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Simplify Your Health Habits

January 20, 2022

Sometimes I start to lose it. My mind, that is. Eat this, don’t eat that, depending on the podcast of the day. (Or the food fad of the day.)

And if I feel that way, I’m guessing that sometimes you feel that way too.

Life is complicated enough.

Today, I’m going to give you two simple things to consider when it comes to your health.

(These are not listed in order of importance. Both are good. Perhaps choose one and then add the other one when it won’t drive you over the edge. A little near the edge is ok, as that’s called “growth.”)

Thing #1

Try to eat as many foods in their natural state as you can. For example, enjoy a baked potato instead of mashed potatoes from a box. Eat the orange instead of drinking orange juice. Bake or toss a whole chicken in the crock pot instead of heating up frozen chicken nuggets.

Will you do this perfectly? No. And that is ok. We’re going for better, not perfect.

It’s impossible to not eat at least a few somewhat processed foods in a day.

The Slager home contains some processed foods.

I like my vegan protein powder and use it several times a week. It’s processed, since I’m not eating the peas, brown rice, and cranberries. It has its place in my life.

Mr. Non-Compliant still likes his cereal. Even though I buy him those without artificial colors, high fructose corn syrup, and lots of sugar, they are all processed.

Side note: Applause for Mr. NC, as he knows he must eat some protein, like eggs or Greek yogurt, before having his cereal for a treat. He’s learning.

Thing #2

Get some exercise.

Do what you can. Walk, try strength training, do yoga, run, do some push-ups, play tennis, ride a bike, dance.

Everything counts. If the benefits of exercise could be made into a drug, it would be the most widely prescribed drug on the planet. Only no side effects and much less expensive.

Exercise promotes health and wellness. It helps prevent and improve every chronic disease.

Side effects may include weight loss, mood elevation, improved sleep, and increased mobility.

If you’re not engaged in an exercise routine, check with your physician and get started. It helps reverse the aging process, and who doesn’t want that?

Start slowly, and keep it going. Perfection is not necessary. Have fun.

Simplify. Make it easy.

If you need help with a plan that’s unique to you, shoot me an email. We’ll schedule a 30-minute call and figure out what simple thing you can do that will have the greatest impact on the quality of your life.

30-minutes. One simple thing. A great start to 2022.

Much love,
Health Coach Carol

“The most powerful medicine is at the end of your fork, not at the bottom of your pill bottle. Food is more powerful than anything in your medicine cabinet.”—Mark Hyman

exercise food as medicine habits Mark Hyman Mr. Non-Compliant simple Whole Foods

How Great Can Today Get?

January 13, 2022

Health, Personal Development

A colleague of mine made a post-it note to remind her to ask this important question each day. I like it.

“How great can today get?”

So, what about you? How great can YOUR today get?

It’s easy to allow complacency to set in. Making today great presents us with a challenge of stepping up in some way.

It may even bring about some discomfort, which is a good thing.

There are lots of choices, which makes it fun to think about.

If you’re a life-long learner, you could find a book to read on a particular topic that interests you, or sign up for a course.

For music lovers, is there an instrument you’ve always wanted to learn to play? Or get reacquainted with an instrument you’ve set aside for a few (or more) years?

Maybe you’re making 2022 the year you focus on improving your health, but aren’t sure how to begin.

I can help with that.

A client told me, “After spending years counting points with my ‘diet’ plan, which didn’t work on a long-term basis, I now understand how to eat in a way that gives me a feeling of abundance, satisfaction, while meeting my health goals.”

That’s a great today.

Perhaps your day would be great if you knew how to make a vegetable tasty enough to enjoy it.

Or if you felt it was within your control to kick your craving for sugar or caffeine.

A great today may be one that includes reaching out to a friend, feeling grateful for sunshine, getting a quality night’s sleep.

While everyone’s definition of a great day is different, I hope you explore the possibilities.

I’m making a post-it note to remind me.

Sending love,
Health Coach Carol

“Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year. He is rich who owns the day, and no one owns the day who allows it to be invaded with fret and anxiety.”—Ralph Waldo Emerson

challenge great today possibilities post-it note Ralph Waldo Emerson

Resolutions vs. Aspirations

January 6, 2022

Health, Hope, Personal Development

Made any? Have any? What’s the difference and why am I even writing about this?

New Year’s resolutions are a thing. People make them. Most break them.

Statistics show that after 6 months, only 46% of people are successful at keeping a resolution.

By definition, a resolution is a decision to do something or behave in a certain manner.

An aspiration is a strong desire to achieve something high or great.

Aspirations are the dreams you have for your life.

Making the resolution to hit the gym a few times a week sounds like a really good idea; until the alarm goes off and it’s cold, snowy, and the pillow is calling your name.

Aspiring to be a fit person who is living “fit person” ideals NOW, chooses to put on the gym clothes that were set out the night before. And then GO to the gym.

Both involve creating a different habit. Both take work. What differs is the identity behind the habit.

James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, refers to these as “identity-based habits.”

Rather than resolving to lose 10 pounds, think about the person you’d like to become and take on that identity.

What would a fit person do? What would a fit person choose to eat?

The focus is on living as that type of person, not getting a particular outcome.

Resolutions tend to be outcome or achievement driven: exercise more, write a novel, save more money, stop smoking.

A few other examples of identity-based habits:

When you say “thank you” each day, you take on the identity of a grateful person.
The goal is not to read one book, the goal is to become a reader.
If you want to be a musician, practice your instrument every day.

Once you determine the type of person you would like to be (your aspiration), break it down into small steps that you can slowly build upon.

Let’s say you aspire to be a healthy eater. You are a healthy eater when you include at least one piece of fruit or serving of vegetables in your day. When you master that, you can up it to two servings a day.

Any bit of improvement over where you were is a win. Continue to build on other areas as each habit gets easy.

What are your aspirations? Live them today.

If you could use some help creating simple steps to achieve them, email me. I’d love to help you map out a plan to get started.

Much love,
Health Coach Carol

“If you got a chance, take it, take it while you got a chance. If you got a dream, chase it, ’cause a dream won’t chase you back. If you’re gonna love somebody, hold ’em as long and as strong and as close as you can. ‘Til you can’t.”—Cody Johnson, “Til You Can’t”

'Til You Can't Aspirations Atomic Habits Cody Johnson identity-based habits James Clear New Year's resolution

What Color is Your Mood Ring?

December 30, 2021

Christmas, Health

I heard a song today that had a line that went something like, “She’s wearing her mood ring and it’s never the same.”

Remember the mood rings of the ‘70s? I had one and always wondered how they worked, and if they really reflected my mood.

The reason I bring it up is because I wondered what color mine would be today, post-Christmas festivities, with some cleanup left and a pretty lonely Christmas tree.

All the preparation and anticipation in the rearview mirror. Now what?

Guess it’s time for 2021 reflections and making plans for 2022.

Yawn. I think it’s time to hibernate instead.

Oh, wait. This message is supposed to INSPIRE you. Sorry. Maybe I’ll get there…

So, I think my mood ring color would be (drumroll please): YELLOW. And not because it’s sunny here. It’s been rather dreary for days, which could explain my desire to hibernate.

Yellow may signify any of the following emotions: mild anxiety, nervousness, confusion, mixed feelings, creative energy, happiness, willing to take risks, good health.

Of course, the meanings for the colors depend on which site you read. This is the spectrum for yellow, and since the emotions are all over the place, I chose it.

Here are some other colors along with their meanings and you can decide what color you’d like to be today. Or, put on your ring and let it tell you.

Black: Stressed, worried, lost, and overwhelmed, OR your mood ring could be broken.

Gray: Beginning stages of worry, fear, sadness, grief, dread, and on the way to black.

Brown: Restless, anxious, impatiently waiting for something, confused.

Green: Calm, stable, relaxed, default color.

Red: Excited, passionate, anger, embarrassment.

Orange: Heightened emotions of yellow.

Blue: Calm, content, peaceful, relaxed, forgetting about all world stressors.

Violet: Enlightenment, balance, intense romantic feelings, clarity, deep purpose.

In case you’re wondering, mood rings change their color based on the changing temperature of the wearer’s body. It does this by making use of liquid crystals with thermotropic properties. Your mood can affect your body temperature.

Mood rings are still on the market, and there are more specific color guides that go along with each manufacturer’s ring. As you may have guessed, they’re not always accurate, and the life span of a mood ring is about 5 years. Toss out the one you have from the ‘70s.

Whatever color you’re feeling, now is probably a good time to think about (and maybe even create a list) of all the things that you’ve accomplished in 2021 that you’re happy about.

What are you grateful for?

This may even lead you to consider some plans for the coming year.

Which reminds me—my word for 2022 is GRATITUDE. It’s a great word that is a great way to feel all the time. I’m going to focus on practicing more of that.

Since a majority of people begin the year with rather lofty health and fitness goals, I’ll offer some tips next week on how to stay the course with realistic expectations.

Thank you for reading my weekly blog posts and putting up with my many moods.

Wishing you and yours a happy, healthy, and blessed 2022! (And a blue colored mood ring.)

With love and gratitude,
Carol

“Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365-page book. Write a good one.”—Brad Paisley

Brad Paisley emotions gratitude mood ring post-Christmas word of the year

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