Leveraging the gift of time

Leveraging the gift of time

What we do with the extra hours in the day that we have been given back will be critical.

We humans like to be comfortable and we also like to feel in control.  What is happening right now in the world does not make us feel either.  There is a general feeling of uneasiness and uncertainty as a result of the pandemic and social distancing implementation.  

As we have retreated into our homes, it feels like time has slowed down.  Those who work outside the homes and have been asked to work from home have been given back hours of time they would have spent getting ready for work and commuting to and from the office.  Students at universities are attending their classes virtually, opening up their days.  Families with little children whose schools have been closed are now together 24/7.

Time is, and has always been one, of our most precious gifts.  We’ve used the excuse “I don’t have the time” to postpone our dreams, to become healthy, and even work on relationships.  What we do with the extra hours in the day that we have been given back will be critical.  Will we waste the time by distracting ourselves, or will we see time as a blessing and finally do things we’ve delayed? 

Here are some options to start today:

• Start a regular exercise routine in your home or go for walks outside (while practicing physical distancing).

• Implement a self-care practice of gratitude, meditation and journaling to promote mindfulness and guard our mind against worry, stress and overwhelm. 

• Promote your personal growth and development by listening to podcasts, reading books and even watching documentaries on topics of interest.

• Cook and eat meals together with your family at home.

• Re-connect or stay connected with family and friends outside your home by calling or leveraging FaceTime or Zoom.

• Learn a new language by leveraging online resources and apps. 

• Get the sleep you need by taking power naps and getting the 7-9 hours of sleep that we all need.

• Think strategically and creatively by blocking out distractions and solving critical business or personal challenges that you’ve postponed focusing on. 

• Start or re-engage with a hobby or interest.  Begin writing your best-selling book, paint again, pick up that guitar or sit down at the piano, experiment cooking new meals with items in your pantry and refrigerator, write your business plan, finally do a vision board, etc. 

• Get organized by cleaning out your closet and donating “stuff” that you don’t need, organizing your pantry and discovering how much food you already, getting your finances in order by creating a budget. 

This list is not meant to be exhaustive.  We each have things that have been placed on our hearts.  What will you be doing with the extra time that you’ve been given? 

Your Body Is Innately Intelligent

Your Body Is Innately Intelligent

Many of us feel disconnected from that intelligent source, and are overwhelmed and confused by all of the health and nutritional informational available.

I believe that our bodies are innately intelligent, and guide us to making healthy food choices.  Unfortunately, many of us feel disconnected from that intelligent source, and are overwhelmed, and confused by all of the health and nutritional informational available.   

One of my goals this year was to enroll in the Integrative Institute of Nutrition’s Integrative Health Coaching certification program.  I am excited to say that I graduated from the program this month, and am now officially an Integrated Health Coach!  My goal in completing the program was to improve my own life by increasing my knowledge of nutrition, and then to be able to share what I’ve learned with my clients.

My backstory is that I come from a long-line of Eastern European farmers who grew their own food, raised their own livestock, and prepared their meals from scratch.  Even after moving to the United States, my parents and their friends would purchase their poultry from local farmers who raised their animals ethically, and sustainably.   I was raised to understand that we become what we put into our bodies.  

Yet, as I grew, I became a typical kid who wanted to eat school lunches like my friends instead of the ethnic food prepared from home.  I tried Salisbury steak, boxed mashed potatoes, hoagies, ice cream sandwiches, and other lunchtime favorites of the 80s.  Although I was petite for most of my life, I started noticing my body changing in high school, and not in a good way.  

The summer after I graduated from high school, I decided to become a vegetarian, and to begin eating healthy.  The trend at the time was to eat “fat-free”.  My college diet consisted of bagels, cereal, pizza, tomato soup, pasta, french fries, and some fruits and vegetables.  Poor food choices, along with liquid calories, increased my weight to the highest it had ever been. I was also tired all the time, took daily naps, and I didn’t feel great. I was probably nutritionally deficient for all 4 years of college.

After college, I went backpacking across Europe for one month.  The first week into my trip, I ate chicken for the first time in 4 years.  It was hard to be a vegetarian in 1994 in many European cities on a limited budget. So, I ate locally grown food that was available and inexpensive.  My clothes started to fit better, my mood stabilized, and my energy increased.  When I arrived back home I decided to make better choices that would nourish my body.  The year following my graduation my weight naturally adjusted itself to a healthy weight, just by making better food choices.  

Over the years, my weight, and overall well-being would fluctuate based on what was happening in my life.  I was my healthiest when I listened to my body, and nourished it with foods that were medicinal for me.  I felt my worst when I disconnected from my body, and made choices I knew would make me feel sick. I compensated for eating what I wanted by working out harder.  I ran long distance, lifted, did HIIT workouts, and I did power yoga.  I tracked my food in different apps, joined Weight Watchers, went back to the Zone Diet, dusted off the South Beach Diet book, tried Paleo, then Keto, etc. I didn’t get healthier, I just had more injuries, became frustrated, exhausted my adrenals, and raised my cortisol levels.

This year, I decided to take better care of myself by practicing some self-love and acceptance: 

• Stopped tracking my food. I decided to eat when I was hungry, and eat foods that made me feel good. 

• Started to “crowd-out” bad choices by incorporating more leafy greens into my diet.

• Ate less animal products, eliminated sugar, reduced my dairy intake, and experimented with more plant-based recipes. 

• Prepared soups with fresh vegetables and beans, and ate more healthy fats. 

• Stopped intense workouts that were hurting me. 

• Added in a daily, outdoor morning walk where I could think, and enjoy nature.

• Continued with my healing yoga classes. 

• Became very protective of my daily meditation, affirmation, and gratitude practice.

The result is that I am the healthiest and happiest that I have ever been.  

If you’d like to make positive changes in your health,  and stop the vicious cycle of dieting, I’d love to work with you.  Together, we will identify your health and wellness goals, examine your barriers to success, and teach you how to establish life-long health habits. 

Contact me for a free consultation.