The Self Improvement Blog » Health

Healthy Eating – Get in the Habit

Admin — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 18:12:26 +0000

Do you have the right attitude to food? ‘You are what you eat’ but our eating habits are just as important as the food choices we make in achieving and maintaining health. An old saying ‘Worry and hurry are enemies of digestive health’ are truer today than ever before. In order to truly benefit from the dietary changes we make, it is important to adopt healthy eating habits.

Top tips for healthy eating habits:

Get Cooking…

Prepare as many meals yourself as possible. Chopping, preparing and simmering food creates incredible aromas. It doesn’t only make your kitchen smell lovely; it also kicks off the secretion of digestive enzymes which are essential for complete digestion of macronutrients. Touching, tasting and smelling food before you eat it will prepare the body for digestion, prevent overeating and improve your psychological relationship with food.

Be clever about preparation

Fruit Heart Shop for fresh food regularly and keep your pantry stocked with good staples to make it easier to eat a healthy diet. Whenever you cook or prepare food, make double and freeze in individual containers for future meals. When preparing dinner make lunch at the same time to save time. The best preparation is knowledge about healthy food options – a well informed choice will be the healthiest choice.

Eat regularly

Eat at least every 4-5 hours. Our bodies need regular fuel to maintain blood sugar levels & metabolism but enough time to complete digestion before more food is eaten. Avoid skipping meals by having balanced snacks on hand for busy times. Hunger is a sign of low blood sugar and will lead to poor food choices & overeating if ignored.

Avoid overeating

Overeating occurs when we skip meals, eat too quickly or don’t satisfy our taste buds. Overeating stresses the liver and the digestive tract. Our digestive fire is at its peak around noon, a time that is most efficient at converting food into energy rather than storing it as fat.

Be ready to eat

Ask yourself how hungry you are before and after each meal. Take 5 minutes to relax before a meal if you feel stressed. Do not eat your meal in front of the computer or while working. Stop eating when you are almost full, to gauge whether you need any more. It takes approximately 20 minutes for our brains to receive the signal of satisfaction, produced by gut hormones, during a meal.

Drink plenty of water

Drink at least 2 litres (8 glasses) of water between meals each day. This can include herbal teas as well as diluted fruit juices. Try and avoid drinking excessively during a meal as this can reduce enzyme activity. A good alternative to water can be Green Tea or Cherry Active which is high in its ORAC values.

Chew

Digestion begins in the mouth with chewing and the secretion of enzymes. Eating quickly increases the amount of air and the size of food swallowed. This will lead to inadequate digestion and an increase in gas production

Go 50% raw

Have half of your vegetables and fruit intake raw (e.g. salads) unless otherwise stated by your healthcare practitioner. Fruit and vegetables contain enzymes which aid digestion, so aim to eat some with every meal.

Exercise

Aim for at least three or four times a week. Exercise works the diaphragm, which massages the intestines and thereby improves digestion. It also regulates appetite, blood sugar control and metabolism.

Treat yourself occasionally

Be healthy 90% of the time and treat yourself 10% of the time and eat whatever you desire.

Eat positively

Good habits can easily be established with a little effort and a positive frame of mind. A balanced healthy diet doesn’t have to be boring, bland, time consuming or expensive. Take back the control of your diet and health by making your own choices and stop allowing industry to dictate what you eat. And remember, food should be prepared, and eaten, with joy!

Chris Martin Sewell, Health Expert at Totally Nourish. Established since 2008, Totally Nourish is a leading UK online health store specialising in health supplements and vitamins, health foods, dietary supplements for the Low GL diet, skin care, beauty care and make up, patrick holford supplements and more. Fast dispatch and delivery available. Also available onsite is FREE confidential expert nutrition advice, health news and articles and also a low GL diet recipes section.

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Maintaining Optimum Health By Listening to Your Body

Admin — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 14:05:26 +0000

By Roslyn Thompson -

The body is an amazing machine, with the ability to self heal. This is a true statement, yet millions of dollars are spent each year for hospital care and medications. So if the body can heal itself, why doesn’t it?

The body does heal itself day after day, and when it needs help to do its job it signals for help. Too often, however, we ignore that signal and just keep pushing the body until it succumbs to our mal treatment.

Look at it this way, when any other machine signals that all is not well, for the most part we listen and do something to correct the situation. For example, when the oil light in your car comes on. Most people will, within the hour go and have the problem rectified. On the other hand, you get a pain, or other symptom and what do you do? Most people will take a pill to turn off the warning pain and never think about it again until the symptom returns.

A symptom, defined by the Concise Oxford Dictionary as “a feature, which indicates a condition of disease”, is the body’s way of letting us know that all is not well and there is something that needs our attention. Symptoms can occur for many reasons ranging from acute injury to nutritional or chemical imbalance in the body. A symptom can be likened to a smoke alarm. You would not cut the wires to your smoke alarm and go back to bed. Similarly, you should not turn off the body’s alarm and continue pushing it to function.

Symptoms may present in such a way that they demand your attention. Severe pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and severe rash are examples. There are those, however, that are less demanding on our attentions and so we tend to adjust our lifestyle to accommodate them. The headaches, occasional numbness, cramps, constipation and early signs of aging are just a few.

Symptoms are our friends. They let us know when something is going wrong with our bodies. Regardless of the form they take, they should not be ignored. When symptoms present themselves, it is essential to see your health care provider for an evaluation. Always remember to have your nervous system checked by your chiropractor, and remember that you have the responsibility to find a health care provider who listens to you and really get to the root of your problem instead of giving you a tool to turn your alarm off. Your first symptom may be one that causes dis-ease. Do not let it become a disease.

Roslyn Thompson, D.C.

Dr. Roslyn Thompson is a chiropractic physician and owner of New Hope Chiropractic Wellness Center in Orlando, Florida. She can be reached at 407 293 8890.

http://www.newhopechiro.com

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Feeling Good – One Step at a Time

Admin — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 14:35:43 +0000

By Kathryn Lee Ryder -

Feeling good sometimes requires work! Life naturally presents us with ups and downs. I believe we must learn to go with the flow through this journey we call life.

How can one know happiness without the experience of sadness? How can one appreciate abundance without first experiencing lack? How can one truly strive for success without the experience of failure? How can one appreciate the beautiful rainbow without experiencing rain?

It takes a great deal of courage and strength to successfully navigate through life – any life! Someone once told me that every person has a story that will break your heart. This statement was a turning point in my life.

What I have since discovered is that every person faces trials and tribulations. The specifics of the story, and how it affects that individual, are always unique. The question is, “What has their experience created within them?” Are they drowning in victim mentality or have they risen above the trauma and created a life worth living?

I recently was acquainted with a woman spending her life seeking sympathy. When she finds herself experiencing consequences, for her less than favourable actions, she immediately turns on the tears and begins talking about how rough life has been for her since her mother died at a young age. It makes me wonder how this woman can ever hope to find happiness when she insists on wallowing in her own self-pity.

On the flip side, I have seen many people thrive in life regardless of their experiences. For instance, I have an old friend that buried not one, but two of her young children – one as an infant and the other a toddler. While this was certainly devastating for her and her family they did not let it destroy them. Given enough time, they found it within themselves to accept what is and move on.

A new acquaintance in my life has experienced poverty to the point of hunger and homelessness. Did it break her spirit? No! She has found a new home and is taking the necessary action to put her life back together.

Why, you might wonder, does it destroy some and not others. It is all about choice. Some choose to live their life in victim mode while others take their life experiences as challenges only to rise above them. A small part of the problem for the victims is the pay-off they are receiving for remaining where they are. Perhaps they enjoy the attention and sympathy.

On the other hand, the survivors thrive on challenge and change. They open their eyes to their misfortune, accept it for what it is and find a way to move forward with the motto, “Life is worth living.”

The question might then become, “How do they do that?” Indeed, there is no easy answer, especially since each life is as unique as their specific challenge. However, I do believe, one must first summon the desire to overcome the hurdle and want better. It also depends on how strong that desire becomes.

When I look back on my life I remember one small step I took towards my dream of living a life full of love, harmony and joy after leaving my abusive marriage. For me, and my children, life back then was in such turmoil. It lead me to experience severe anxiety attacks. However, with my strong desire to create a happy life I decided giving up was not an option. Instead of wallowing in my self-pity, choosing to believe there was no way out, I create an affirmation for myself to use in times of trial. Whenever life was attempting to knock me down I would take the time to focus on my breathing (deep breaths) and repeat:

I want to be happy.

I intend to be happy.

I am happy.

I would repeat this affirmation as many times as necessary until my emotions began to shift from “doom and gloom” to “hope”. Honestly, sometimes all we can hold onto in times of despair is hope and/or faith!

Now this was not magical formula to cure my mood, but it did manage to change my focus. It certainly fueled my determination to be happy. By refusing to let life knock me down, I found one small step to keep moving forward. Sometimes one small step is all you need to keep climbing that mountain. My motto is, “Baby steps lead to steps, steps lead to strides, and strides lead you to your dream goal.”

Try it, you just might like it!

Kathryn Lee-Ryder is dedicated to helping abused women find a whole new beginning in their life. Find more resources @ http://www.journeytofreedom.ca

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Top Benefits of Dancing: Shall We Dance?

Admin — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 10:56:49 +0000

By Virginia Ewance -

Dancing is one of the most fun and exciting activities out there. The greatest thing about dancing is that it is actually extremely good for you in so many ways. Some benefits of dancing are not that obvious to people. You will be surprised to find out how you can improve your well-being by taking dance classes on a regular basis. Not everybody has the patience to go through boring weight lifting exercises at the gym or spend time on treadmills. It is tedious and hard work. If you go with taking a dance class, it would allow you to get all the same health benefits while enjoying nice tunes, learning new exciting moves, and socializing with others!

Some people think that dancing is not a serious form of physical activity, and there is nothing to it but fun. Scientific research proves it wrong. Let’s look at some top benefits of dancing:

*Burn calories with ease!

Dancing is a great way to burn calories in a more fun way.

*Improve posture and build muscle!

Taking a dance class on a regular basis allows our bodies to form beautiful lean muscles and improve posture.

*Improve endurance!

Dancing improves endurance, which is the ability to exercise and handle challenging physical activity for longer periods of time.

*Prevent and fight disease!

Dance prevents heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, and osteoporosis. How so? It improves blood flow, lowers blood pressure, makes our bones stronger and joints more flexible. In general dancing has a positive effect on hormonal balance which is a key to overall good health and well-being.

*Stimulate your brain!

Dance is not only training for your body, but it is also a good exercise to for your brain. Learning challenging choreography involves memorizing steps and therefore stimulates brain activity. Some studies show that dancing is one of the ways to prevent Alzheimer’s disease.

Benefits of dancing are countless and priceless. If you are not a gym junkie and find it boring to lift weights and work out on your own, then consider taking a dance class. Dance studios offer numerous classes to choose from. You can find dance classes easily once you know what style you are interested in. Whether you go with ballet, jazz, hip hop, or Zumba classes, you will definitely get your work-out in check and your mood pumped up! Get enrolled in a dance class and rip off all the benefits that dancing has to offer!

So shall we dance?

Virginia is writing about education and career choices for high-school students. But she is also keen on psychology, literature and dancing, and these are her favorite topics! One of her sites is Mississauga Dance Studio

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The Little-Known Secret to Successful Optimal Health and Weight Loss

Admin — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 15:14:07 +0000

By Lori L. Shemek, Ph.D. -

Do you verbally beat yourself up with negative talk and thoughts? Do you treat others better than you treat yourself? It is the answers to questions like these that will shed light on the perceived health, enjoyment and success you experience in life. The way you see yourself and the world is a strong determinant in how much enjoyment you extract from your life.

Do you know that your personal beliefs eventually create the reality you live? If you believe you are not worthy, guess what? Your health and life will reflect that perception. Your thoughts, beliefs and attitudes will determine the quality of not only your health…but your relationships with family, friends, career, and essentially every area of your life.

What is the first step to creating a healthy life you love? Appreciating and valuing your inherent self-worth. Selling yourself on you is typically a challenging task for most because of the years of programmed negative messages in many varieties and on many levels. Your childhood and upbringing have a significant and meaningful impact on how you view the person you are now. But accepting yourself and your imperfections is a key component to creating better health. People, who focus on their positive qualities, love themselves despite, for example, what the fleeting cultural trends toward beauty or weight may currently be.

Self-compassion is key here because this means less anxiety and depression – in fact, people who see themselves in a more positive light actually tend to be happier and more optimistic as well and this leads to making healthier lifestyle choices, such as the foods they choose, how much they eat, the weight they lose and the exercise they incorporate into their lives.

Your key to health success or any success lies in the thoughts you think. As it says in the bible, “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.”

When you change how you think about yourself, your whole world will change, in fact, when you start from the premise that you are inherently loveable and worthwhile, you can then make diet and lifestyle choices that reflect this belief. You deserve it. Your choices made from a place of self-acceptance, self-compassion and worthiness, will provide you with the strength, eagerness and drive to take you right to a quality life of health and well-being.

Identifying your negative thoughts and then detaching from them will rewire your brain – change your brain. If you live with the mind-set that you are not worthy enough, you are programming your brain for more of the same. By taking an active role in changing the beliefs you have about yourself and your world, you are literally changing the way your neurons fire.

Remember, “Most facts are pure fiction in disguise, especially those you have adopted about yourself.” ~Dr. Walter Staples

You have within you to create the life you love. Having clear direction is your key to success and http://dlsHealthWorks.com/ is here to help you successfully create optimal health and weight loss.

Dr. Lori is the Health Expert for the #1 ABC show “Good Morning Texas” She is recognized as the “Top 16 Health and Fitness Experts” by the Huffington Post.

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How to Take Care of the Brain

Admin — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 13:26:17 +0000

By Patricia M Hines -

Have you given any thought to caring for your brain? Your brain is vital to your existence, yet not much thought is given about caring for your brain. True your brain is protected by your skull, but have you given any serious thought to what your brain needs to keep active and put off dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease?

What does your brain need?

1. Physical exercise

2. Good nutrition

3. Mental flexibility

4. Stress management

Physical exercise keeps the blood flow to your brain at the level needed for brain health. Cardiovascular exercise is as beneficial for your brain as it is for your heart.

Good nutrition plays an important role in keeping your arteries open, and healthy. Plan your meals around vegetables and then add fruit, protein and/or grains.

Mental flexibility or plasticity is a primary sign of good health.

Change is often uncomfortable, but it makes life more interesting. Learn something new each day. Repetition lays down electric pathways in the brain that make signals move faster and more efficient, which is fine for performing some jobs. However falling in the rut of doing the same thing is not healthy for your brain.

If you always do and think in the same way the stage is set for a phenomenon called pruning. Pruning happens when the same thoughts and actions take place over time where unused pathways are eliminated.

In the event that a brain with fewer pathways suffers a stroke the impact on problem-solving skills can be devastating.

Stress management is important to support flexibility in thought. Manage stress by getting physical exercise,enough sleep, and connecting with friends and family. Practice calming activities daily by meditation, yoga or even taking a long relaxing bath.

Spend 5 to 10 minutes daily breathing deeply and slowly. This allows your body to recharge and be full of energy. Games designed to sharpen brain function in areas such as attention, memory, flexibility, and problem solving are great tools.

There is no need to spend a lot of money on obtaining brain training though, daily newspapers and magazines offer an assortment of puzzles ranging from crosswords to find-the-word and Sudoku. Do a variety of puzzles. Change how you do things, like brushing your teeth or using your fork with your non-dominant hand. Take a different route on your way to work, or to the store. Any type of change is good.

Proper care of the human brain really involves common sense, good nutrition, learning new things and physical exercise.

Patricia M. Hines invites you to visit her blog at http://www.weightloss4healthnow.com A blog documenting healthful weight loss and my personal journey to improve my health and in the process help as many other people as possible.

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Self Assessment Test – How Healthy are You?

Admin — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 14:54:37 +0000

By Pete A Turner -

Without good health, achieving your goals will be difficult, if not impossible. Now that’s not to say that you can’t have a handicap and be successful. What we are talking about is being in good health, free of illness and having enough energy get through the day.

We are not talking about the fitness level of a Lance Armstrong or Serena Williams. Striving for that level of health and physical conditioning is a full time job. Rather what we are doing is measuring your current level of fitness. Later at the “Bike Shop” we will look at ways to “tune up” your health.

Note: The following ratings and comments are not meant to replace a doctor or health care professional. These are not meant to be a scientific/medical examination. This rating is simply a way to help you see where you are now. Obviously any serious physical or mental health problem needs immediate attention. See your physician before starting any fitness program!

This guide is not a substitute for professional advice or treatment. Before starting any physical training see your doctor.

Here are the questions:

1. Do you feel tried all the time? Are you frequently sick? Have trouble sleeping? Struggle to stay awake at work? Are you maxed out on sick days? Never exercise?, Are you 20 or more pounds overweight?, smoke?, drink 2 or more alcoholic drinks a day? Give yourself a 1.

2. Are you frequently tried would rather sit and watch TV than go for a walk? Find yourself complaining about being out of breath when climbing the stairs? Are you 10 pounds or more overweight? Are you trying to quit smoking or limit your drinking? Give yourself a 2.

3. Do you sometimes find yourself tired and lacking the energy or desire to do things that you once enjoyed doing? Do you wish you had more get up and go? Do you occasionally start an exercise program but quit because you don’t have the time, energy or commitment? Are you a little overweight? Give yourself a 3.

4. Do you generally have enough energy to get through the day? Do you exercise 2-3 days a week? Watch your diet and maintain a healthy body weight? Are you a non smoker? Rarely drink? Good for you! Give yourself a 4.

5. Are you in excellent health? Feel energetic most of the time? Rarely take a sick day. Have energy to get though the work day and enough left over to play with the kids or go to the gym? Do you engage in strenuous exercise or sport 4-5 times a week? Maintain an optimum weight, eat a healthy diet and avoid alcohol? Terrific you are a 5!

How did you do? You know we all want to be healthy, attractive and energetic. People who are seem to be more successful, happy and balanced. People are naturally attracted to them. They seem to radiate an aura of positive energy.

Unfortunately, there’s a lot of people who are not willing to invest in themselves. They will not take 30 minutes a day to exercise. They will not eat right, preferring to eat a bag of chips or grab a donut and coffee at Wawa’s. These couch potatoes will think of all kinds of reason not to workout. What you have to decide is how bad do you want to be fit and healthy. Create a vision of yourself as a healthy, fit person. Set goals to start exercising and reduce the amount of junk food you eat. Start with small steps, but start now!

Start living your best life now! Download your FREE copy of “THE SCIENCE OF GETTING RICH” @ http://www.scienceofgettingrich.net/gifts/coachpete.html Visit http://www.onelifecoach4u.com and subscribe to our coaching ezine and receive valuable life changing tips and advice.

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Self Assessment Test – How Healthy are You?

By Pete A Turner

This guide is not a substitute for professional advice or treatment. Before starting any physical training see your doctor.

Here are the questions:

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Self Assessment Test – How Healthy are You?

By Pete A Turner

This guide is not a substitute for professional advice or treatment. Before starting any physical training see your doctor.

Here are the questions:

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How to Lose Weight After Christmas and the Holiday Season

Admin — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 11:56:36 +0000

By Marian Bond -

Now the holiday season is almost upon us many people will be worrying about how much weight they are going to put on and will want to know how to lose weight after Christmas and the holiday season. There are so many temptations at this time of year, all those yummy mince pies and Christmas puddings, not to mention the Christmas cake and all those well meaning, but naughty presents of delicious boxes of chocolates. They are so hard to resist!

But why should you resist? You have worked so hard during the year and you deserve some treats! Depriving yourself of treats all the time will only make you feel bad and lead to cravings. In the end you will give in to these cravings and overindulge in them. So don’t be too hard on yourself. Just relax the rules for the holiday period, let go and enjoy yourself. There is no need to go mad, but a few treats are not going to do too much damage and as long as you make sure to get some exercise, like going for a nice walk after dinner, you will be just fine.

After the holiday season is over here are some simple weight loss tips to help you get back on track:

1. Never skip breakfast Eating breakfast will help maintain your energy levels and avoid the hunger pangs that could lead you to eat those chocolate bars, crisps and fizzy cola drinks. If you do not feel hungry enough for breakfast in the morning it is probably because you have eaten too much for dinner. Try eating smaller meals for dinner as this will make you feel more hungry in the morning. Eating 3 well balanced meals a day (including breakfast) at regularly intervals will help you to feel full and satisfied and avoid the temptation to eat between meals. It will also help speed up your metabolism.

2. Eat more high fibre food Wholemeal bread, brown rice, wholewheat pasta and wholegrain cereals are all high in fibre. Also fresh and dried fruit, vegetables, peas, beans and lentils as well as seeds and nuts. Foods that are high in fibre usually take longer to chew, so this will slow down your eating and help you enjoy your food more. High fibre food takes longer to digest so it stays longer in the stomach and will help to make you feel full up for longer.

3. Take regular exercise Taking regular exercise will help with your weight loss plan. It does not have to be anything too strenuous. Something simple like walking will help. Try leaving the car at home and taking the bus to work. Get off one stop before your normal bus stop and walk the extra distance. Take a walk during your lunch break, even if it is just taking a walk around the shops and doing some window shopping. Walk up the stairs instead of taking the lift. Maybe try some aerobic exercises, but be sure to warm up first, start off slowly and build up gradually.

Just making a few minor adjustments to your lifestyle can make a big impact on your weight loss efforts. So have a happy Christmas, relax and enjoy yourself. Follow these simple weight loss tips and you will soon be able to lose weight after Christmas and the holiday season.

If you need some more help to lose weight after Christmas and the holiday season visit my Weight Loss Reviews Website for some great online weight loss diets.

Find out the Idiot Proof Diet to lose 9lbs in just 11 days!

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Tips For A Healthy Christmas

Admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 15:32:03 +0000

By Mark Warrington -

It’s almost the time of year where everyone gets home to spend the holidays with their family. This is also the season where we love to stay warm and eat the Christmas treats that are set on the table. The spending-time-with-the-family thing is indeed very joyous, but eating a lot of sweets and fatty foods coupled with the lazy cold weather? It is such a weight gaining avenue. While everyone wants to enjoy the holidays without having to add several pounds to their weight, here are some tips on how to have a healthy Christmas this year.

Eat, Eat, and Eat Healthily. Since Christmas time is never allowed to pass without having sumptuous meals, you might as well eat of what they are eating also. There is no need to miss out. However, you can have smaller portions or just a little bit to satisfy the taste buds. Having a fruit and vegetable diet with occasional white meat like fish will be enough to power your body. In cold seasons, you will have to eat fewer calories because your metabolism also becomes relatively slow. Having just the right amount of carbohydrates and calories will ensure that none of it will be stored as fat.

Vice-Free Holiday. It’s also high time to prepare a New Year’s resolution. You might want to lose weight or you might want to quit smoking and drinking because these are very harmful to your health. Most heavy drinkers and chain smokers started from little tastes of these vices. And mind you, that little taste often becomes a habit. So think about some healthy resolutions that you can make part of your new year that’s coming up.

Burning Fat in the Cold Weather. You don’t have to postpone your exercise routines just because you are at home or the gym may be closed during the holidays. You can still continue using creative ways to simulate the usual routines that you do at the gym. In fact, you can even use day to day activities as a form of exercise. It could be better if you had your own home fitness equipment so that you could proceed with the usual routines if you feel uncomfortable when you exercise without it.

If you can do all of these tips, you can safely say that you had a great and healthy Christmas. As a matter of fact, these tips are also applicable to your everyday life. Christmas or not, it is important that everyone eat the right foods, live a vice-free and healthy lifestyle, and regularly exercise to keep our bodies healthy.

Over at the FitnessArmory.com, you can let our expert advice on fitness and equipment reviews help you create the perfect home gym but without all the huge costs. We have the exclusive reviews on all your favorite brands and models to help you get in shape, get healthy and look great. Recent product reviews include: NordicTrack ProQuick 100 Dumbbells, NordicTrack T7 SI Treadmill. We invite you to stop by or drop us a line if you have any questions or need help with your fitness equipment selections.

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Beating Holiday Hype, or Feeling Beat Up by the Holidays?

Admin — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 16:38:47 +0000

By Lisa Schilling -

As the holiday season approaches, you will find article after article, rolled out to help you manage the “stress” of the holidays. Isn’t ironic that the very time of year designated to cultivate peace, strengthen the spirit, and restore the family, causes more strife, imbalance, and disharmony than any other time of year? This could be blamed on the commercialization of the season, the media depictions or on anything outside of ourselves.

However, the true blame for holiday stress is an inside job. We create the schedule we choose to follow, we make the choices, and we decide what we will allow into our lives. While the retailers and media all help raise the expectations, we still have the choice whether to follow the pack like sheep, or to do our own thing. Sheeple (the sheep-people) will follow what is dictated to them by what has always been done, by outside influences, or what they assume is expected of them.

There is an old adage that defines insanity as doing the same things over and over again and expecting a different result. If you do not like what your holidays have turned into, then you have to start doing something different. The first step to beating the holiday hype is to evaluate your current situation. You begin by creating lists that will allow you to visualize the situation from a higher perspective. From this vantage point, you will be able to make more purposeful and meaningful choices about this holiday season. Ask yourself these questions and start by identifying at least five things for each one.

1. What means the most to me in my life? (…are things and people I value, and that add meaning to my life.)

2. What do the holidays mean to me? (The holidays are a time to…)

3. What do I enjoy most during the holidays? (I look forward to…)

4. What activities or traditions do we practice that add meaning to the season? (…brings us closer to what matters most in a real way.)

5. What do I dread about the holidays? (… cause stress, anxiety, and problems.)

6. What obligations have I put on myself? (I feel obligated to…)

7. What past obligations, no longer serve me or my family? (… were good once, but not anymore.)

8. What can I remove from our family schedule to make more time for meaningful activities? (Be brave: If I thought no one would “pitch a fit,” I would dump…)

9. What new traditions could I create to realign with the deeper meaning I have attached to the season? (… would be meaningful, while still simple and enjoyable.)

10. What words best describe what I want my holidays to represent. (…represents my holiday philosophy.)

Ask your immediate family to make lists as well. Take time to look them over and allow the information to sink in. By involving everyone in the choices, you will create family traditions that are meaningful to not only you, but also your entire family unit. If an activity does not add meaning and value to your holiday experience, do not do feel obligated to do it, even if it is expected. Refuse to be sheeple this year.

Be reflective about what no longer serves you in your life and realign your actions to what you value and what matters to you now. Redefine what you are willing to allow into your life. Just because something is what you have always done, does not mean that you always have to do it that way.

Be prepared, not everyone embraces change, nor will they like it when you make different choices. Decide which is more important, what other people think, or what is best for the health and happiness of you and your family? You get to decide, sometimes the choices are difficult, but you will eat the fruit of whatever tree you choose to plant. Reclaim your holidays as a time to strengthen relationships with self, spirit, and those you love.

I encourage a “Reclaim Your Holiday” movement. Make the holidays about what you need, and what is meaningful to you, not about obligation. Spread the word! You can have a restorative holiday season if that is what you choose. This year, take action to be happy by choice, not by chance.

“Wellness Matters” Article Series by Lisa Schilling RN, CPT Speaker, Writer, Wellness Coach & Consultant

Lisa Schilling is the author of “The Get REAL Guide to Health and Fitness-FIVE STEPS to Create Your Own Personal Wellness Plan” She juggles life as a doting wife, and the mother of three boys, who keep her feet firmly planted on the ground!

Lisa is a Registered Nurse, author and recovering pageant queen, who spreads hope with her Get REAL approach to wellness. She empowers women, caregivers and groups to unleash their fullest potential by helping them to see their true beauty and discover their REAL value.

She feels passionate about spreading this message of hope and acceptance to help others be PROactive about their health and not simply REactive. Lisa uses her enthusiasm to inspire people to value and appreciate who they are. She helps people build a bridge from where they are, to where they want to be.

As an outspoken advocate for wellness and prevention, her motto is: “See one, do one, teach one!” Visit Lisa’s website http://www.getrealwellnesssolutions.com to claim your FREE Bonus Gifts!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lisa_Schilling
http://EzineArticles.com/?Beating-Holiday-Hype,-or-Feeling-Beat-Up-by-the-Holidays?&id=6710666

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