How to Start Being Healthy

Core Health Coach
Monday, March 3, 2008


Do you look around and wonder why we are so unhealthy? There are so many of us, two thirds of the population that are overweight or obese. Why? How? I have been thinking about this since my last post. Every time I closed my eyes at night or tried to imagine what I could share with you, this subject kept agitating me, haunting me, drawing me to it.

I wanted to approach it in a way that would really matter to you. Why would you want to hear, yet another theory or approach to weight loss or what's wrong with society? So, I am not going to dwell on the negative, but bring some positives into the conversation. I won't throw around a bunch of statistics, or health risks. I think we all are sick of percentages and the next way we can die of unhealthy lifestyles. Let's talk about ways to begin the process of taking back our seemingly insurmountable fight for health and wellness, which inevitably leads to weight loss.

Desire

What you need to remember as well, is your desire to begin. If you lack that willingness to make change, then don't proceed until you are, or else you will once again, be discouraged. It doesn't have to be an overwhelming feeling either. Maybe you just have questions or concerns and need someone to discuss what you are thinking or feeling. Putting things in perspective can quite frequently help you to get off the fence and begin to put your life plan into action. Take as much time as you need. This is for the rest of your life remember. No, you aren't going to be perfect, but you are going to move forward. Don't beat yourself up if you take a step backwards. You just keep moving ahead and remain optimistic. I would urge you to keep talking to someone who can listen. Don't keep it bottled up, or it will actually cause you to continue in your current circumstance.






How

Just a few examples are how we eat. Look at the grocery store aisles. They are lined with cheap prepackaged, processed, chemically laden products . Just grab some frozen meals or some packaged fake food, sealed and kept from rotting on the store shelves with food preservation methods that cannot possibly sustain life. It isn't life sustaining! Look at what we are becoming!

The fast food restaurants remind me of pornography. They invite, tease, excite, stimulate, and what do you get? Addicted! You need ever more and each time you get farther and farther from health and wellness. Fast food is filled with addicting chemicals, both in smell, taste, and sight, while cheapening the price because they don't value nutrition or health. At what price you ask? Us, you, as a healthy, vibrant, productive member of society. What then?

How do you get a hold on you? How do you get away from that addictive urge? Why can't you get motivated and stay motivated and really and truly gain health? The multi-billion dollar companies spend a lot of time and money trying to get you to stay addicted. That's it in a nutshell. Their intent is to make a profit at the expense of 'humans being'. Take a look at the cigarette industry. Need I say more? We are letting the food industry destroy and manipulate our bodies, minds and spirits. They are making our lives cheap, fast and easy. Do you want to understand how to be who and what we were intended to be? Let's begin then.

In order to make changes in your life, you need to know you already have the abilities. They are already within you. Yes, it's true. What you want is a way to understand your abilities and put those attributes into practice, to make changes. Some people can take giant leaps, once they understand, while others of us need to take small incremental steps. Either way is fine, as long as it's your choice and not some company trying to get you to eat their food or do their plan. That sets us all up for failure. Your life is not a diet or someone else's life plan. It's your life and your plan. Always remember that. Let me explain so you can really implement one thing into your life, and start to make your life what you want it to be.

Why

First, I would like to ask you what do you want? Really and truly, if you want to get healthy or even start, you need to ask yourself the question, why am I doing this? Take some time, because this is the root of how you will be making your choices for healthy living. The root is the why and the trunk is, what works for me? Have you accomplished something, like losing weight or finishing a project? Did you have a supportive spouse or did you journal or did you pray? Perhaps you went away on a retreat, or perhaps you need to do one of the above in order to be successful. Have you ever failed, and said if only... When you are truly committed to attaining something, and we are talking about health and wellness, incorporate part of your strategies with one or more if only... Just trying an approach you have not done before often makes a huge difference in your self esteem or success. You made the choice, you chose what works and you implemented it. Become addicted to the goodness in you and see what a difference it can make towards your wellness goals.

Plan

If you smoke and you really can't quit because you have tried, then don't! Instead, concentrate on some other life plan, like nutrition or exercise. When you are ready to stop smoking, you will then see that smoking does not fit your goal of health and wellness. When you see a positive change, more positive changes are on the horizon. It won't be fast and it certainly won't be easy, but as you progress and see the direction you have laid out for yourself, then smoking cessation will just follow naturally, as part of the process. You will have the ability to successfully stop because all the other roadblocks have been taken away and you will have set yourself up for success. When you begin to look at your positives, the bad will always be there, but it won't be the focus. It won't be able to keep you repressed or oppressed. You will begin to see your purpose and your abilities will sustain you up and get you over the hurdles.

Another idea is to ask people what your good points are and use them. Let's say your family and good friends think you are a great cook and you love it, yet you just don't seem to have the time to cook everyday, all day long. Well, if you really enjoy it, pick a day, like Saturday, once a month and cook up a storm. Use pure, fresh, natural foods and freeze them! Wow, we just beat the food companies at their own game. You made the plan and prepared your favorite foods, froze them and now you can eat your own nutritious, pure whole foods, that our bodies crave, harmonize with and were designed to eat. Make it a family day. Have your significant other or your kids make up menus and decide by drawing straws or rotate the menus. Have a couple night and tell each couple to bring a healthy ingredient(s) for pre arranged meals, and make up large portions and split them for each household.

If you don't want to be that grand, make a large crock pot of soup. When I make soup and I am pushed for time, I will throw a free range frozen chicken, whole with some free range chicken broth, some extra bones I have saved and frozen from a previous chicken, whole carrots, or I break them in half, some whole celery, I cut an onion or two in half, some handfuls of organic spinach, organic frozen peas, parsley, sea salt, pepper, fresh garlic, thyme, or if I have something that I need to use up like swiss chard or whatever else I have or want to put in it. I cook it over night and I have several days of delicious, health building, immune boosting, cholesterol lowering, phytonutrient dense meals, made very cheap, quick, and easy. It takes less time than driving to the fast food drive-thru, wasting gas and not being controlled by anyone and sticking to my life plan of health, joy, happiness and giving back to the planet. On a side note, eating whole, unprocessed foods, is good for the environment, as well. Here is a life plan to begin your course of action for the right nutrition on your journey to health and wellness.

What

1. Eat whole, natural foods.
2. Eat grass fed beef, lamb, game, pastured chicken, free range eggs, all fed naturally, no antibiotics, hormones or grain fed.
3. Eat raw dairy, from grass fed cows, including butter, cheeses, etc.
4. I suggest using fermented foods like raw milk yogurt, kefir,( I have a local source), and fermented vegetables and fruits.
5. Healthy fats like extra virgin olive oil, virgin pure coconut oil, raw butter from grass fed cows.( I save my cream from my raw milk and make butter. It is NOT time intensive or difficult) Email me and I can tell you a really easy way to make it.
6. Eat fresh fruit and vegetables, organic if possible. I go to a large discount grocery store which carries a fair variety of organic fruits and veggies. I stay away from expensive items like red peppers or asparagus in the winter. Eat darker colored vegetables and fruits , 5 or more servings daily, lightly steamed, in soup, or raw like a salad or fermented, like kimchi,http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/233839 . Very easy to prepare. By the way, Corn is NOT a vegetable.
7. Use whole, organic grains sparingly. In our society grain seems to reign supreme. If you notice, a lot of people are diabetic and obese. Too many grains raise insulin levels and lead to disease.
8. I use and suggest stevia, agave nectar, raw honey sparingly, pure grade B maple syrup for sweeteners. DO NOT use any artificial sweeteners! They actually stimulate the appetite and do contribute to obesity and cancer.
9. Prepare soups with bones from beef, lamb, chicken, etc.
10. DO NOT use fluoridated water, especially with babies and children. See video


11. Use sea salt that has a color like pink or gray. It contains trace minerals. I use Celtic sea salt
12. Drink alcohol in moderation
13. Please stop smoking if you do.
14. I make my own salad dressing with extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar or raw vinegar, fresh lemon, garlic, sea salt, and a little Stevia or raw honey for sweetness.
15. Use stainless steel, cast iron or glass for cooking. Use a little non-stick spray instead of teflon.http://www.abc.net.au/health/thepulse/s1576391.htm
16. I would recommend and do use whole food, cold processed, fermented supplements. I would suggest Garden of Life products. You can find them on the web at www.gardenoflife.com or a local health food store.
17. Get plenty of sleep, more in the winter.
18. Exercise in moderation. Our bodies were designed to move. If you are just starting out, you need to go slow and only what you want to do. If you like to walk, then do so. If you like to play basketball, do that. Just move! Enjoy it.
19. Learn stress management. Most of the trips to a doctor are caused by stress. Slow down and enjoy life. Make relaxation and peace and quiet a priority. Go take a nice hot bath with baking soda and epsom salts, while inhaling some lavender essential oil and then go to bed.
20. Make your life your own. Don't get caught up in 'everybody else is doing it syndrome'. Decide to do one small positive change. I am going to discuss this further.
21. Laugh, Love and Forgive.
22. Eat ONE meal a week that you choose, any restaurant.
23. This is for you to fill in_______________________________________________________________.

All of these suggestion will allow your brain, gut and fat cells to harmonize with each other. Most people that are aware of true health and longevity have these same principles and philosophies. Weston A. Price Foundation make these basic suggestions. Dr. Mark Hyman, author of UltraMetabolism, understands the whole person and how that correlates with ultimate health. Just pick 1-3 items from the list above and begin at your own pace.

Traditional doctors are not trained in health and wellness or the steps to attain it. They can write a prescription for a pill or treat a symptom, but the whole person is not part of their education or practice. The patient doesn't usually have a lot of say, either. I don't think it works. It obviously isn't.

Final Thoughts

So, what else can we do? Share your thoughts and plan of action with someone you can trust, like a spouse, significant other or a Health Coach. It is just a suggestion because that is what Health Coaches are trained to do. You pick what works for you. By sharing, you immediately unload, begin to develop strategies, sort out all the obstacles and pick 1-3 objectives. By further developing a plan with time frames for implementation, such as exercising. You decide when you will start, how long you will work out and how many times a week. Discuss this with your trusted person.
Again, a Health Coach can facilitate the answers with you, in an unbiased, non-judgmental arena. I found a great website for finding your inner strengths. It is a quiz that guides you to your greatest character strengths. I would suggest going here, www.authentichappiness.com
To sum up this writing, a question to ask yourself is, what are my gifts, my assets, my positive attributes? Take more time focusing on the positives of your life, and you will begin a shift in the right direction. Use your inner strengths in your every day life, and inevitably you will begin to see the way to your health and wellness. Have gratitude everyday and forgive yourself and others. Set up a time frame for 1-3 changes and check back with your 'coach' to evaluate your progress at a pre arranged date. Nothing is fast, cheap and easy, if it's worthwhile. I think we are all worth it!