 I know it's not the best photo in the world (who knew--taking photos of mirrors isn't easy), but the note on my bedroom mirror reads, "Stand up straight and cooperate." I'm on day 13 of my 21 day posture project and things are looking up!
I have scoliosis and suffer from dull, chronic back pain. {And sometimes, it's not dull.} I thought I was taking the best care of my back possible. I get either a chiropractic adjustment or massage every month, I intentionally incorporate back exercises into my weekly movement rhythm, and I wear shoes with proper support. It occurred to me a few weeks ago, however, that I may be neglecting one habit that could solve the problem of pain for good. In my spiritual practice, I pray regularly. I have never experienced the once-and-for-all healing of my back that you've perhaps heard stories of (though I believe in that type of healing), however I was recently compelled to begin praying for my back again. You see, I've tried correcting my posture in the past and to no avail. I would always find myself a day or two into the process slouching because I simply couldn't make it stick that I needed to stand with my feet a proper distance apart, my pelvis in correct alignment, and (most importantly) with my shoulders back and head up. However this time around, my answer to prayer came in the form of a supernatural ability to remember to stand up straight! Only a handful of times have I found myself out of alignment and I'm attributing this difference to God. I'm simply cooperating with the work he's doing to that spine and it's been pretty cool. Whether or not you believe in the supernatural, I wanted to share this chapter of my journey in an attempt to encourage you to pick up one of those more stubborn health goals again. What is that for you? Correcting poor posture? Losing those last 20 pounds? Reducing sugar consumption? You never know how much you've matured in personal development until you go at it again with a new determination. So do it with me now, be it literally or metaphorically--stand up straight and cooperate!
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 Today is Part One in a series I’m entitling-Honoring the Vessel. I’ll be interviewing individuals over the course of 2016 who have taken back control of their health, but I wanted to start the series just before the New Year with a timely, high-impact story.
Meet Eric. In 2011, Eric weighed over 100 pounds more than he does today. He was tired of being lonely, knew this weight might affect job opportunities, and felt embarrassed to talk to family about his health problem. He didn’t like looking at himself in the mirror and had a hard time finding clothes in his size. He kept telling himself, “One day I’ll make a change,” but it wasn’t until he saw his grandfather one Christmas that he decided *One Day* needed to be soon. As he explains it, something just clicked for him. Eric’s *One Day* was December 26, 2011. He knew he would be waking up and making changes. Eric began eating less, eliminating all beverages but water, and logging miles on the treadmill. He took on the incredibly brave learn-as-you-go approach and taught himself loads of information about how many calories his body needed, why sugar was hurting him, and increasing the difficulty of exercise as his body began to change. He lost a staggering amount of weight within the first month, proving to himself that he was determined to make this change a lasting one. Of course Eric couldn’t have walked this journey alone. He recalls the consistent support of a knowledgeable friend who reminded him that for every small sacrifice or difficult task he was performing for his health, Eric was adding years onto his life. Eric also had the support of his family members, who began to make healthy changes at the same time as him. The process was far from easy, however. I asked Eric about the biggest obstacles he had to overcome. He told me about how he would mindlessly begin driving to the same fast food restaurants to get the food he had craved and eaten for so many years. This was a serious habit that took conscious effort to break. He also had to make the all-important realization that weight loss (or achieving any health goal, for that matter) requires time management. He was not used to scheduling workouts into his routine. Possibly the most important discovery he made on this journey, though, was that his body is unique. There is no “normal” diet and when he gets into the mindset of eating like a “normal” person, consuming what our culture deems a “normal diet”, he will not be able to maintain weight, but will rather gain. Eric is a changed man without a doubt. Thriving with exciting opportunities and relationships, he really seems to know greater freedom than he did when he struggled with obesity. I was so pleased to see that Eric is now in a place of getting to work toward more advanced health goals. This led me to my last question for him: “What’s next for you in health?”, to which Eric answered that he plans to better manage his nutrients and portion control in the coming year, as well as strengthening his body with more cardio in his workout routine. It was encouraging to see someone who has tasted good health own up to the fact that it takes constant effort to maintain it. So here’s to you, Eric. Four years ago today, you took your health into your own hands and made changes that allowed you to embody the reality of health: that it’s about more than being the perfect body weight. It’s about feeling good in the body you were given and honoring that vessel. I give you my (virtual) standing ovation! May God bless you in 2016 with another satisfying year as you continue to encourage others who need to make this change by living such an exemplary life.  This past Sunday, I ran a 5K with two of my clients, Anastassia and Brian. It was so awesome to see them supporting one another in both the training and the execution of this goal. It was also a HUGE accountability to me, as this time of year brings with it a lack of motivation toward healthy movement. Because I had agreed to run this race with the couple, I was responsible for getting myself into 5K shape.
Finishing a 5K this month was one of my year end goals, so in due diligence, I'm reporting that it's complete! I try to talk about my own health a lot as I coach and blog here at Nourished! because believe it or not, eating well and moving...while they have become much more habitual in my life over the past few years, don't always feel fun to me. I find that remaining committed to living the life I desire my clients to live has been the most incredible way to stay accountable to good health in this journey. A couple of my other year end goals were to: -Remain controlled with my lifestyle diet and limit cheat days to where they normally belong for me (holidays and weekends). -Stay on top of immunity. The first point has been difficult, I will not lie. When I wrote this year end resolution, I had forgotten about all the opportunities I'd have for celebration in December. I've been diligent about choosing just one treat when I'm at a party and trying to enjoy the heck out of it while abstaining from everything else...my energy levels and emotional stability thank me for this. But I have definitely had a treat here and there on a non-holiday or non-weekend day. There's grace for that, I tell myself! I'm just being honest with you all here that the struggle is not only yours. Staying on top of immunity has been a challenge as well as cold and flu is now at its peak. I came down with back-to-back colds a few weeks ago, but was able to fight them off more quickly that usual with plenty of fluids and rest. Also, the thing about zinc shortening your cold or flu really did seem to work on me! I loaded up on the stuff as soon as I felt the sore throats creeping in and was not down for long at all. Presently, I'm feeling perfectly healthy! So there you have it: my year end check in. It's not perfect, but it's real and honest. I encourage you to openly share your year end goals with friends as well since talking about them is the most helpful way to follow through!  Is it just me or do you kinda piddle out physically toward the end of the year too? Something hits me around Halloween each year that tempts me to just "give up" on any ambitious personal standards around food and exercise. I think to myself, "Well, I made it though Halloween, but then there's Thanksgiving, about 3-4 holiday parties, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day...and then I may as well eat whatever I want until New Year's Day because it's only a week later..."
Enough is enough! 2014 was the last year I'd do that to myself. Sure, there's a place for less stringent rules around food when you've got a handle on avoiding sensitivities and you're in maintenance mode. But truthfully speaking, if I let myself forget about diet and exercise entirely from now until January, I will enter 2016 in a fog. I don't want to live that way! I don't want to wait for New Year's Resolutions to get my body in check. I want to keep my body in check through the holiday season so that I can focus on more specific and advanced New Year's Resolutions...ones that require a pre-established high standard of health. In order to do that, I'm setting a few goals for myself to finish 2015 well. I would encourage you to do the same! Ok, so in the next two months, I will: -Stay controlled with my lifestyle diet and keep cheat days limited to holidays and weekends, like I normally would any other time of the year. I will not "give up" between Christmas and New Year. -Stay on top of immunity. -Participate in a 5K! What about you? What do you need to do in these last couple months of 2015 to stay on track (or get on track, for that matter)? What can you do for yourself now to get a healthy jump start on any physical New Year's Resolutions you hope to tackle next year? You are worth that jump start and you are worth a good finish. Let me know in the comments what your plan is!  Today, I'm thinking of immunity as a solid, wood door. I'm not looking to build up immunity only as strong as a waist-high, penetrable, white picket fence. Fall is almost upon us which means cold and flu season is coming whether we like it or not. I'm looking to build my immunity up like a sturdy door! I've got to protect this fortress which is my work, time, and happiness. I hope you are fighting for your immunity just as fiercely. If you're a little fuzzy on the how, you tuned in on the right day!
There are two ways to look at immunity: long term strengthening and incidental response. Long term strengthening of the immune system means you're doing things when you're well to stay well. Incidental response is when you're actively fighting a cold or flu because you can feel it developing (usually in your throat or head). This topic will turn into a two part immunity series, so let's tackle just the long term angle today. We've all heard the doctor's office adage about washing our hands, but long term strengthening of the immune system goes far deeper. Stress management is the irreplaceable secret weapon here! In short, when a body is stressed, it experiences heightened levels of adrenaline which communicates with the brain that it is time for fight or flight. The longer the body is under stress, it will begin to shut down those functions not necessary for survival. It's intuitive to draw a connection between someone who is stressed having a stomach ache, but less intuitive sometimes to realize that it was stress which caused the same person to come down with the bug going around the workplace. Stress management is my gold as a health coach, which is why I'll save the rest its magic for an entirely separate post...I could talk for days about the importance of this practice! But I couldn't NOT mention it in a post about immunity because the linchpin for longterm immunity, I believe, is what I've just discussed. So how do you keep you stress in check? A couple of basic ways would be by getting enough sleep on a regular basis and keeping up a regular exercise routine. A few other ways to ensure that your impenetrable door of immunity is built up and ready to resist disease include: consuming enough fresh produce, staying hydrated, and finding an immunity blend supplement that works for you. It should go without saying that fruits and vegetables are the most nutrient dense foods out there. Eating at least five servings per day (more is recommended, but typically less is consumed by the average American), will deliver wonderful vitamins and minerals to your body's immune system. Staying hydrated is important for most of the functions in your body, but it specifically touches immunity in that water helps the lymphatic system do its job of detoxifying the body. Lastly, finding an immunity blend supplement that you like can help. Taking this from the months of October-March, specifically, will cover you with an extra layer of nutrients during your most susceptible months. I personally like Congaplex by Standard Process (and no, they don't pay me to say that!). After all that information, my desire is that you feel equipped to build up that sturdy door of immunity to protect the fortress, which is you and your wellbeing during the upcoming season. Stay tuned because in the next post of this series, I'll touch more specifically on incidental response, or what to do when you feel a cold of flu coming on. So what about you? What are your go-to's for strengthening long term immunity?  I truly, truly have a love-hate relationship with exercise. I do not like it. But I do love it’s benefits.
...Can anyone go there with me? I know I need to move my body because when I don’t, I feel sluggish, my back begins to hurt, and let’s be honest-I slowly start to gain weight. There are some people who are “beat your body into submission” types, or some who are internally inspired to achieve something as great as finishing a marathon. I’ve personally never felt compelled to achieve anything that extreme. I would just rather have a cup of tea and sit down with my novel of choice. It hurts! It’s hard! Now, then. I've adjusted my attitude and I'm ready to a actually talk to you about it. Since forgoing exercise is not a healthy option, I have found ways to enjoy what I like to call “movement”. I schedule five times per week to move and this could look like a long walk or quick jog around the block or core, abs, and arm work in front of the TV. Beyond that, I’m one to be on the lookout for sneaking in exercise. What I mean by this is looking for fun activities (maybe weekend adventures) that require movement. I’m certainly not afraid of sweat and adventure. I’m up for opportunities to go ice skating, hiking, or indoor rock climbing with friends. I’ve also tried kayaking and surfing with John...while water sports are not my favorites, they are efficient forms of exercise that get us spending time together doing something he loves. We even went to trapeze school this weekend just to try something new! So I guess I don't HATE exercise...I just take a while to talk myself into it. And I absolutely, 100% promote it. I'm simply speaking to people (I'm sensing this post is mostly for my fellow sisters) who need to feel a little better about not being the only one out there who can't seem to build up that desire to build up a sweat. Is there anyone else out there who feels this way? What are your ideas for sufficiently implementing movement? (Oh yeah, once I cycled 100 miles in 2 days. It was reeeally hard and mostly not fun, but it did feel great to finish.) |
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