Wellness Campaign Fall 2015
Gratitude is the Best Attitude
As part of our Fit for Fall Challenge, we are going through the Healthy Mind and Body program. I have done this program before and I learned so much great information. It was designed to teach different methods to help you become the person you want to be – physically, mentally, and emotionally! Throughout my first sixty days of consistent 10-15 minute coaching, I was really challenged to work on what I focus on daily, especially mentally. These points have really pushed me to establish new patterns of thinking in my everyday life!
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used to create them.” – Albert Einstein
After reading this quote, it is important to think about and realize the high impact that YOUR FOCUS has on you! Here are the Four Laws of Focus:
- What you Focus on you Find
- What you Focus on Grows
- What you Focus on Seems Real
- What you Focus on Ultimately You Become
What you focus on either supports your goals or challenges your goals – but it is all part of your growth! Really think about what you focus on. Think about how your focus influences your everyday life patterns or habits.
Do you have patterns or habits you need to break?
How do you interrupt a pattern or habit that is not pushing you toward your best self?
In our program, we are reminded that I CAN BREAK ANY PATTERN OR HABIT AT ANY TIME THAT I CHOOSE!
In addition to Focus, here are 3 other disciplines to create patterns in your life that will support your goals:
- Focus
- What You Say to Yourself
- Your Body Language
- Gratitude
–WHAT YOU SAY TO YOURSELF–
Improve your Self-Talk! Give yourself confidence through the thoughts about yourself. Tell yourself things like I …
Read MorePumpkin Workout
Let’s put those pumpkins to good use before we throw them away OR, get yourself to the store and buy one to do this fun workout by yourself or with a friend!
You will need a bench, a pumpkin, a jump rope (optional. you can jump rope with an imaginary rope), 4 cones (or an object to hold a space), water, and a towel
Warm-up 5 min
Circuit 1
- 20 Walking lunges holding pumpkin
- 20 Side shuffles R holding pumpkin
- 20 Reverse walking lunges holding pumpkin
- 20 Side shuffles L
Circuit 2
- 20 Alternating Toe Taps on pumpkin
- 15 Split Lunges per leg
- 15 Squat and Press
- Jump Rope 1 minute
- 30 Side step up with abduction and pumpkin press (15 Right, 15 L)
- 30 Alternating Step Ups
- 30 Tricep Dips
- Jump Rope 1 minute
Circuit 3 – Line Drills
Set up your 4 cones a good distance to do some line drills. You will want 4 cones set up in a line.
- Fast Feet (Holding your pumpkin, sprint to the first cone. Keep your body low and facing FORWARD as you run in a circle with fast feet around the cone to the R. Sprint to the second cone. Repeat the fast run this time to the L. Continue for cones 3 and 4. Sprint back to start.)
- 10 pumpkin burpees
- Line Sprint (Holding your pumpkin sprint to the first line. Back to start. Sprint to the second line. Back to start. Sprint to the third line. Back to start. Sprint to the fourth line. Back to start.)
- 10 pumpkin burpees
- Skip lunges (Holding your pumpkin forward lunge with the R leg. Skip the left leg up, forward, and down in to a lunge. Repeat this motion to the end of the line and back to start.)
- 10 pumpkin
Fall Food, Friendship and Gathering
Fall reminds me of family, friendship, food and gathering. Gathering beautiful leaves that have changed colors and have fallen off the trees. Gathering around the table to celebrate all the things we are thankful for. Gathering back the friends you have not seen all summer because people’s schedules get uncharacteristically crazy during the summer months. Gathering back with life groups or volunteer organizations you belong to that take a break for summer. This weekend, I did a little bit of all of the above. On Saturday evening, after a wonderful day of nourishing my soul at a retreat (I will write about it next week), I was privileged to spend a few hours with my daughter and two friends. One friend was one of my most valued friends and the other was her friend (a new friend to both my daughter and me). We were blessed to share a few hours together. It was a time of enrichment for all. We talked about the fantastic day we had spent together learning about a great work that is going on in Malawi, Africa and we shared about our lives and how God had been encouraging us in our walks with Him. Friendship and gathering together is medicine for the soul. Sharing with women who are committed to serve in their community and abroad and are involved in amazingly interesting activities is one way to be encouraged and to contribute to your own healthy mind and body.
We shared a meal together and the food was spectacular…nutritious and delicious!!! Here is my rendition of the dish that we all ordered…..
Bombay Bowl
1 yellow onion
20 large or 30 medium brussel sprouts trimmed and cut in half
1 head of cauliflower
4-5 carrots
1-2 parsnips
4-5 small red, white or purple potatoes…
Are You Seeing Clearly?
VISION.
Where do you want to go? Who do you want to be?
We need to have a vision so that we know where we are going. We need to focus on that future state–be it health, wealth, family, fitness, fun, work, relationships–and let it guide our goals and actions.
“If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’d always got.” -Alan Scott
How can you keep your vision visable? Say daily affirmations. Write out your vision where you see it every day. Make a vision board with pictures of your goals. Look at them every day! Share your vision with others. Make it the background of your phone. Whatever you choose, look at it and see it every day. Let it fuel you!
“If you want to reach a goal, you must see the reaching in your own mind before you actually arrive at your goal.” -Zig Ziglar
If you want to be more fit, look in the mirror and see yourself fit. Tell your face in the mirror, “I am fit!” Then do the work.
If you want to be less stressed, start every day with prayer and meditation. Think of how you feel in that moment and carry it with you. Do the actions needed to reduce your stress, then be that less-stressed person!
Whatever you want, write out that vision, see that vision, and take daily actions to get there!
Do you need motivation and guidance to break old habits and patterns? To get a new focus? A clear vision?
Join us in our Fall Into Health Wellness Wisdom Campaign. Click here to learn more!
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Read MoreWorkouts Revamped!
Are you in a workout slump? Are you tired of doing the same thing over and over? Do you want to head to the gym or set aside fifteen minutes and not have to think? Well here’s an idea for you to try. The Nike Training App is ranked one of the best fitness apps by many users and critics. I mean let’s be honest, what isn’t amazing that Nike puts out! But it tells you what to do for your circuit training? Sounds pretty ideal to me!
Why it is so awesome:
It’s up to you. You can pick your drills. You can pick how hard you are pushed. You have audio to give you tips on form and step by step videos and images. You can do it alone, do it with friends, or share it with friends. And you even get to “train with the pros”. They have some of the best fitness people in the world on their pushing you and encouraging you! People like Carly Lloyd, Shawn Johnson, Serena Williams, celebrity trainers, and more.
How it works:
- Choose your goal: Get lean, Get toned, Get strong, or Get focused!
- Choose your level: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
- View the workouts, choose which one works for you based on time and ability
- Get after it and get your sweat on!
It’s fun, it’s motivating, and it is an easy way to switch things up! And you can keep track of all your workouts to see your progress or your schedule. Try it out and let us know what you think!
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Does Your Closet Need a Fall Cleaning or an Upgrade on a Budget?
We have been talking a lot about how to have a healthy mind and body. I think most of us know that clutter can be a real negative influence on the health of our mind and body. We often get distracted during these next few months. During the fun activities of the holiday season it becomes so easy to put many important aspects of life on hold (especially cleaning and organizing) until the busyness calms down (or should I say IF the busyness calms down). This year, don’t let that happen! Let’s be more prepared for the fun of the holidays by freeing ourselves from the stress of clutter. Or, maybe you were very successful with your Spring Cleaning this year and you have been waiting to upgrade your closet. Finding a great deal can be good for your health, too! There are fun ways to clean and organize your home and I am going to share one of those ways with you today!
ThredUP is the name of my recommendation for de-cluttering your closet and/or improving it on a budget.
“thredUP is the easiest way to save money on great Women’s and Kids’ clothing brands and sell clothes for cash. We’re like a consignment store, but simpler. On thredUP you can refresh your entire wardrobe online without ever leaving your house.”
Browse thousands of like-new clothing items, which we’ve hand-selected and certified for quality. You’ll find all your favorite brands discounted up to 90% off, year-round.
And, when you’re done with clothing, simply fill up a thredUP bag and put it on your doorstep. thredUP covers the shipping, and pays you for every item we can sell to other families.
Our goal is to make your life just a little bit easier.
- We eliminate the stress of deal hunting
Smoked Paprika Chickpea and Chard Soup
October has ushered in the fall season and even though the weather has not cooled down during the day, in our hometown, the evenings are brisk and perfect for a bowl of hearty soup. This vegetarian selection of chickpeas and chard combined with nutty farro makes a delicious soup. I served it to our family this weekend and it was a 10 out of 10. As we continue our Healthy Mind and Body challenge we encourage you to join us, click here for more information.
Ingredients
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped carrots
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped parsley
3 cloves garlic chopped
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary chopped fine
1 bay leaf
3 cups organic vegetable broth
4 cups water
1 ½ teaspoons Spanish smoked paprika
1 teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon salt
1 can rinsed and drained chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1 (14.5 ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
4 cups chopped swiss chard
3 cups cooked farro (cook as directed on package)
½ cup green onions
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
Directions
Heat olive oil in a large soup pot. Add onions, carrots, celery, parsley, garlic and bay leaf. Cook for 8 minutes until vegetables are tender. Stir frequently. Stir in broth and water and spices, chickpeas and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Stir in swiss chard and farro and cook until chard wilts. Stir in green onions and top with cheese. Keep well in refrigerator for 5-6 days.
Serves 8
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Believe in Yourself
“You can’t have a health body long-term without a healthy mind. The two are connected at every level. If you don’t believe at the deepest level that you are a healthy person, you will sabotage yourself every time. If you are a person who loses weight only to gain it back, your beliefs do not match your visions. You believe something other than what you are trying to accomplish and your mind brings your body back to the unhealthy state again and again.”
A healthy mind and body is all about belief. To have lifelong health you must believe in yourself. If your current beliefs don’t serve you–GET RID OF THEM!
The Healthy Mind and Body program is a 60 program designed to help to be your best self by cultivating lifelong healthy habits by recognizing that you need to have a healthy body AND mind! You will learn that success in any area is based on aligning your goals, actions, and attitudes.
I am learning so much about how my attitudes affect my health. I can make all the goals I want, but without healthy attitudes and healthy actions, I will fail every time.
No matter what life we are called for we can do great things when we believe in ourselves. Napoleon Hill states, “If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way.” We were not designed for a mediocre life. God designed us will big plans. It’s time to get out of our own way and start believing that we can achieve our goals and be all that God wants us to be!
Join us in our Fall Into Health Wellness Wisdom Campaign. Click here to learn more!
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Read MoreFocus
Thought patterns can become habitual. They can also be changed with intentional effort Responding in joy, reacting in negativity, answering in content, or retorting with frustration… they can all come to mind so easily with the snap of a finger. It often seems like you can’t control what thoughts come into your mind. You can, with lots of focus and effort. But you can always control what you do with those thoughts. The mind is a powerful thing. We need to train our minds, our thoughts, our ideas to be more focused on who we want to be, on our goals, and on something bigger than ourselves.
Focus is “The ability to keep your attention where you consciously want it to be. It’s the art of disciplining your imagination to achieve your desired outcomes.”
By changing our thought patterns it is ultimately changing our mindset and perspective. We all have some sort of self talk whether it is positive, negative, helpful, harmful, encouraging… etc. What story are you telling yourself? Are you your own worst enemy? Do you believe in yourself? Do you give others the benefit of the doubt? Are you focused on yourself, others, God? Take some time this week to think about your own self talk. What are your initial reactions? What do you think when you go throughout your day? Who do you want to be? All your thoughts should be channelling towards the person you want to be. If you want to be a grateful person, you will be grateful about the every day things in your life. If you want to be filled with joy, your initial reaction needs to be filled with joy. If you want to be a happy person and your first reactions are angry, there is going to be some …
Read MoreWhy Begin with My WHY?
Have you ever thought about WHY you do what you do? Most of us spend our time focused on our WHAT-tackling our “to-do” lists, taking care of the urgent needs in our daily lives and ultimately accomplishing some of our goals. The girls and I are currently participating in an online course called Healthy Mind and Body. (to find out more about this program click here). One of the guiding principles of the course focuses on developing our WHY. The difference between our WHAT and our WHY is very important to understand when developing a healthy mind and body? Our WHAT focuses on the tasks to be done, the end result of what we want to accomplish. Our WHAT involves logic, drive and behaviors that we use to obtain our goals. Our WHY, on the other hand, focuses on our vision, passions, beliefs and purpose. An example of the difference might look like this……My WHAT…..My daughters and I write a blog to provide “deep rooted wisdom for growing families”….My WHY….everyday is filled with amazing things that I am learning and I am passionate about sharing my experiences in our blog so I can help others. The difference is not in the results, but in the process. My WHAT is the task of writing the blog. When I approach my life from my WHAT, those things I want to accomplish and the tasks I need to do can become mundane and driven by obligation, responsibility, commitment. Those driving forces are not bad or wrong, they just lack the inspiration that comes from working out of my WHY. When I approach my life from my WHY, I am inspired to do the very thing I really want to do, deep down inside of me. I am driven by my greater purpose, …
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