Physical Wellness consists of both Healthy Eating and Physical Activity. It considers how to use nutrition and physical activity to support our bodies and allow us to achieve wellness in the other aspects of our lives.
Does This Sound Like YOU? – March 2012 Newsletter
In This Issue:
Click on the link above to see the full newsletter.
Are You Well At Heart? - February 2012 Newsletter
In This Issue:
Click the link above to see the full newsletter.
Here it is, November 7 already. Hard to believe it’s been a week since the ghosts, ghouls, and goblins got all dressed up and prowled our neighbourhoods in search of Treats!! It was a great day, the kids (and many adults) had a LOT of FUN, and there was more than enough chocolate, chips and candy to go ’round!
And let’s not forget our beloved teachers and childcare providers who have enjoyed the “hangover” from all these goodies – we owe you our thanks!
So, as your Wellness Coach, it’s my job to deliver the news you all knew was coming: “The Honeymoon’s Over!” – the “Halloween Honeymoon”, that is!!
Sure, we had a great time (myself included!) and got really cozy with those bags, boxes, and bowls of treats, but it’s time to come back to reality.
If the thought of going “cold turkey” back to your usual “everything-in-moderation” way of eating healthy sounds overwhelming, may I suggest you begin to “wean” yourself off the goodies? When I talk about “borrowing” from one area of your “Whole-Life Wellness Wheel” to support another, this is a prime example: we have borrowed from the Healthy Eating piece of Physical Wellness, but now it’s time to repay the debt and get back on track. After all, if the “honeymoon” lasts too long, it could very easily morphe into the Christmas Holidays…and we, wouldn’t want that, would we? 
So…join me, won’t you? You can hide/lose the goodies, freeze the chocolate bars for an occasional treat, accidentally drive over them…whatever works for you.
Also, a great idea from my friend, Angela: after the peak excitement of the Halloween season has passed, she offers her kids a “buy-back” option: for every 5 pieces of candy they sell back to her (or whatever number works for you), they get $1 in Dollar Store bucks – they go shopping and the candy is gone! I’m liking it – think I’ll try it too!!
If you try this, or have another suggestion, I’d love to hear about it!
Hoping you enjoy this post-honeymoon phase with me – and wishing you continued Wellness!
~ Gail
As you may know, March is Nutrition Month. When you hear that, does it give you heart palpitations? A fluttery stomach perhaps? Or perhaps you’re very comfortable with your nutritional awareness and choices.
If you’re like many of the people I deal with, you may find the whole notion of Nutrition and Healthy Eating a bit overwhelming, particularly given all the “busy-ness” we tend to have in our lives. But I’m here to tell you it doesn’t have to be so complicated. My goal is to help clients make Healthy Eating more simple, practical, and possible in the reality of our daily lives – sound interesting?
So…I’d love to hear from you! What would make it easier for you to make healthier food choices:
My goal, in my Blogs and e-Newsletter – and in my Wellness Coaching and Workplace Wellness Programs – is to give you information that’s relevant to YOU!
Please feel free to post a Comment or Question, send me a message via my website or e-mail, or give me a call – let me know how I can help YOU live with greater “Whole-Life” Wellness!
May your food nourish your Body, Mind and Spirit!
Gail
Lighthouse Wellness Strategies Newsletter – February 2011 |
||||
|
||||
| Thank you for subscribing to our E-Newsletter!Copyright (C) 2011 Lighthouse Wellness Strategies All rights reserved. | ||||
So…we’re almost a month into the New Year now. Many of us started off 2011 full of great aspirations and intentions, embracing the possibilities of a fresh start, with the ever-present “New Year’s Resolutions”.
Did YOU set New Year’s Resolutions for 2011? How are you doing with them? Statistics say that as many as 25% of people who made resolutions have already abandoned them by this point. Are you one of the 25% – or are you still on track?
Either way, take a moment and pat yourself on the back! You are already a winner by setting goals and wanting to stretch yourself! After all, if we don’t have somewhere we want to go (a goal), what determines our direction each day, and how will we know when we get there?
If you (or someone you know) set some resolutions for the New Year, I’d love to hear from you:
I invite you to Comment on this Blog – join in the conversation!!
Looking forward to hearing from you,
Gail
It’s hard to believe that one week from today is Christmas Eve!! How are you doing in your preparations for the Holidays? Is everything “cooking along nicely” or are you sprinting from activity to activity trying to get everything ready?
One thing I know for sure: Christmas will come regardless of what we do and don’t have done! The universe doesn’t wait until we have everything perfect before allowing the Holidays to be upon us. Unlike in Who-ville, there is nothing that will stop the Holidays from coming. So…take a breath (in fact, I recommend breathing deeply and regularly!) and reevaluate all that you’re trying to do in advance of the “big day”.
And now, a question for you: what is your biggest Wellness Challenge during the Holiday Season? If you consider your “whole-life” wellness – looking at your Physical (Healthy Eating and Physical Activity), Emotional, Relational (Family & Friends), Spiritual, Financial and Professional Wellness– what is the most difficult piece for you to keep in balance this time of year? I would invite you to develop one or two simple strategies to address your top challenge to aid you in maintaining greater wellness over the Holidays.
Let’s say you said physical activity is your biggest challenge. Then perhaps you could set a modest goal of exercising – walking, doing crunches, chasing the dog, whatever works for you – for just 10 or 15 minutes a day over the next week or two. Does that sound possible for you?
Or, if you’re like many of us, maybe your biggest challenge is eating well with all the added temptations available at this time of year. If that sounds like you, why not try to just plan ahead so that you first ensure you meet your basic nutritional requirements (getting adequate “real food” from the various food groups) and then enjoy the “goodies” of the season in a mindful way – be intentional with the things you choose to consume (and keep an eye on the quantities) and focus on what I call “worthy calories” – those things you really love! I like to bypass those less worthy and save my indulgences for the treats that are decadent to me. Then, for those you do choose, Enjoy Them Thoroughly!! That, too, is part of Wellness!
I would love to hear what your biggest challenges are and what strategies you’ve come up with to face those challenges. Please simply reply to this post to share your challenges and successes, or send me an e-mail. I’d love to hear from you!
Enjoy the Abundance of the Holidays, and Get Set for a Fabulous New Year!!
Gail
Kidney disease is something that is very close to my heart – it’s what took my mother too soon and what affects many members of my family.
However, there is GREAT NEWS on the national front.
In a story covered by CTV news this week, it was announced that the Living Donor Paired Exchange is now extending across the whole country – with Quebec joining recently. This is great news for people who know someone living with kidney disease and want to donate their healthy kidney to that loved one – assuming there’s a match. Check out the story at http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Health/20101130/kidney-donor-registry-101130/
In a related CTV News story, we learned of another way to give this gift. For those people who want to donate but who are not a match to their loved one in need, there is the option to be a “non-directed donor”. This means that you donate to someone else in need and another non-directed donor can donate to your loved one when an appropriate match is found. This is a great example of “what goes around comes around”! CTV News introduced us to a couple who know this first-hand: http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Health/20101201/kidney-exchange-registry-101201/
It’s easy to become a kidney (or other organ) donor. You can register your choice on your Health Card and – please – discuss your wishes with your family.
I am so grateful that someone I don’t know chose to become a kidney donor – it gave us and our mom extra time that we otherwise would not have had!
And research – including my Master’s Thesis – indicates that it brings comfort and a sense of meaning to the donor family as well!
What a fine example of doing what we can to bring enhanced wellness to those we know – and those we don’t!
Wishing you all abundant health & wellness!
This blog is for YOU – tell me what kinds of things you’d like to see here, what types of support or information you may need, your thoughts on “whole-life” wellness – whatever’s on your mind. Also, I’d love you to send along resources and links you find particularly interesting too – let’s share what we see that may be helpful for others! (You can go to our “Connect” page and send a “comment” there.)
Please feel free to invite your friends, families, and colleagues to subscribe to our blog and e-newsletter too. The more we share our resources, the more we’ll be able to realize our goals of achieving and maintaining “whole-life” wellness!
Stay tuned in the near future when I share some TIPS for “navigating the shores” (to use a sailing metaphor) of the Holiday Season – helping you avoid some of the potential obstacles and be “real” during the Holidays and into the New Year!
Looking forward to connecting with you again soon!
In Wellness,
Gail
Connect with Us
Click on the social media icons below and stay connected with us across the web and throughout your day: