Spring may be all about new beginnings, but as the trees began budding, and the first brave wildflowers of an early spring bloomed, on that last hot March day, I was faced with an ending. My beloved French bulldog, Louis, suddenly succumbed to a large ruptured tumor we didn’t even know he had. One minute he was his normal demanding self, and the next… And even though the loss...
The new year is a time of new beginnings. It is the time to let the past go and look forward to a fresh start. It is also the time when many people make resolutions to change their lives, especially their health, for the better. A resolution is usually a declaration of change, followed by a flurry of activity that soon fizzles. Between start and finish, there is little...
This wellness challenge is about reducing or alleviating feelings of overwhelm in one or more areas of your life. You can meet this challenge in one of two ways: either scale back what you are asking of yourself or expand your capacity to handle the situation. Either solution will help you reduce the stress of the situation so you can get unstuck and back in the flow. If you...
This week your goal is to reduce your exposure to environmental obesogens. Again, for those of us living in the modern world, eliminating these endocrine-disrupting chemicals from our lives entirely is pretty much impossible. However, there is much you can do to limit your exposure, especially around your home. Here is the list: Pesticides and chemicals in your soil and water supply - These are chemicals that are sprayed...
In past challenges we have talked quite a bit about the link between toxic chemicals and major diseases. But what do they have to do with fat? Many of these chemicals can alter your genes and cause you to create more fat cells. Fat cells serve as a storage location for toxic chemicals in the body. These chemicals have been dubbed ‘obesogens’ because they are believed to reprogram metabolism, disrupt...
What are you tolerating? If you are feeling a low level of chronic stress, you may want to look at what the late Coach Thomas Leonard dubbed ‘tolerations’. The idea is that anything you don’t like, annoys you, or that drains your energy is a toleration worth zapping. It could be something as small as a burned out light bulb nobody has bothered to replace, or as major as an...
Summer is a great time to buy local produce from area farmers. You can find luscious berries, corn, beets, squash and tomatoes ripened on the vine at farmer’s markets, private stands and even some grocery stores. You may even find raw honey, farm fresh eggs and grass fed beef. Sounds good, but why is this a wellness challenge? When you buy it local the food is often fresher than...
How are you doing with the first three challenges? To recap, our last three goals are: Add only natural sweeteners to beverages such as stevia, a little raw organic sugar, and lo han. Avoid adding artificial sweeteners containing aspartame and sucralose to your beverages. The challenge was to start at home and eventually eliminate artifical sweeteners from your life entirely. Use non-toxic household cleaners. As you use up your...
The challenge for this week is to ‘boycott the disposable plastic water bottle’ for every day personal use. Several years ago we happily drank water from our taps and carried it in a thermos. That just shows the power of marketing to change our thinking and our habits. Even though this water may be a godsend during times of crisis, for the most part, it has created its own...
Dwight Thomas said, “It’s only a dream until you write it down, and then it becomes a goal.” Why is that? Researchers found that when a resolution was only voiced or thought, it usually went by the wayside within a week. If it was written down, there was a much greater chance it was being followed through on even months later. Writing your goal engages your subconscious mind. It...
