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 Fundamentals of Optimal Health & A Fit Body

         

 

 

Simply changing your daily choices and habits to align with your goals, your passions and your purpose will transform your life.

SLEEP

 

  • Your body requires about 8 hours (individual needs vary) sleep to function optimally mentally, emotionally, and physiologically. 

  • Lack of sleep changes many of your hormones promoting weight gain while adding additional stress to your body.

  • Prioritize your sleep schedule.

 

#1 TIP - Eliminate all screen time at least 1 hour prior to bed!

CULTIVATE SERENITY, GRATITUDE & JOY

 

  • Diaphragmatic Breathing Techniques

  • Visualizations/Imagery

  • Meditation & Mindfulness

  • Grounding & Time in Nature

  • 1-3 minute Body Scan 

  • Trust your intuition & Listen to your body

 

According to the National Institute of Health, chronic stress suppresses your immune system and your digestive, excretory, and reproductive systems stop functioning normally leading to increased risk of serious health problems, such as, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, depression, anxiety, and other illnesses.

 

#1 TIP - Mindfulness Techniques counter the adverse effects stress has on your body including hormone changes causing you to gain weight .

NUTRITION 

 

  • Eat Lots of Vegetables! 

    • ​ Half your plate should be vegetables with each meal, yes, even breakfast

    •  Veggie/Fruit Smoothies - I recommend Smoothie Secrets Revealed, Elyse Wagner 

  • Drink more water!

  • Decrease your sugar intake!

  • Eat real whole foods instead of processed food!  

  • Eliminate Hydrogenated/Partially Hydrogenated Oils - read all food labels!

  • Individuals who keep a daily food journal lose 64% more weight than those who do not!

 

Recommended Resources:

  • Sharing the Science of Natural Health.com, Zara Fagen Ph.D., N.D. 

  • Smoothie Secrets Revealed: A Guide to Enhance Your Health, Elyse Wagner, Certified 

      Nutritionist & Positive Psychology Professional​

  • ​Gut and Psychology Syndrome: Natural Treatment for Autism, Dyspraxia, A.D.D., Dyslexia, A.D.H.D., Depression, Schizophrenia, Natasha Campbell-McBride M.D.

 

#1 TIP - Eliminate all artificial sweeteners!  They increase your risk of obesity, diabetes & suffering a cardiac event such as heart attack or stroke!

 

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
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  • You must own the exercises/movements you choose to perform which means movement quality is the first priority.  

  • Prioritize & schedule activities you enjoy into your calendar.

  • Modify your program every 4-6 weeks - exercises, activities, intensity, order, intervals, steady pace...

  • Perform 1-4 whole body exercises for a quick workout that burns lots of calories and prepares your body to perform daily life activities more efficiently and more easily.

  • Journaling minutes of exercise/week improves weight loss success.

  • Burn calories throughout the day - Use stairs, park farther from store, carry groceries & shopping bags like farmer carries, during TV commercials jump on a mini-tramp or do planks, lunges, push-ups...

 

  #1 TIP - STOP doing sit-ups! Sit-ups lead to back pain!  Learn  safer & more effective  exercises!

 

Washer & Dryer
TOXIN EXPOSURE

 

Did you know these symptoms can be caused by toxin exposure in fragrances used in laundry cleaners/softeners, air fresheners, candles, personal care products, cleaning supplies, perfumes, lotions, baby wipes, dish soap…?

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  • Migraine headaches • Asthma attacks • Skin problems (rashes, hives, red skin, tingling skin, dermatitis)

  • Neurological problems (dizziness, seizures, head pain, fainting, loss of coordination)      

  • Respiratory problems (difficulty breathing, coughing, shortness of breath)                                          

  • Cognitive problems (difficulties thinking, concentrating, or remembering)                                            

  • Mucosal symptoms (watery or red eyes, nasal congestion, sneezing)                                                 

  • Immune system problems (swollen lymph glands, fever, fatigue)                                                         

  • Gastrointestinal problems (nausea, bloating, cramping, diarrhea)                                                             

  • Cardiovascular problems (fast or irregular heartbeat, jitteriness, chest discomfort)                             

  • Musculoskeletal problems (muscle or joint pain, cramps, weakness)                                                     

 

 “Air vented from dryers that use scented products contains a mix of some 25 chemicals. 7 of the chemicals are classified by the EPA are hazardous air pollutants – toxins that can cause reproductive issues or birth defects. 2 chemicals, acetaldehyde & benzene are classified as carcinogens, for which the EPA has established no safe exposure level.” Anne Steinemann 2011 (Univ. of Washington Study published in Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health)   Air Qual Atmos Health. 2016; 9(8): 861–866. Fragranced consumer products: exposures and effects from emissions Anne Steinemann 

Anne Steinemann  https://www.drsteinemann.com/                                                   

Univ. Washington Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering & of Public Affairs

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“Products intended to keep homes smelling fresh can set people up for a lifetime of chemically induced illness, and repeated exposure to small amounts of household chemicals can trigger symptoms to previously tolerated chemicals. 

Claudia Miller http://drclaudiamiller.com/ & http://www.chemicalsensitivityfoundation.org/

Allergist & Immunologist at Univ. of Texas Health Science Center

Expert in chemical sensitivity or toxicant-induced loss of tolerance​

 

#1 TIP - Choose Fragrance Free, or at least organic essential oils for fragrances, and chemical free cleaning products for your home and your body.

"We must speak in ways that create bridges to our children's hearts, so they feel safe enough to bring their hearts to us.
 

RELATIONSHIPS

 

Healthy Relationships are at the heart of our health.  Unhealthy relationships create chronic stress in your life whether at home or work.  According to the National Institute of Health, chronic stress suppresses your immune system and your digestive, excretory, and reproductive systems stop functioning normally leading to increased risk of serious health problems, such as, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, depression, anxiety, and other illnesses.  Two of the recommended relationship books below, Why Does He Do That? and The Wizard of Oz and Other Narcissists, offer warning signs of abusive relationships and insight into setting healthy boundaries as well as guidance when searching for professional assistance.

 

 

 

 

Recommended Resources for Relationships:

These books have been a phenomenal resource for me with relationships & healing after living with abuse!

 

  • Conscious Loving: The Journey to Co-Commitment, Gay Hendricks, Ph.D. & Kathlyn Hendricks, Ph.D.

  • The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself, Michael A. Singer

  • Peace, Love & Healing, Bernie S. Siegel, M.D.

  • The Wizard of Oz and Other Narcissists, Eleanor D. Payson, M.S.W.

  • Why Does He Do That? Inside the Minds of Angry and Controlling Men, Lundy Bancroft

  • Thich Nhat Hanh's Books and Videos - some videos available on youtube.com

 

Recommended Resources for Parenting:

These books were an invaluable resource to me as a parent!

 

  • How To Really Love Your Child, Ross Campbell, M.D.

  • Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, Marc Weissbluth, M.D.

  • Your Child's Self-Esteem, Dorothy Corkille Briggs

  • Your 1 Year Old, Your 2 Year Old... Your 10-14 Year Old, Louise Bates Ames, Ph.D. & Colleagues

  • Little People: Guidelines for common Sense Child Rearing, Dr. Edward R. Christophersen

  • The Power of Positive Parenting, Dr. William Mitchell & Dr. Charles Paul Conn

  • Liberated Parents, Liberated Children: Your Guide To A Happier Family, Adele Faber & Elaine Mazlish

  • Raising Your Spirited Child, Mary Sheedy Kurcinka

  • Siblings Without Rivalry, Adele Faber & Elaine Mazlish

  • Wild Things: The Art of Nurturing Boys, Stephen James & David Thomas

  • Unicorns Are Real: A Right-Brained Approach to Learning, Barbara Meister Vitale

  • The Call to Brilliance, Resa Steindel Brown

 

Excellent Children's Book About Bullying, Feeling Left Out & the Positive Impact Kindness Has On Everyone's Lives:

 

  • The English Roses, Madonna (The characters in the book are girls, but an important message for all children.)

 

Inspirational Books:

 

  • The Bookseller of Kabul, Asne Seierstad

  • The Faith Club: A Muslim, A Christian, A Jew--Three Women Search for Understanding, Ranya Idliby

  • Go Out In Joy, Nina Herrmann

  • Farewell To Manzanar, Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston & James D. Houston

  • American Shaolin, Matthew Polly

  • One Thousand Paper Cranes, The Story of Sadako and the Children's Peace Statue, Takayuki Ishii

  • Sweetgrass Basket, Marlene Carvell

  • Year of Impossible Goodbyes, Sook Nyul Choi

 

  • The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupery

  • The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho

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Great Literature for Children & Adults:

 

  • The Princess & the Goblin, The Princess & Curdie, George MacDonald

  • A Little Princess, Frances Hodgson Burnett

  • The Alchemyst, Paul Coelho

  • The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

  • The Noticer, Andy Andrews (Middle School-High School & Adults)

  • Ishmael, Daniel Quinn

  • The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame

  • The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett

  • Charlotte's Web, E.B. White

  • Jonathan Livingston Seagull, Richard Bach

  • The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien

  • The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R Tolkien

  • The Chronicles of Narnia, C.S. Lewis

  • The Harry Potter Series

  • The Mysterious Benedict Society Series

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*Updates Coming

Always Trust Your Intuition & Listen To Your Body!

Health Coaching, Personal Training sessions, and Workshops are for guidance purposes, and are not intended to be a substitution for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician with questions regarding a medical condition, or interactions between supplements and prescription medications.

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