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!