POSITIVE THINKING AND GOOD HEALTH

Did you know that your thoughts are in your control, and they can be very powerful!

Positive thoughts can help to promote healthy behaviors. It's simple really. If you believe you can take 10,000 steps a day, you will be more likely to take an extra walk to meet your goal!!

Remember what we discussed last time around???? GET UP OFF THAT COUCH!

Remember the famous children's book "The Little Engine that Could"? The theme, with its chant, "I think I can, I think I can," helped the small train make it up the hill. The book's message is as true today as it was when it was first published in 1930. If you set your mind to something, you can do it. Be that little engine....tell yourself you can do it!!!

But remember...the reverse can also be true....

Your thoughts can be defeating. "I'm already overweight, so it doesn't matter if I eat a second piece of cake." Or, "I only have 10 minutes. It's not enough time to walk." Negative thoughts, often called negative self-talk, may sabotage your good intentions.

You have the power to change the way you think. So start today!

Studies have measured the success of positive-thinkers and found that those who think they can lose weight, or increase their physical activity, do! These people are more successful than people with less faith in themselves. The confidence you have in performing a certain behavior is called self-efficacy; and self-efficacy is a key in successful behavior change.

Like the "Little Engine", sometimes you need an extra push. There will be days when you don't floss, slip from eating right, or lose your temper. Small setbacks are normal. Learn from your past success and failures. Think about what sets you off course. Maybe it was the business travel that hurt your nutritional plan and exercise habits. Or maybe it was the looming deadlines and tight back-to-back appointments you had last week.

Take a minute to consider how you might have handled the situation differently. Maybe you could have shared a dish with a colleague at the business dinner or skipped the cocktail hour and the dessert tray. Don't dwell on the past. Move on and learn, so next time you will make healthier choices toward positive change.

How to Stay Positive

Positive thinkers admit when they feel frustrated or depressed. They don't ignore it. But they also don't blame themselves. Instead, they try to understand the negative thoughts and feelings and counter them with more positive ones.

So how do you stay positive, maintain momentum and sustain healthy behaviors? Here are some tips:

• Look for a good role model. There is always someone who seems to be doing just what you want to be doing. Maybe they've scheduled exercise into their workday and switched from coffee to herbal tea. Learn from a successful friend, family member or colleague. Ask them how they keep healthy and follow in their footsteps.
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• Try some positive self-talk and avoid negative-talk. Take a minute to give yourself an ego boost. Repeat some motivational words out loud or to yourself. Negative talk, "I can't do it," "I'm fat," is dangerous for your well-being and healthy goals. Try to avoid the negative self-talk before it harms you. Remind yourself that you deserve happiness and can make positive changes.
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• Get support. Tell your friends and family about your healthy habits. It helps to have an encouraging network.
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• Reward yourself. Give yourself a pat on the back for your healthy efforts. Take a nice bath, get a massage, and enjoy a new DVD or CD.
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• Have a plan. Making a plan to exercise or eat healthy lunches with a friend can mean the difference of sticking with your goals or falling off track. If you've planned for an activity, you'll likely stick with it. You may even find that writing down your goals and steps to achieve them can help you stay on track. Take it day by day or week by week. The process of writing down your personal action plan is a good way to keep you honest and watch your progress or pitfalls.

GET UP OFF THAT COUCH!!

Last week we talked about fatigue. I mentioned that one way to beat fatigue is exercise. Well, here are a few facts that may help you GET UP OFF THAT COUCH!!

1. A pound of fat equals 3500 calories. To lose 1 pound a week you will need to expend 3500 more calories than you eat that week, whether through increased activity or decreased eating or both. Losing 1-2 pounds of fat a week is a sensible goal, and so you will want to use the combination of increased activity and eating less that will total 3500 calories for 7 days.

2. Walking at a moderate pace for 30-60 minutes burns stored fat and can build muscle to speed up your metabolism. Walking an hour a day is also associated with cutting your risk of heart disease, breast cancer, colon cancer, diabetes and stroke. Isn't it time to work 1-hour walks into your busy lifestyle?

3. Walking can also transform your health. Experts now say that taking roughly 10,000 steps per day sets off a chain reaction of physical benefits, including lower blood pressure, reduced risk for heart disease and better odds for preventing breast cancer.

Does 10,000 steps sound overwhelming? A little perspective: It translates into 4.5 to 5 miles, or one hour of rapid walking. Still sound like a lot? Try breaking it into shorter bits: three 20-minute errands on foot, one breezy 30-minute walk before breakfast and another after dinner. Or simply commit to getting up once an hour, every hour throughout your day and moving for five minutes.

However you break down the steps, there's only one fabulous result: a slimmer, more energetic you. In 60 minutes of walking, you'll burn 300 to 500 additional calories. Keep that up for 10 days and you'll lose a pound. Keep it up for a year and you'll be 35 pounds lighter -- without a minute of dieting.

Do you really have time for a walking workout? Absolutely -- you just need to find a routine that fits into your already superfried schedule. You can do it!!! I know you can!

So...here is your homework....START WALKING!!! Each week I would like you to check in with me and tell me how you feel now that you are walking!

FIXES FOR FATIGUE!

Well, you know what your energy busters are...would you like to know how to fix the problem???

One thing that is crucial to fixing this problem is breakfast. Eating a good wholesome breakfast that contains some protein is crucial. It helps normalize blood sugar levels and provides your body with the fuel it needs early in the day. Muncing on healthy snacks -- like fruit, nuts, or yogurt, not candy or chips -- throughout the day can also help boost energy levels. Forget the processed foods, which tend to contain refined carbohydrates that set your body on an energy roller coaster. Instead, choose whole foods like fruit, vegetables, whole grains, beans, eggs, and lean fish and poultry. Foods that are rich in antioxidants and other phytonutrients, such as berries, green tea, and cocoa, can also boost energy.

OTHER FATIGUE FIXERS:

1. SUPPLEMENTS: To help normalize energy and prevent deficiencies, take a good multivitamin-multimineral supplement that contains all the B vitamins as well as a calcium/magnesium/vitamin D supplement with at least 400 mg of magnesium and 1,000 IU of vitamin D.

2. NUTRITION: Cut out processed foods. Eat a good breakfast that contains protein. Eat plenty of fruits and veggies to minimize the sugar roller coaster.

3. MANAGE STRESS: It is impossible to eliminate all stress from our lives, but you can manage your stresses. DO NOT turn to alcohol or other addictive drugs. There are so many stress relieving techniques out there like exercise, yoga, meditation that not only will destress you but also help you get in shape. If you want more information on this...just ask...I will help you.

4. REDUCE CAFFEINE INTAKE: Although we all love that cup of coffee in the morning or that cup of tea in the afternoon,caffeine boosts energy by stimulating the central nervous system and increasing the heart rate and blood pressure. But this pick-me-up can also let you down.

5. START BREATHING...REALLY!:

When you're stressed or anxious, you breathe more shallowly. This can set up a downward energy spiral: If you're not breathing properly, you're not ferrying enough oxygen to your tissues, and that oxygen deficiency impairs energy metabolism. Shallow breathing also allows toxic metabolic waste to build up in your cells, he explains, making you feel sluggish and ill. So...take deep breaths through out the day...in through your nose and out through your mouth....now thats just to easy not to do!

6. EXERCISE: Okay...I know you know I was going to say this...but really...When you're feeling drained, hopping on a treadmill, picking up a pair of dumbbells, or stretching your limbs into Downward Dog may be the last thing you want to do. Yet you need to expend energy to get more of it. That's because regular physical activity not only improves your mood and helps you sleep better, it can increase both the number of your mitochondria and how efficiently they work. Start off small and gradually work your way to better energy. 50 minutes of walking per day (doesnt have to be all at once) will boost your energy levels and you mood...and heavens what it does for your waist line!

7. SLEEP: And last but certainly not least...get enough sleep!

The effects of inadequate sleep on your energy levels are even clearer: You have trouble waking up and getting through your day without the crutch of caffeine. On a physical level, a sound night's sleep is crucial to keeping your mitochondria in good working order. Without it, your levels of blood sugar and stress hormones rise, slowing your metabolism and draining you of energy.