Personal growth

How Are You Tracking Your Wellness Goals?

I recently came across a daily wellness check-list on one of my friend’s blogs, and decided to create my own. Keeping yourself in check when it comes to your health and wellness goals is important, but often forgotten. Having a check-list allows you to make sure that you are on target with your goals, and shows you where you are falling short.

Depending on your personal health and wellness goals, you may want to tweak the check-list  While using the check-list every day would be ideal, I suggest using it for at least one week every season. Our day-to-day activities, eating habits, and workouts tend to fluctuate with each passing season. I bet you’ll be surprised to see how well you are doing in some aspects during the season and how poorly you are doing in others! This is a great way to evaluate where you are at, and focus on the areas in your life you are struggling with.

My Daily Wellness Check-list

Date:___________________________

Wellness Goal(s):
•
•
•

Did I wake up feeling refreshed? ________

Did I start the day with a positive attitude – one with gratitude? _________

Did I start the day by eating a healthy breakfast? _________

Did I take my supplements today (Multi Vitamin, Vitamin D, Fish Oil, Multi-Probiotic)? _________
Did I get my body moving for at least 20 minutes today (be it cardio, strength training, or yoga) ? _________

Did I ensure that my body was properly fuelled throughout the day by eating healthy snacks when I was hungry? __________
Did I drink enough water today (7-9 glasses per day)? _________

Did I eat healthy, balanced meals for lunch and dinner (lean protein, vegetable, fat)? ___________

Did I avoid eating processed foods, or foods containing refined sugars? _________

Did I or do I need to be adjusted today? __________

Was I able to spend quality time with my family or friends? _________

Did I take a class, register for an event, or read something that has/will contribute to my knowledge base/personal development? __________
Did I do something good for someone else today (hold the door open for a stranger, help someone with a task, compliment someone)? _________

Did I do something positive to unwind before bed (drink herbal tea, read something light, practice meditation, light stretches)? ___________

Am I or did I go to bed at a time that will ensure I get 7-9 hours of sleep? _____

Did I do my best to avoid stress or stressful situations today? ______

On a scale from 1 to 10 (10 highest, 1 lowest) how would you rate your achievements today? ___________

What else can be included on this check-list? Insert below:
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Action Steps:
1) Copy and paste the checklist into a word document and modify it to suit your health and wellness goals.
2) Print this checklist x7 (one for each day of the week).
3) Complete the checklist before bed each night for one week.
4) Repeat every season.

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Are you watching what your mind consumes?

“Success is not a destination, it’s a direction – and that direction is forward.”
– Billie Sanders

I recently heard an interview with author Tim Sanders for Success magazine. Sanders discussed his trials and tribulations and how he managed to stop going sideways and move forward with confidence. Though much was discussed, what I appreciated most about Sanders interview was his idea of putting your mind on a diet.

Most of us watch what we eat. We avoid fast food joints, stick to organic whole foods. We want to live a long and healthy life and our nutrition and exercise schedule demonstrate this, but what about our minds? Are we paying attention to what our mind consumes?

In his interview Sanders states that one of the principals to success is feeding your mind the “good stuff”. Think of everything you’ve seen, heard or read today. Did it help or hinder your personal development? As Sanders states, a person is confident when they have an outlook in which success is attainable. Did the materials you subject your mind to encourage you to be a better person, to strive for success?

According to Sanders, anyone can turn himself or herself around, no matter how long they’ve been going sideways or backwards. The first step towards turning yourself around is putting your mind on this healthy diet he speaks about. In other words, be as judicious with what you put in your mind, as what you put in your mouth. After all, what we subject ourselves to, creates our reality.

Put your mind on a diet by doing the following:

- Put in less poison, less junk (Instead of watching reruns of Family Guy for two hours, read a book that will help you get to where you want to be!)
- Pay attention to constructive information that makes you better at what you do
- Hang out with hopeful/helpful people
- Avoid your e-mail/television first thing in the morning! The most important meal of the day is breakfast- treat your mind to an awesome breakfast by practicing a simple gratitude exercise.

Sanders does the following 10- Minute Gratitude exercise each morning before starting his day:
-He starts by thinking of two people that helped him go forward in life or career the day before.
-He dials into their intentions. Asking why they did what they did?
-According to Sanders, there are only two possible answers: They care about the mission or they care about you.
-Reflecting upon these good deeds, help us to realize that we are not alone in our journey.
-Afterwards, Sanders spends 30 minutes reading for a book: on either future trends or a topic that will help him in his career.

In doing so, he is starting his day on a positive and gratuitous note. If you aren’t keen on Sanders’ gratitude exercise. Spend the first moments after you wake up mediating on your day. Think positively, as a positive outlook is what will bring success!

What good things do you feed your mind? Leave a comment below.

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Don’t let the holidays stress you out…tips to stay healthy and sane!

Holiday StressWow, can you believe the holidays are almost here?

While thinking about the topic I wanted to discuss in this week’s newsletter, I kept coming back to the stress that we all face this time of year. From time constraints and shopping headaches to holiday feasts and financial worries, everyone is dealing with a huge array of stressors this time of year.

Are you worrying too much right now? Are you so busy taking care of everyone and everything else that you are forgetting to take care of you? If so, don’t feel bad. We all do this. But, there are some things you can do to lessen your stress and make the days between now and the new year “merry and bright”.

As many of you already know, there are three dimensions of health - Psychological, Physical, and Biochemical (Nutrition). Their names are pretty self- explanatory and each of these have a major effect on your overall health. The following are some tips on how to handle holiday stressors in each of these three dimensions:

Psychological Dimension:

1.  Don’t go shopping during peak hours. Though the sales may be tempting, the added stress of the crowds and rushing to get the items you want can hurt you both emotionally and financially.
2.  Make sure you write a list before you go shopping. Plan ahead and know what you need and where you need to go. The less prepared you are, the more frantic and frustrating those shopping trips will be.
3.  Doing some of your shopping online will also help. You can skip the long lines and crowded stores and there is often a larger selection available online. Most online stores even allow for shipping directly to the gift recipient as well as gift wrapping!
4.  When shopping, be sure you have a budget. Planning out your holiday shopping budget and sticking to it will leave you with less regret in the new year. And don’t forget the holiday meals. Be sure that you include the food and decorations in your budget so you don’t find yourself in a bind after buying all the gifts.
5.  When doing wrapping, decorating, cooking, or other holiday preparations light some candles, play some music, and engage the entire family in the activity. Keep things light and festive and you will enjoy the holiday tasks much more.
6.  Take more time for yourself and your family. This is the perfect time of year to nurture your most important relationships and, with less work and school, it will be easy to plan family time.
7.  Remind yourself often that it is the holidays and it is supposed to be a joyous time. Give yourself permission to relax and enjoy everything. Actively thinking about this will help you to reduce your stress level so you can focus on the truly important things.

Physical Dimension:

1.  Don’t forget to workout! I know you have a busy schedule and a ton of things to get done but, this is a must. Working out can relieve stress and put you in the right frame of mind to deal with everything that comes up during the day.
2.  Be sure you schedule your workout into your day. You are less likely to skip it (especially if you schedule it for first thing in the morning) and the simple idea of having at least one scheduled thing that you have complete control over will be a welcome structure to what may otherwise be a hectic day.
3.  If you are visiting family and are unable to get to a gym, schedule a daily walk. Take a different route each day if possible just to change it up a bit. It is a great way to take in some new sights if you’ve never been there before or, to reacquaint yourself with the surroundings if you are going “home”. Relive old memories or make some new ones while taking care of your body and your mind!

Biochemical (Nutritional) Dimension:

1.  Always eat something before you leave home. A healthy meal or light snack will keep you from being hungry while you are running your errands and you won’t be so tempted to stop for that burger and fries.
2.  Pick certain meals during which you will treat yourself and give yourself permission to enjoy it without guilt. Portions are the real enemy during the holidays, not the foods themselves. You can eat a little of everything you want and still maintain your health.
3.  When choosing your foods – eat more vegetables and lean meats such as turkey and chicken. Putting more of these on your plate will help to fill you up and the smaller portions of higher calorie and more dense foods such as pastas and breads will satisfy your desires for them.
4.  If you are attending a potluck dinner, offer to prepare and bring a healthy dish. Even if all of the other foods there are bad, you know you will have at least one item that is good for you. Plus you’ll have the added benefit of knowing that you are contributing to the health of everyone else who eats it!
5.  Get the junk out of the house as quickly as possible. Allowing these foods to sit around will put you under a lot of pressure. The temptation will often be too much. Send the leftovers home with guests or store it in a separate storage freezer/refrigerator.
6.  Go easy on the sweets. You don’t have to abstain from them completely, just watch your portions. If Aunt Sue makes the best sugar pie in the world, there’s no reason for you to miss out while everyone else enjoys it. Take a smaller than normal slice and enjoy!
7.  Another big health enemy during the holidays is alcohol. Most alcoholic drinks are filled with empty calories and can quickly undo all of your hard work (eggnog anyone?). Plan to have a single drink or glass of wine at any event and you won’t feel like you are missing out on anything.
8.  Keep a diary of what you are eating. This creates accountability and will often cause you to eat less. Don’t beat yourself up if you do get off track. During the holidays we all tend to overeat and partake of the wrong things. 9.  If you fall off the wagon, just dust yourself off and climb back on the next day. Get right back into your normal healthy habits and forget the day before. There’s no need to dwell on it and stress out. It happens to all of us!

My last tip can be applied to any of the three dimensions of health. Set aside some time for setting your 2012 goals. Whether they are geared toward your psychological, physical, biochemical or any combination of the three, it is important to begin this process before the new year. This way you will be ready to hit the road running and you won’t have to spend the first week of the new year focused on your Wellness Plan.

I personally use Tony Robbins’ goal setting CD to prep for the new year. I listen to it at the end of every year and he walks me through the goal setting process. The hour and a half program helps me get a perspective on the next twelve months and allows me to start it off prepared. Do you have a goal setting strategy that you use every year? Are you trying out a new one this year? If the answer to either of those is yes, please share it with me in the comments. I would love to hear what tools work best for you!

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A “fat” tax… Really?

A new bill has passed in Hungary in recent weeks known as the ‘hamburger tax’ passed on July 12th 2011 creating the world’s first “fat tax”. The bill will raise the price of fatty foods that are deemed as unhealthy or junk. Proceeds from the new law will be used to cover the rising costs of state-funded health care. The items will go up in price by 3.7 eurocents or roughly 5¢. “Salt, sugar and fats would involve higher tax.” says Gabor Csiba, the author of the bill who is president of the Strategic Alliance for Hungarian Hospitals. There will also be a 10% increase in the price of liquor and soft drinks. It is estimated that the law could generate as much as 111 million Euros or approximately $157.6 million.

These funds are sorely needed to help keep Hungary’s cash-strapped health care system afloat, one of Europe’s most indebted countries. Talk about an original initiative! Would North American go for that?  It might be a small step toward solving the National deficit. Just kidding…I think there are 2 prongs to this topic: First the responsibility of the people to take care of their own health and well-being and secondly the responsibility of the “junk food industry”.

I think we can point fingers and blame everyone and anyone but ultimately it is us who choose to put unhealthy or healthy food in our mouths! We have to start taking responsibility for our own actions and stop putting our head in the sand.  The rate of obesity is close to 26% and the rate of overweight people is close to 50% in North America. So what will it take for the population to engage in a healthier lifestyle?  Don’t you think that if everyone were eating nutritious wholesome food the statistics would not be so high?  Do you think that the cost of health care would diminish? You bet it would – most of the current chronic illnesses in our society are currently lifestyle disease! There is a lot that can be done when we know that 25% of what happens to us is genetic and 75% is lifestyle related.  How you take care of yourself and treat your body will affect your future and the generations that follow. It starts with the right example. Poor eating habits will pass on to the net generation and so will good eating habits.

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drnathalie@drnathaliebeauchamp.com

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