night after hiking?  Pick one.

“On the fifth day of hiking my health coach said to me” … Bear Spray. When the locals say something is essential, don’t wait to find it.  Prioritize it. Order it ahead of time.  Don’t waste the first morning of hiking trying to find a resource for it.

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“On the sixth day of hiking my health coach said to me” … Hire a local guide.  What you will learn about the history, area safety, the plants and animals, restaurants, everything … is richer than what you will simply read.  And you will learn it faster.

“On the seventh day of hiking my health coach said to me”... Sleep is a top priority.  How to get better sleep when you are traveling?  Rent a top floor condo.  Take earplugs.  Use headphones and relaxing recordings.  Take supplements that you know help you sleep.  (Don’t do I like I did, thinking, “oh, I’ll only need them a couple of nights so I won’t pack many.”  You may need them every night.  Pack them.”)

“On the eighth day of hiking my health coach said to me” … Pick your top priority and make everything else simple-simple-simple.  If hiking is your top priority, skip making gourmet meals.  If sight-seeing is your aim, don’t try to get to the gym 2 hours a day.  If spa-like relaxation is your goal, be ok that you miss a museum.

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“On the ninth day of hiking my health coach said to me” … Don’t skimp on the gear.  There is a reason camelbaks and trekking poles were invented.  Rent them. Borrow them.  Buy them.

“On the tenth day of hiking my health coach said to me” … Have two sources of trail directions - one descriptive and one as a map.  When multiple trails intersect it is extremely easy to take a wrong turn and get lost if you only have one source of directions.

“On the eleventh day of hiking my health coach said to me” … Turn around at every junction.  Take a picture of which way is your path on the return trip.  Don’t get stuck saying “Is this the way we came?  I don’t remember seeing this.”

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“On the twelfth day of hiking my health coach said to me” … Have conversation topics ready.  You’ll be talking a lot with your hiking partners.  On every reputable website and in every park ranger conversation, we were told talking - not music - alerts bear to your presence.  Some people on the trails had talk radio on.  While a few hikers might have been annoyed, I thought “What a great idea, if it works.  Because Doug and I talking non-stop for 8 hours a day over a week?  Well, we had nothing left to talk about on the plane ride home.  Except how I looked forward to catching up on sleep.”


When you want to make active travel part of your life, you need to train and get healthy for it.  When you have challenges and issues setting up your healthy active lifestyle, just reach out.  I’m here for you.


For my email community I have a bonus -- it’s my trip planning and packing list that I use personally and customize for my clients.  If you are not a part of the ViREO Life community, join me and I’ll get it to you.

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Hiking Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks

Doug and I just got back from a huge birthday hiking trip.  Let me know what you think of the highlights and what bucket list trip you might start planning.

So where did the idea of this birthday hike come from?

10 years ago, for my 40th birthday, I decided to celebrate by hiking at least 40 miles in Utah and CO.  

We hiked all over Arches National Park

And to Hallett Peak in the Rocky Mountains.  As you look through my website you will see several pictures from that trip.

That trip was so much fun we got the idea to hike for every “big” birthday.  Pretty good motivation to stay active when your goal is to hike 80 miles for your 80th and 90 miles for your 90th, right?

This year’s celebration included the Grand Tetons in Jackson Hole WY, the wilderness area named for the famous Jedediah Smith, and, of course, Yellowstone.

By the end of the trip - in the final clip - my sleep loss is very apparent.  And that just means lots of travel lessons I will share with you in the next video.

I share a lot of the scenery and inspiration in video I took for you while on the hikes. Grab a cup of tea or coffee and enjoy!

Let’s get started.

If your goal is simply to see the Tetons, just fly in to Jackson Hole and then hop a plane back home.  As soon as you step foot on the tarmac and turn around, there they are.

On the drive to our condo, we stopped by the Silver Dollar Saloon.  A friend had asked me to take a picture of an elk for her.  The only way I could guarantee that was taking a picture of my elk tip salad.  Fortunately, in the video you’ll see I caught footage of an elk calling.

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Our first hike I experienced a life lesson on perspective.

There are at least 12 lakes in the Tetons.  We hiked to see Phelps Lake, with our focus toward the lake. 

When we turned around the rock face and canyon caught us by surprise.  It was there all along, but we didn’t see it.

So, in life, what am I seeing only one side of?  What do you need a new perspective on?

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Our next hike was an oops hike.  Otherwise known as we got lost.  Which, next video I have more lessons to prevent that for you.

The first couple of days I planned easy hikes so we could get adjusted to altitude.  The hike was beautiful, despite being lost.  After passing part of this lake (later found out it’s called Jenny Lake) we headed up some steep switch backs. 

Out of breath, I kept saying “If this is an easy hike, I’m not looking forward to the strenuous ones.”

Fortunately a park ranger crossed our path and said we were headed to Inspiration Point, and passed where we needed to be a couple of miles ago.  We turned and went back down the mountain.  

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That afternoon was a short hike to Leigh Lake, because we wanted to get in before the predicted storm hit.

Be aware in the mountains.  The day before we flew in, sunny skies were the forecast.  Within a couple of days the prediction changed to a snow storm. And it definitely snowed.  Enough our hiking plans got rearranged, but we still got to hike.

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The morning after the snow storm we let it melt off the roads, and then headed to another lake - Taggart Lake in the afternoon.

Since the trails were so icy, we drove the next day to Yellowstone.

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Following the Yellowstone adventure was our hardest hike. We trekked to Amphitheater Lake, a subalpine lake formed in granite.  The trail there is steep and we didn’t have trekking poles to help with the ice, but the views getting there are as stunning as the lake itself.

Then the next day we got to summit Taylor Mountain with Diane, our guide from Teton Backcountry Guides. We learned history and nature we would never have known without her expertise. When you hike or ski in Jackson Hole, contact them. https://tetonbackcountryguides.com/

As a quick example, Diane pointed out Indian Paintbrush, the state flower of Wyoming. For eight hours she taught us about the area.

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She also explained how they ski this mountain side - once there is 3 feet of snow. “When the coneflowers are covered, we know it is safe to ski.” I was intrigued to learn how avalanches get started - even though I have no desire to ski.

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The next morning we got up super early and drove to watch the sunrise over the Tetons.  We saw one of the funniest scenes.  A bison jump a fence! Did you know Bison - these huge animals - can do a 6 foot standing jump?

One of our last hikes was to Grand View Point, where you hike to a summit overlooking lakes on both sides.

Make sure to watch next week’s video as I share with you the hiking, and travel , and life lessons.

Why Habits Don't Work for You

You’ve got a friend who tried X and it worked.  You tried it and it failed spectacularly.

Why?

When your friend prepped his meals on the weekend, he raved about how it saved him time and effort during the week.  You tried it and you were miserable doing it and the food ruined in the cute little containers.

Another friend tried martial arts classes and ended up practicing every day.  They got fit so quick you were inspired to join in.  After a week, you started finding excuses to not practice and after a month you dropped yet another gym membership.

You saw a friend on social media selling a special shake that’s giving them amazing energy.  You bought it from them and it’s just giving you indigestion.

What’s the deal?

I chose the tagline for ViREO Life carefully.  Find your path.  Fulfill your potential.  The only way to fulfill your unique potential is to find your unique path.  Your path is the steps, the tactics, of your lifestyle to get the results you want.

That lifestyle is uniquely yours.  Your friends lifestyle is uniquely theirs.  Every client I work with has a totally different path.

Does that mean it is just a shot in the dark to find what works?  Absolutely not.

You apply the principles of sticking with habits and you quickly find your tactics.

Let’s take those three common examples I mentioned at the beginning.

One Principle is Enjoyment.  What is your personality?  What do you enjoy in your life?  Another Principle relates to Time.  What priorities and responsibilities do you have?

For the friend who likes to prep food - perhaps their personality likes methodical planning and their evening are committed to working late.  For you?  Perhaps you enjoy going out to eat in the evenings with your buddies -- while the prepared food goes bad in your fridge.

Perhaps your martial arts pal loves to engage mentally with their exercise and be with people, and perhaps you need to let your mind wander and have some alone time.  Sounds like a walk in the park would be a good experiment.

For the shake -- What about the Principle of Biology?   Maybe your friend was deficient in some nutrients?  What if you are sensitive to one of the ingredients?

There are several questions I use when guiding clients.  Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

  • What was fun in childhood?

  • What fulfills you?

  •  What do you like to do on vacation?

  • What makes you come alive?

  • What makes you laugh?

  • Who do you enjoy?

  • What relaxes you?

  • What activities absorb you, to where you lose track of time?

Invest a few minutes today answering these and look for common themes.  Those themes will reveal the tactics you need in your unique healthy lifestyle.

A Simple Way to Break a Bad Habit

Let’s compare two recent Sunday afternoons.

Sunday One - standing in the kitchen prepping and cooking food for the week.  Strong munchies.  

So, as I’m cooking I eat a few nuts.  Then some fruit.  Then, well, you get the idea.  Not junk food, but not eating because I was physically hungry.  (The first phase of Intuitive Eating.)

Sunday Two - need to cook for the week, but I tune in to my immediate needs and realize I need a nap.

So, I honor the need and I nap.

Ta-da. There was no standing and grazing mindlessly.

When I reflected on the previous Sunday, I realized I had needed to chill and nap.  Hence, the munchies to keep me engaged and alert.  A classic situation.  

Before I give you the solution, I’ll tell you about a client with a different situation, but same lesson.  

This individual owns a business and works a ton of hours.  But they wanted to increase their exercise.

The solution is one I learned in ocean kayaking. 

In ocean sports, there’s a saying “don’t stay in when you are too fatigued to fight.”  

The problem is, you don’t automatically know when you’ve crossed into a red-zone of too tired.

What works?  Find your red flag.

The munchies are a red flag for me.  When I notice myself wanting to snack, I ask myself “am I hungry?”  If the answer is “no”, then it’s the munchies.  That signals either I’m bored or tired or stressed.  Something needs to be addressed.

On the Sunday I was prepping my healthy meals, I ignored the signal because I was so determined to get it done.  Usually, I have learned to listen.

Listening is the first step.

The business owner wanting to increase exercise also used the second step: A single go-to action.  For them, the go-to action was get outside for a 5 minute walk.  The walk re-energized mentally and didn’t add an hour to their day.  By the end of the day, with several of these 5 minute breaks, the step count got to goal and they got their work done.

For me, my go-to is a 30-60 second relaxed breathing break.  In those few seconds I can identify what my red-flag (the munchies) are telling me I actually need.  Even if I can’t meet the need right then, I keep the habit of eating intuitively.

Are You Trusting the Process?

You decide you want to stop living on pizza, so you are learning to cook.  But then you start wondering if you are getting in enough protein or vegetables.  You try the latest superfoods and you have this nagging thought “Am I missing something?”

The problem with this? When you don’t trust the process your journey is hard. Plus, it prevents you from making a new habit.

Top Signs You Are Not Trusting the Process:

  1. You are stressed wondering if you have “done it right” or “done enough”.

  2. You are constantly changing tactics or …

  3. Layering tactics, leading to confusion and overwhelm

  4. Comparing your results to others; worried that you’ll never get the result you want

The Solution?

“When the student is ready the teacher will appear.”  This proverb came alive to me when I was first learning to kayak surf.  (You paddle out in your kayak, beyond the waves; then catch them to surf back to the beach.)

The 2nd day out I noticed how the ocean rolled, and wasn’t flat like it appeared from the shore.  When I mentioned to my instructor “Wow, the ocean was calm yesterday and is moving today” he said “It rolled yesterday, too.  You were not ready to be aware of it.”  

I was focused on the mechanics of kayaking, flipping safely, and how to handle the big waves so missed what was going on around me.  It was mental and sensory overload. 

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When you are creating a healthy lifestyle, it’s true that you need to plan. 

You need to seek knowledge - which is why you are connecting with me.  You also need to trust that when you are ready for the next level, the teacher and resources will appear.

For example, one of my clients wasn’t searching for an intuitive eating counselor - she didn’t know that existed.  But she was tired of diets not working and was ready for a different approach.  She heard me speak at a business conference and it clicked “Sheri’s the teacher I’m ready for.”

Two personal examples, in the past couple of years I dealt with two different medical issues.  I did my research, took the steps I knew to take.  And because I was ready - out of nowhere, in seemingly random business meetings - a teacher appeared for each issue.  

Whatever health habit seems hard for you, do these three steps:

  1. Whatever part is easily working for you, be faithful to do that.  In ocean kayaking, I had to be faithful to practice the basics.

  2. Be aware of your frustrations.  What’s stressing you about the habit?  Jot it down.  And if a solution comes to mind, experiment.

  3. This is the hard one for me.  Trust.  Keep your eyes open to people and resources that appear, without trying so hard to force it.  Tell yourself “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.”

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Easy and Surprising Way to Improve Your Personality

Being healthy is only one reason to choose healthy habits.

You will improve your character and personality traits along the way.

You likely have a trait you want to strengthen. Maybe it is to be more assertive and confident. Maybe you want to be more creative.

But practicing a new way of being can be, well, risky.

Want to be more assertive and negotiate for a raise? That can be scary.

Trying to be more creative in a challenging project? What happens if you get stuck and fail?

You aren’t alone.

Here’s how five people, just like you, used Health Habits as a “training ground” for personality traits.

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One client wants to be more assertive. Intuitive Eating is helping her to ask for what she really wants in the safe area of “where to eat dinner.”

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Another wanted to improve his confidence for business meetings. Getting to the gym boosted his esteem, before he lost any weight.

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The book The Millionaire Mind lists fitness, exercise, health, eating well, energy habits - as all vital to develop discipline, stress management, focus, and ability to take risk.

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Another client increased his creativity by going against the workout norms and creating his own routine.

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And yours truly? I’ve been working on mindfulness for a year or so. Intuitive Eating is a safe and fun way to practice being present.

How to choose healthy habits? That’s what this whole site is about.

If you want to speed up the process and stop wasting efforts, email me (sheri@thevireolife.com) and let’s chat. We’ll personalize your plan.






Which Lie Is Holding You Back

Which one of these lie are you believing?

The lie you tell yourself destroys your ability to make health habits.

Why do you lie to yourself?

 It makes you feel better, at some level, in some way.

  1.  I would change, but I can’t because of X (time, economy, family, no family…)

Test your assumption.

This is not to shame you, but challenge you.

Is there anyone out there who also has time constraints, who also has kids at home, who also is an empty nester, who also is single, who also deals with pain, who also has X … and who has made the habit you are wanting to make?

Go look for role models.

2.  This time is different

The media depends on this lie to sell you what you don’t need.

“The last diet I tried didn’t work, but this time is different.  This one will.”

“This gym has all the new stuff.”

Just joining a new gym won’t make you go.

Just downloading the latest meditation app won’t create mindfulness.  (I know. I downloaded at least 3.)

Ask yourself “Why did the last one truly not work? Why is this time actually different?”

Two clients in the last few weeks shared their weight loss numbers with me.  (I don’t encourage clients to weigh, but when they do, it confirms what clothes were telling them.)

Both clients had wisely given up the “this diet is different” approach and started eating intuitively.  While the numbers (6 and 20 pounds) don’t have the shock value of diets, the clients are creating a lifestyle enjoyable to maintain.

3. This next lie is two sides of the same coin. I don’t have a clue what to do / I know exactly what I’m doing.

Telling yourself you don’t have a clue? Yes, you do.  It may not be comfortable.  You may want other things more.  You may not know every detail, but you are not helpless.

On the flipside

You really know exactly how to make this habit and what the result will be?  Your track record is not perfect.

Find resources.  

Hire a coach.  

You are unique.  Your priorities may do better with creative cooking or with once-a-week food prep.  Your personality may make a walk in the park more fun than a spin class.

A coach can help you figure out those details quickly, so you stop wasting time and resources.  

I am sending a Lie Detector worksheet to my email community to help you discover the lies you are believing and then overcome them.

Make sure you have joined.  Just email me at sheri@thevireolife.com and say “Lie Detector” and I will get it to you.

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You need to B.Y.O.B. (Umm...No. Not that.)

“How can I make it easier to have a wellness lifestyle?”

When this question comes up, I notice the answer is embedded in the question.

Lifestyle.

If you don’t make healthy living part of your lifestyle, you will stay frustrated with it.

To live well, to live healthy, is not living singular disconnected actions. It is a lifestyle.

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One simple question to strengthen that lifestyle is “What would my future self want me to do?”

My two week ago self chose to not wash the apples, but leave them in the bag.  My self today got an apple out of the bag and it was rotten.

My self today also went for a walk in clean workout clothes because my last weekend self folded the laundry and put it away.

What about your lifestyle?  Do you set out your workout clothes the night before a morning walk?  One of my favorite ways to prep my workout clothes is pack them in my gym bag for the whole week. 

With plastic grocery bags to bring home the sweaty ones, of course.

If you want to cook creatively in the evenings, but just cannot face standing and chopping after a long workday, could your lifestyle include some pre-chopping on the weekend?

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The flow of your lifestyle will change over time.

My schedule used to be that if I wanted healthy convenient lunches, I would need to pack them all on Sunday for the week.  Now, I don’t need to do that.  

But for the days I am out during lunch, I need to already know where the quiet places - or parks are to enjoy a relaxed lunch.

All of this means you will need to prioritize your healthy lifestyle.  That doesn’t mean there is never a place for “Oh, let’s be spontaneous and road trip this weekend instead of grocery shopping and prepping food.”  It does mean that if road-tripping is every weekend, your healthy lifestyle needs to plan for it.

What to do?

In the words of Chase Hughes, “Be Your Own Butler”

Step One: What’s the most emotionally painful part of healthy living for you?  Is it rushing to get a healthy dinner on the table?  Is it missing a lot of your workouts?  Or are you tired of stressing out because you are always late?  Or ____________?

Step Two:  For that area, how can you be your own butler?  What do you need to prepare ahead?

Your future self will thank you.

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Simple and Surprising Way to Make a Habit

You have good intentions?  And then a few days -- or a few hours -- later you forget?  Yep.  I’ve done that, too.

Even in the little things, which are never so little.  

Last week I talked about how certain actions can trigger bad habits.  Let’s turn this around and discover triggers for good habits.

Maybe you want to eat slowly and relax during your meals. 

Begin to let the moment you sit down be a trigger to take a slow, relaxing breath.

If you plan to improve your posture, each time you walk through a doorway be reminded to stand tall.

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Perhaps you want to drink more water, then tie walking into the kitchen with getting a glass of water. (That may also stop the bad habit of rummaging mindlessly through the pantry, too.)

Pick a new habit.  Find an action trigger to tie it to. 

Practice it for a week and let me know how it goes.

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Best Way to Stop Triggering a Bad Habit

Last Sunday and Monday I experienced very different days, and it was because of one choice.

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For Sunday lunch I chose to eat my lunch (a “healthy salad”) rushed between church and a friend’s right-after-church wedding.  Out of the plastic container I’d brought it in.  Standing.  Hunched over, shoveling it in.  Distracted.

Sound familiar?

The rest of the afternoon I felt chaotic, tense, had poor posture.  It was just, well, yuck.

For Monday breakfast, lunch, and dinner I got out the nice china, sat “properly” at the table, and ate slowly.  All day I was relaxed, focused, productive, and had good posture.

One choice triggered multiple results.

Remember Newton’s 3rd Law “Every action creates an equal and opposite reaction”? 

In the world of your habits, every action creates multiplied and amplified reactions.

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Pay attention to the “domino effect.”  Think about the last time you ate dinner while watching a movie, got mentally charged up, then slept poorly, so your appetite was increased the next day.

It’s time to try a different approach.

What is the bad habit you want to break?  Don’t focus on that habit.  Find the trigger; find the step that happens BEFORE the habit and focus on it.

I had two triggers before my rushed eating on Sunday. 

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1.  I failed to have a plate for my salad.  So the container encouraged chaotic eating. 

2.  I was telling myself “I’ve only got 10 minutes” instead of reminding myself “I’ll eat what I have time for now; I won’t starve; I can finish it after the wedding” which I had to anyway.)

If you always eat ice cream every night before bed, what comes first?  

If you plan your workout for after work, but then always find yourself on the sofa instead, what comes before sitting on the sofa?

When you make these subtle and powerful shifts, you will find yourself stopping habits that don’t help you, but be prepared.  You’ll also find those around you wondering what’s going on.

After work you used to change into moccasins and that led to sitting on the sofa with your spouse for the rest of the evening.  Now, you put on your walking shoes and leads to a walk.  Plan on letting your spouse know that, well, things are changing.

Stop losing ground and wasting time staying stuck in habits that aren’t serving you.

What’s one habit you want to level-up?  What’s the trigger you’ll change to make it happen?

Next week, I’m going to show you how to use this same habit trick to remember new habits.

Prevent your Garden Nightmare. Bugs.

Reaching your goal of eating healthy and getting outside more, may have you dreaming of planting a small organic garden.  It’s an adventure you’ve wanted.  And then you don’t go past dreaming because you fear a nightmare.

Perhaps a friend says “Oh, I tried planting a big garden one year and the bugs just destroyed it.  It was a lot of work for nothing.”

Well, have no more fear.  

You can start the garden habit and not suffer the frustration of losing your work to the bugs.

Here’s how.


Step One: Start small.

Pick your favorite vegetable you want to grow.  Then find out which plant is a good companion for it.  For example, if you grow tomatoes, plant basil alongside.  Or if you grow squash, surround them with white icicle radishes.

You can grow tomatoes in a handy “bucket garden” like this one, making it easy to take care of any pests.

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Another way to start small is pick a theme.  In February - Heart Health Month - I showed you what to plant in a garden for heart health.

Step Two:

Learn all you can about those plants your first year.  What kind of soil they like; how to prevent the pests and diseases for them.  Then the next year, add another vegetable.

Growing up, my family had a vegetable garden.  I remember harvesting and helping my mom blanch and freeze and can.  But it was definitely not organic gardening.  So, we’ve learned organic methods.  My favorite - just because it is quirky - is preventing squash bugs.

I don’t remember where I learned this trick - it is not even in my favorite bug book.

It’s duct tape. 

When we find the eggs, we put duct tape over them and rip them off.  

Garden therapy at its best!

There’s just one issue when you prevent all of the bugs from chewing up your garden.

You have more vegetables than you can eat.  But, that’s why you have freezers and friends, right?

What are you going to plant? 

Whether it is one bucket with one tomato plant with basil or a window sill of herbs, pick one and start your adventure.

Dieting Destroys Your Confidence

This is controversial in conversation, but it is clear in the research.

Numerous studies show how dieting decimates self-esteem, regardless of what someone weighs, how much they lose with dieting, or how much they regain after the diet.

My personal story started at age 9 with dieting to lose 2 pounds, just because dieting was what the women in my family did.

At first it felt empowering to have the (false) sense of self-control. But that soon turned to self-loathing as I “messed up” a day. Then the self-loathing turned to self-questioning of “Can I follow the diet tomorrow?”

Eventually, I began to expect failure.

And identify with the failure.

Here are two powerful (bad) lessons I learned -


One of the biggest lessons of a diet is that “You cannot be trusted with your basic needs.”

Another lesson of dieting is the “Your needs don’t matter. Hungry? Deal with it. Want a bite of a cookie? Deny your wants.”

Ouch. That is a horrible message to teach yourself.

What messages have you learned in your relationship with food?

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Three Tasty Ways to Grill Healthy

You think (hopefully) about safety when you grill: keep the flame away from the fabric and the house, use long utensils to stay distant from the flame, pour water over the coals, and so forth.

Do you think about the safety of your body's cells when your grill?  Here are 3 simple ways to decrease the carcinogenic load of your grilling festivities:

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1.  Vitamin C - Make sure to add lots of fresh fruit salad and raw broccoli as side items for your grilled meat.  Vitamin C and other antioxidants consumed with grilled meat help protect you.

2.  Rosemary - When you make an herb mix to season your meat, include plenty of rosemary.  Constituents in rosemary have also been shown to protect you from the harmful impact of grilling.

3.  Avoid charring.  I know, I know.  The charred pieces can add flavor.  But grill at a lower temperature and avoid charring the meat (or remove charred areas) to decrease the chemicals formed that increase your risk of cancer.

You don't have to skip the grilling the summer.  Just grill safely.

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