Changes, on your terms.....

All weekend I have been thinking about how when we start on a journey, be it health, wealth, weight loss, or whatever the goal, we seem to have the hardest time committing, even though the outcome could be life changing, or life saving. I am not sure if it is because we have been so unsuccessful in the past, or because we are not ready to do all that is needed for the changes involved.

I think about how many times I have wanted to, said it publicly, and planned for a life change, and after a short time I was off the path, and not just for a day or so, permanently. Knowledge is and always will be very important, and doing your homework to make sure you are ready for a change is essential, but I am not sure that these are the most important things needed. I have always said both on a one to one, and on my shows, that being prepared is number one when change is occurring, but I think I may have been wrong, or maybe I did not see what was staring me right in the face.

I talk to thousands of people monthly through social media, email and in person, and my radio shows are listened to by hundreds of thousands of people all over the world. When people correspond with me and tell me they thought they were ready for a change to occur, they picked up the right foods, the right supplements, they had their goals clearly stated and they were prepared and yet still were unsuccessful, my response has always been maybe you missed something in your preparation. But now, I think I have been wrong and overlooked the most important thing, going through the process of being mentally ready and Wanting a change in the first place.

Every day people are told by advertisements, television, friends, family members and spouses that they should do this, or try this and we do it. Then, we fail because we never wanted to do any of those things, and we should not have gone along with the herd. The only changes that will ever be successful, and the only goals that will ever be achieved, appreciated and benefited from is or are the goals and changes You want for yourself, and nobody else.

Take time to see what it is that you want as you move forward in this life. What will give you the best health, or pleasure or what will be of importance to you. Learn what things will make your life better for you, and how making this change that you alone fully support will be life changing for you.

Time zooming by

Lately time has become an issue that has been on my mind, and has me wondering. Not time in itself, but how fast time seems to be going. I have always heard that as we get older time can seem as if it is zooming by so fast that you fell as if you are missing life, and I am beginning to think it may be true.

I remember when I was younger, time, and the speeding up of time was something every kid I knew used to celebrate the parts of the years we wanted most to be in at that time. Summer vacation, holidays, spring break, new years, birthdays, vacations and of course the last day of school every year. I know I myself would count the days down to each and every one of these events throughout the year.

We could do the things we wanted and the things that needed to be done never seemed urgent, but today, procrastination can be life altering, and in some cases may kill you. Today, everything from paying bills, being on time for work, getting the trash out, celebrating events all have time restraints that need to be met. Even if you do not want to be held to a time period in your personal life, too bad, we are. The other thing is how we cannot, as adults put things off, that when we were younger we never would have thought about twice. Doctors visits, check ups, Dentist visits, picking up medication from the pharmacy, staying stocked up with your nutritional supplements are all now things that need to be first and number one on our priority list.

Today when things are urgent, they are urgent for a reason, and we should pay heed to them or suffer the consequences. How many times have you attended a funeral, or been sitting in a hospital waiting room when someone, who should and did know better did not follow the urgency of things like diet, exercise, stress reduction, supplements, check ups, weight loss, getting enough sleep? The same person who always said, I will get around to it, and didn't, and now may be in a bad life altering situation.

I feel that as we get older, and life is zooming by, and we are overwhelmed with the day to day things that loom over us every day, we need to stand back and take an importance inventory. We need to rate all the things on this overwhelming list of things to do by urgency, importance, necessary, would be nice if it was done, and of course, pipe dreams. This simple technique will force you to become a priority in your schedule, will remind you to stay on top of THE most important things, eliminate the must do today cloud, space things out to cause better life balance,and hopefully keep you on the most important path, Great health!

The last part of the year downward spiral!

So hard to believe that school is back in session and that we have begun the last four month of the year downward spiral. Holiday, flu and cold season and between trying to stay healthy, shopping, and doing the normal daily requirements it is no surprise that we get sick. A few great easy tips that may allow you to get through this season in a healthy manner,no matter what your history has been in the past. Some of these may sound like common sense, but many of the things that are life changing are small, consistent basics that we forget about along the way of life.
1- Drink water. The summer months bring on the visible signs of dehydration with sweating and exhaustion, and visibly being red faced and tired every day. The winter months bring cooler weather, lack of sweating and heat exhaustion is not as common, but dehydration is far from gone. Honestly, water consumption is more important in the winter months and the signs of lack of water reach far beyond exhaustion. Urinary tract and bladder and kidney infections are more common in the winter. Constipation, dry skin, brittle hair and nails, and rises in blood pressure are some more conditions that come about from lack of water.
2-Fiber consumption. Roughage or bulk as many people call it is important not only for digestion, but for keeping the elimination tract moving. Back ups and constipation can make you feel sluggish and leave you open for bacterial infections and can impair your digestive tract. Although we gravitate to sweets during the holiday season, try increasing fruits, vegetables and even adding more legumes, flax and chia seeds.
3- Sleep.- Something that seems so easy, and would be a no brainier, may be the missing part of many peoples healthy puzzle. Sleep not only gives you next day energy, it boosts the immune system, restores balance, helps to rejuvenate the body and helps slow down the aging process by recharging our batteries. Remember, although drug store fixes and prescriptions are available, try the natural remedies for better sleep. They work better, you feel better upon rising, and they are much safer for you.

Although these three things are mostly common sense, you may ask yourself these question, and do not be surprised by your answers.
1-Do you drink your 8-10 glasses of water every day?
2-Do you eat 30 or more grams of fiber every day?
3- Do you get restful 6-9 hours of sleep every night, and are you rested upon rising?

Like I said, simple common sense tasks that most of us do not do like we should. I guess getting back to basics is more important that we think!!

Today's kids

Have you ever wondered where all the kids are during the day? I do not mean during the school part of the day, but after. I see them getting off the bus sometimes, and I never see them again. I think back when we were kids and you could not get us in the house, and after chores and home work we could not wait to get out until it was time for dinner, and after dinner outside again until night fall.

 Now you may say back then we did not have cellular phones, x box, televisions in our rooms, computers and ipads, and I would totally agree. I have said often if I would have had all that technology at my fingertips life and school would have been a breeze. But may like the kids today I would have played on them as high priced toys rather than the tools they were meant to be. Are the kids of today truly any better for all of the technology and for having information at their fingertips, I would say no. They are, not to stereotype, but commonly lazy, over fed, overweight, rude, uncooperative and socially hooked to the world only through electronic devices.

They talk about the obesity problem, the ADD- ADHD problems and the lack of respect of children and the lack of focus most children have today. Almost daily I hear from parents frustrated about the lack of respect their kids give them and how they cannot get them to follow tasks, do chores or stay focused. The first thing they always say is we have had them to the Doctor and the Doctor said they need something to calm them down and keep them focused and paying attention. Pharmaceutical drugs, of course because that is what is used as a cookie cutter solution to all of these child hood problems. It seems like the common protocol is to quiet them down and numb them down at the same time. Is this getting to the solution? Rarely, but instead putting a blanket of the problems but keeping the annoying symptoms out of sight. I understand after being at your wits end as a parent every day, desperation takes over for many and for teachers as well. I see it with friends and clients, and I feel their frustration and lack of support from both school and the medical establishment.
So what is the solution, I am not sure, but I can bet having a healthy balance in your kids life is step one along with activity, a good diet and plenty of exercise and spending time with them would be a step in the right direction

Change can take some time...

Are you one of the people that when starting a healthy way of living expects dramatic results by tomorrow? Many of us want the results, and we will openly express our frustration when it does not happen as fast as we want it to happen. The thing is we have no sense of urgency the entire time we are living in an unhealthy state, but the day we start eating vegetables and drinking water, we want everything that is wrong with us to change.

Patience is a virtue that many of us were absent on the day they passed it out. The hardest thing to understand and wrap your head around is that getting healthy is neither fast or easy, but it is worth the time involved. Changing and relearning healthy ways to do many of the things you now do in an unhealthy manner is a process that takes time. I always feel starting the healthy journey while you are still healthy is the best way tio go, but whenever, even after finding out there are health issues can still make dramatic luife changes.

Remember to set your healthy life changing goals lower and attainable so you can meet them and reset the next goal. An example would be if you had 50 pounds to lose, the number 50 is overwhelming to most of us and most people will never get close to that staggering number. But break it down to 5 pounds monthly and start satisfying the goals today. We tend to set out of reach goals and then give up because we get no where close to satisfying them. When you set goals in an attainable manner you will soon be satisfying goals and feeling great. Also, small  baby steps in a healthier direction make the journey easier and much more attainable.

Back to basics..

Today we live in a climate where the chance of getting or knowing someone that has or will acquire a health condition or serious disease. The factors that play into this phenomenon have to do with things we can control like diet, exercise, sleep, water consumption, stress balancing and immune building to things we cannot control like environment and chemicals in about everything we use, touch or come in contact with.

One thing, different from in years past is we now have better technology, better alternatives and more choices on both sides of the fence. Nutrition and supplements have made strides in every direction to allow us a plethora of choices that we have not had in the past. The hard part is doing your home work and asking the right questions to people that have the correct and honest educated answers, and depending where you live, it make take some trial and error.

I hate to say that a quality of life is all about a "back to basics" philosophy, but when the basic bases are covered, your chances are better for the life we want, you know, the one where we feel good more than just a few days per week.

Get the best sleep you can, if you have trouble, look into the amazing herbal formula choices that can help you relax and get the sleep you need. Balance your stress, learn to relax and try to avoid the things, and the people in your life that are stressors. Keep the diet clean and avoid as many of the processed food choices that most of us tend to gravitate to without thinking about it. Increase your activity level, this does not mean running a marathon, it just means getting up and getting moving. Of course no quality life today in our stressfull, unhealthy and toxic world would be"quality"  without supplements. Always shop at stores that carry only the highest quality supplements with a staff of passionate knowledgeable people that can help you on your healthy journey. These basics,  along with a great diet, more Mediterranean based and clean fresh water will surely put you on a path that will be well worth an effort you may have to put into it.. In no time at all you will feel so much better that you will be sorry you waited so long to get started.

A letter from a child.

I received a letter this week from a little girl and it about broke my heart. She was 13 years old, and her Mom passed away from breast cancer around March 15 th of 2013. She asked me in her letter a question I was not prepared to answer. Her question was, Do I think that Mom died because she would not eat healthy, not take her vitamins and because she was always stressed out?

First of all most adults will not ask a question like this, or most likely ever think of the reason why, as adults are usually thinking about the "now what" scenario. The letter went on to say that she used to always tell her Mom to slow down and relax, and how she would run her a bath to have her soak after a long day at work, but her Mom was always too busy. She said she had started cooking to make things easier at home, as I am sure there was no father in the picture, and the cooking was to help her Mom out. She said her neighbor would take her grocery shopping when she went, and she said she always tried to get healthy food as her Mom was so tired and stressed out. She would cook, but Mom wanted her coffee and sweets and never really seem to eat anything that was good.

It took me a while to respond to the little girl whose name was Mya. When I finally had my thoughts together, I sent her the following response.

Dear Mya,
I am so sorry for your loss and I hope you are able to understand some of the things that I am bringing to you in this letter. First of all, you sound like a wonderful daughter, and so mature for your age. You are a caring and supportive young lady, and I am sure your Mother lived a lot longer due to your outpouring of love that you gave her every single day. To answer your question yes, diet and stress are large factors that can cause disease to spread and manifest in the body, but they are not the only reasons. Many times it is in the blood lines and is genetic through out family blood lines. Sometimes it can be environmental where once again we may not have a chance to prevent it. I think the answer is yes, taking better care of ourselves is always number one in priorities and yes, a positive attitude and being able to relax and deal with stress are also very important. I would like to wish you the best in your future, and my thoughts and prayers are coming to you as we speak.

Why...

For years I have been asked the question, and it has been asked of me from all corners and from all demographics of our country. The question being why I feel we as a nation are so sick, so early in age when our ancestors never got sick until they were older. My answer has become a standard answer that today seems even more correct, diet!

Just as we try to do the best we can in every category of our life, searching for the newest, biggest, best products with all the bells an whistles, we are individuals that today are very outspoken about wanting the best. We like being the first to do something, or to be in the "IN CROWD" with everything hot, new and the most talked about. Somewhere we have overlooked how to apply, and be consistent applying these principals to our health, our daily life and even our long term health goals.

Most people when asked this same question will say stress is the reason we are so sick, and although stress can be a killer, our state of health, and the malnutrition of our bodies causing this unhealthy state many of us live in every day I feel is the main reason. If we were supplying our bodies all the tools it needed in the form of balanced healthy foods, supplements, aiding the digestive system and supporting the immune system, we would have a finer tuned machine that would deal with stress head on, and successfully. But because our over fed, bloated, unbalanced, unrested and nutritionally unbalanced bodies are in such a state of dis- ease, we do not have the capability we could have if our bodies were better taken care of, and in better states of health.

Years ago the standard of life and life expectancy was much lower. We got smarter for a time, ate better and our life expectancy grew, and we lived longer lives. I am seeing a reversal to times when the expectancy is much less than it is today because although we have the tools, knowledge and protocol in place to live a longer, healthier life, we choose not to do our homework. We have an attitude that these things will never happen to me, and that I am in great shape and never sick, and many of us feel untouchable. Although our hardened external shell may keep us protected and fearless, I am sure way down deep we know we need a change but maybe are fearful of doing it incorrectly, or afraid to ask for help and support, and we would rather just roll the dice than ask questions.

Sooner or later all of us are going to need to make changes in our daily routines, I only hope that you will chose to make the changes while they are just a good measure of present and future health, rather than a necessity to survive because you waited way too long.

Spinning in circles and going nowhere.

Today we seem to be more in a hurry than ever before, and no matter how fast we move we tend to still be running behind, or late. I see these commercials and advertisements for all of the time saving devices available, I have bought some of them, but I am yet to see the saved time, or where does it go if I am saving it up, and how do I use it when I want to?

Technology has allowed us to do so many things at the speed of light, and afforded us amazing things to make our lives better, but when you think about all these changes it can seriously be over whelming. So why are we still so stressed out, running behind with all of the availability of saved organized time and our day to day routines having such extreme and effective organizational tools?

I also wonder at what costs are these changes coming to us? Seriously, with smart phones we have all but given up on one on one face to face contact, and everyone I know can barely remember their own phone number or anyone they call on a daily basis. We rarely call for conversation because texting has allowed us to do things by typing in a sentence rather than having the courtesy to call. Texting has become a form of conversation that allows you to do one more thing quickly, easily and without having to think things through.  When I was younger when I was running late you would call and apologize for your tardiness,but today you send a text, running late, be there soon, and we just expect everyone to accept it as being respectful.

Children today rarely go outside, their waistlines, like those of their parents are widening every year. Computers, X box, play station, movies at your fingertips, skype, smart phones have made child hood something that is controlled from the child's bedroom and rarely is outdoor activity a choice. Responsibility and respect seems to have disappeared, and although the kids have the resources to learn more effectively, we are putting children out in the world would could not survive without a smart phone, computer or calculator. I witness rudeness that would have, when I was a child kept me from seeing my next birthday, and parents do and say virtually nothing, so consequences are rarely established.

Fast paced lifestyles are the norm today, and slowing down to appreciate life, or stopping to smell the flowers is something of the past. We rarely think about today because as fast as we are moving we are always in a future mind set. Most people act like they have one foot nailed to the floor and they are really just spinning out of control. When you are going at this pace when do you allow yourself a time to actually chill out and enjoy all your hard work?

I will admit that I am a user of technology, but I have learned, maybe the hard way myself that there is life and social activities, friends, animals and activities to enjoy in our life that do not depend on electronic devices for them to be enjoyed.

Have you thought about your food choices as a trigger for stress?

Today we are all facing stress from places and things in our daily life we may not even associate with stress. Our bodies are in perpetual overdrive just to get us from morning until night so we can shut down, do some repair work and then do it all over again. Most of us feel stress as something that comes from dead lines at work, or balancing the check book and trying to make ends meet at the end of the month. Some of us relate bumper to bumper traffic while traveling and even the chores and day to day tasks we do to be stressful, especially when we are running behind, procrastinating and while being disorganized.

All of these things, and many more are triggers for stress, and all of them can cause our bodies to become run down, exhausted and lead us to run at less than optimal levels. The fact is, we are always going to have stress coming at us full speed ahead, and this will rarely change no matter who you are or where you live. How we deal with this stress and disarm it's harmful effects is the key to success.

Many of us do not relate food with stress, but if you eat the Standard American Diet (SAD) there is a good chance you are running your body's nutrition on less than quality fuel. We have become a nation where sugar, processed and white bleached foods are the things we prefer. It is not uncommon for people to actually crave them,and feel a withdrawl when we do not get them, and although we are told to eat healthier, we don't. Daily in the media we are instructed to eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, to avoid fast and deep fried foods, cut back on caffeine and alcohol, these foods have become the foods of choice for a large portion of America. The funny thing is we know better and we understand the ramifications of an unhealthy diet, and we know the health consequences that are almost a given when we eat this way. With all of this information we are still holding on to our unhealthy eating convictions and I see no mass exodus to a healthier way of eating anywhere in sight. This way of eating is a huge factor in the stress on our body, and continuing to eat this way can weaken our system and cause even more daily and long term stress.

Stress is a daily part of life and I do not see it going away anytime soon. I do see us having to make lifestyle adjustments to deal and live within the stressful way of life. I am sorry to say when it comes to stress, and our dealing with it, the ultimate decision to have noticeable change is up to the person in the midst of the stress. I am sorry to say it may take running into the wall face first a few times for some people to get the motivation to make any changes at all.

Change is something we all want, but may not know where to begin.............

I would dare to say that most of us would like to change one or more things about ourselves. Be it our weight, our job, financial status or maybe just stop or correct some of the bad habits or vices we have. I think we have the desire and the want to succeed, but our follow through seems to be the part of us that causes all the problems.

I hear people every day say I cannot understand how someone could be that over weight, or how they drink so much or why can't they stop smoking. They will go on a tirade about someone else's perfectly legal way of living their life, and because they are casting stones at others, it allows them to not be looked at. Because inside they know they should be looking at their own problems as well as things that need attention or that need to be fixed in their life. I feel it is easier for people to cast judgement rather than accept that they may have a laundry list of things that they need help with.

If you are one that thinks that the smoker, drinker or overweight person does Not want a change, you may be very mistaken. Sometimes, more than not, people have little corrective information, or are searching for a quick and easy way to make a change. These quick, fad choices or changes are usually followed by failure, depressive feelings and ultimately with the person giving up and being even more emotionally distraught. It is not that they are not trying, many of them, not all are, but they are choosing the not so effective ways of getting it done. But I will say the want to change always hangs on tight, as does the frustration of not being successful. It can truly be an emotional rollercoaster..

When I talk with people or do counsels, my most successful stories are when the individuals are truly ready for change. This is most of the battle for all of us, when we want to and need to change and knowing that this time there must be a change. When this mental connection is made, most people are unstoppable at attaining their goals.

My suggestion is always to keep a few ducks in a row.
1- Set goals in an attainable and realistic fashion.
2- Start your journey only when you are ready to start, follow through and finish your journey.
3- Ask as many questions about what you are trying to achieve, and ask informed people only.
4- Be prepared for side stepping the path, never beat up on your self, and get back on course as soon as you can.
5- Set smaller goals so you can celebrate each and every step on your healthy journey.
6- Try to keep changes in place after your goals are completed, and make them life changes.

Last tip, find time to fit in social time with friends and family, take time to relax and find your center and comfort zones. Always be good to you and pull yourself off the back burner and prioritize what is important to YOU. Being the "go to" person for everyone in your life makes you an individual worth a million dollars, fitting time in to think about yourself and get healthy to be at your best makes you priceless.

The Small Things............

When we look at the big picture of things that are important in life, and for our health, we sometimes overlook the smaller things because they are, smaller. We all know about eating a well balanced diet, avoiding too many processed foods and fast food, exercising and managing stress, but there are some little things that may have as much or even more of an impact.

When I think about a healthier life, and the process involved, I try to think about things that have a great impact, but does not cost us an arm and a leg. I think many of us gravitate to the things with bells and whistles, and also to the difficult and complex solutions thinking that change should and must be difficult.

I agree with all the changes for great health I mentioned earlier, but the following things I feel bring a lot to the table. Having a pet can do more for our grounding as well as bringing a new sense of responsibility that keeps us on top of things every day. Pets can also be remarkable companions if you are alone, or even if you are in a large extended family, a pet can reduce stress, bring blood pressure into healthier ranges and bring out the devoted soft part in your heart you may have put on a shelf long ago.

Water, the easiest, most difficult beverage to have people consume on a regular basis. I do not get it but even when dehydration  and frequent urinary tract infections are up front and center, water still seems to be a difficult thing to swallow. Just drinking your 8-10 glasses of water daily can dramatically change your life. Healthier skin, liver, kidney, digestive and elimination system and urinary tract health are just some of the areas benefited by daily water consumption. Drinking water is easy to do but hard to get into the habit if you have avoided it for a long time. Getting on a one to one relationship with water, and becoming a water drinker will always be something your body will always appreciate.

Sleep is my third important thing on my need to focus on list. If sleep, or lack of it has become an issue for you, remember before running to the drug store for a quick fix, check out the amazing healthy natural alternatives and lifestyle supplements that can dramatically help you to get a great nights sleep. Once you are back on your sleep wake cycle be ready for feeling amazing, maybe for the first time in a long time. Sleep is one of the most overlooked things we do, or do not do every day. Many of us think it is something we should do rather than something that is essential for health.

My wish is that we all slow down long enough to see that change is important, especially when you are aiming for better health. Changes do not need to be huge and monumental, because sometimes baby steps can lead to changes so large that it may make your head spin in a healthy direction...

Motivation...

Our desire to get healthy, look better and feel better has grown leaps and bounds over the past few decades, but our follow through, and motivation for the actual change has diminished by possibly the same amount. I know that almost every person I speak to wants to lose weight, have more energy, hold on to their youth and look younger, but when the laundry list of needed changes to correct the unhealthy life style makes its way into the conversation, ears close and minds begin to wander.

I think we all want to feel better than we do now, as so many of us struggle to just get through our days, and we will and do use every possible quick fix available to cover up symptoms to do it. Drug stores, print ads and television commercials have armed us with amazing, their words, choices and alternatives to get us through the crazy days most of us live. We have become almost brainwashed that the covering up of the annoying symptoms of just about everything we deal with is a fix, not a cure or a balancing of the system. Pain relief, symptomatic relief, feel better almost instantly are catch phrases that lure the struggling unhealthy and desperate folks to the drug stores in search of these quick fixes. Although  way down deep we know that making permanent life changes will lead to a healthier lifestyle, something keeps us from going to the next step.

Life is more stressful today, and our ability to deal with it has become almost faulty, as if we just do not have the strength to handle it. I think today we have more knowledge, alternatives and compliments available then we ever have in the past, but our focus, concentration and lack of priorities are the things that keep us in this unhealthy state of living. I know we have the needed energy and motivation because we use it in so many other sectors of our lives. I know people that will sleep out in tents for 3 days to be first to get the newest smart phone, video game or laptop, but cannot seem to organize their diet, supplements or  their exercise program. As far as I am concerned, the" want to" to make a change mind set is not as strong as they think it is, if it was it would be achieved, or they would be on the path Today!

Strength!!

Strength is measured in many ways, and sometimes on your life journey you may discover that you are stronger than you ever knew you were. Dealing with life today on any level takes strength. From your daily work schedule, to doing the day to day tasks that are required of all of us, as well as the extra things we take on that force us into an overload situation. Sometimes I personally am amazed how much I am able to balance in a single day, but then again my personality has always been that way, so it seems to be comfortable for me.  On the other hand I can pretty well guess that my body, and my brain would disagree.

Lately I see more and more people in these over load situations using all of their mental and physical energy reserves to deal with all of their daily requirements. Many of these same people are  dealing with the added stress of everyone around them, leaving them run down and out of fuel. I then see these same people hitting a wall when something happens to them that changes their life dramatically, and although they have always been a rock for everyone around them, they crash and burn and sometimes lose their own fights.

After many years I have decided that true balance in life is the key, and even if you are the "go to" person, or savior of everyone around you, there does come a time when you must try something uncomfortable and be a little selfish and just say no.

Today all of us over 40 have a much higher chance of having health problems, and life threatening diseases are now much more common place. This leads to a new way of thinking, one that includes a thought process we might have always thought we did not need to worry about until we were at an older stage of our life. Today, these health problems are happening to us at a much younger age, we now have to think about them decades earlier just to have a chance of being healthier and more prepared for holding onto our health.

The bottom line today is focus clearly on your health. Get check ups more frequently, think about what you are eating, and make a conscious effort to work on the basics into your life. Exercise, water, sleep, social interaction, and removing negativity are all steps to a longer healthier life, and must prioritize them and make them important.

Do you ever sit back and wonder why we do things, and why so many of us do them even though they may be unhealthy. For instance why is it that we gravitate to fast food, when we know that better food will be healthier for us? Why is it that we run to the Doctor or the drug store because we are annoyed with symptoms of a specific health problem rather than trying to figure out what is causing the problem, and trying to figure out what we could do to stop doing it.

I see people all the time that have exhausted the full spectrum of over the counter fixes and have tried many medications to be exactly where they started. They will say, well nothing else has worked I am now ready to try a natural approach. To me this sounds like they are going in the reverse order? Around the world you will find people traditionally trying every avenue of alternative choices before they would ever consider a pharmaceutical, or drug store fix, but in America we seem to have our priorities a little off balance. I am not quite sure how this began, but I do remember a time when my Grandmother would use herbs and natural things, and I am sure many of us have the same story. I truly think we know we need to spend more quality time on our health, but I think many of us do not think diet and supplement changes could possibly be the answer, that would be too easy!!

So if I had to put my finger on the answer for this set of questions I would say lifestyle moving too fast, our ever declining sense of priorities, and that we have forgotten that we need to put ourselves first. Change is difficult but with good answers to your questions, a great road map, and motivation, the benefits are endless.

How's it going so far?

As we start the third month of the year are you still struggling with getting started on those resolutions? Do not feel you are alone, as you are in the majority of people world wide. I think we sometimes make these resolutions, or voice them out loud to everyone you know because we are coming from a place of our heads, which reacts very quickly, but in most cases our hearts are not on board.

No matter what your goals or aspirations, where you are looking to go or what changes you are trying to make, your heart must be fully on board with the program. This is when the clarity and motivation gets strong, and the goals begin to seem doable.

The most important thing to remember is following the road to these goals and life changes should only be attempted if they are coming from you, and your desire for change. This means no making changes in your life to save a bad relationship, no making changes because friends or a spouse says you need to. It means making changes for yourself because you need, want and desire a healthier way of life.

How much do we really want that change?

Have you ever wondered why after many attempts at a task, a resolution or a goal you are finally successful? Is it because you have learned from all the previous attempts, changed your strategy, tried a new plan, became better organized or tried a different path? I think it could be a little of all of the above, but for me, I put my money on the decision that change HAD to happen this time around.

Sometimes we can beat our heads against the wall trying to satisfy a goal, or make a dream come true, and we many actually think we have all of our ducks in a row, but the truth may be, we do not. I mean, how many people say daily that they wish they were thinner, in better shape, healthier and that it is so amazingly important to them, and they even look determined. But the reality of the situation i althoug, we may truly want the change, the journey or path involved to get there may be more than the person is ready to undertake. I have always felt that what we really mean when we say we want change, is if we woke up tomorrow and all of the work was done, and the end result was visible, we would be very happy.

The bottom line is I think almost anything is attainable, and any goal can be achieved if you are organized, determined, and you have all the tools and your plan is structurally sound. My advice is try not to attempt it alone. Ask questions, do research, be prepared for success, and side stepping along the way, and be ready to jump on and off the wagon a few times along the way of your journey. Above all, do not be hard on yourself, and reward yourself for every goal you reach along the way. Pat yourself on the back, and realize you are worth every wonderful thing you want to attain!

Happy 2013....

So as we recover from the holiday spiral that starts in October and ends today, I wish all of you well for the New Year. Whatever your goals, your hopes or dreams I wish you success for completing and arriving at the chosen destination.
Remember to stay healthy on your journey, make smart choices, keep a log or diary to chart good and bad days, and last but not least, make sure the goal is one that will make your life better, for you..and not for someone else. A goal should be personal, and it can be kept quiet or you can broadcast it to the world. Many people, for fear of past failures decide to just do it, give a try and hope everyone notices, and maybe that is the best way.Whatever your life change choice you are now looking forward to making, I wish you happy travels and great health and goal success this New Year!