The Importance of Always Living with Health, Pt. II
What is your Health, Wealth and Happiness score? See how you fare in each of the Five Buckets of Health and Wellness – and learn how to improve in every area.
Last week, I shared with you my own health journey, and how it not only improved my body, but also my sense of purpose.
Part of that purpose is my passion for helping others improve their own health and wellness. That process begins by understanding the Five Buckets of Health and Wellness: Mindfulness, Nutrition, Exercise, Sleep and Community.
MINDFULNESS:
There is so much content about mindfulness, but true change can’t begin without your mindset being in the right place. You are the creator of your reality, and while you can lose 10 lbs. briefly, a permanent change can’t stick without a mental shift. There are several ways to achieve this: through quiet relaxation, meditation, and being conscious of the things that are around you. Two daily practices that I incorporate are “letting go” and “meditation”. In “letting go”, I say good-bye to at least one thing that I am not using and donate, recycle, or throw away.
Your environment is a reflection of your mindset, and excess clutter impacts your ability to cut through the noise. As for meditation, there are several apps, websites, and meetups that can guide you, as well as explain the health benefits. Your mind and body will appreciate you slowing down and taking a moment to tend lovingly to yourself. After all, your ability to manage stress will directly affect your health.
Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.
– C. G. Jung
NUTRITION:
improving your nutrition:
▪ Eat more vegetables
▪ Eat organically
▪ Avoid fried foods & fillers.
▪ Trim back on sugar!
▪ Take high-quality supplements.
Our country is suffering from rising rates of obesity and Type 2 diabetes, in large part due to horrible diets. Mental health is also directly related to nutrition, and much of our population is stressed or in crisis. As a Lyme and pre-diabetes survivor, I had to make dramatic changes in my diet to improve my health.
Personally, I am gluten and dairy-free, while following a low-sugar regimen. However, my first recommendation to anyone is to get your annual blood work done and adapt your diet based on your own results. Supplements can also boost your immune system.
Some easy ways to improve your nutrition: Eat more vegetables – at least 6 distinct servings of 6 different veggies most days of the week. Eat organically on a budget by spending only on items that you consume the outside of – aka, go organic for strawberries, but regular avocados are ok. Avoid fried foods and empty fillers such as potato chips. Trim back on sugar and take high-quality supplements.
EXERCISE:
Exercise is critical in any health and wellness program. You should contact a professional before starting any major program, but here are some quick tips:
▪ Exercise at least 4 times a week while varying your workouts – include aerobic exercise.
▪ Exercise outside if possible – vitamin D from sunshine boosts your immunity.
▪ When you can’t make a class or a workout session, walk! Walk your dog or your neighbor’s dog – heck, you might even get paid to do it! Walk up the stairs instead of elevators, and park farther from any door . . . you’ll find ways to get 10,000 steps in.
SLEEP:
We all need to rest and recharge. I tend to need 7 hours a night to feel my best. Your own best amount may vary; however, set a regular bedtime, and wake up at the same time each day as well. Consistency will aid in healthier sleep and the ability to plan your life better.
COMMUNITY:
Though not a necessary prerequisite to success, a supportive, positive social group brightens the journey to better health and smooths the road to your success. Participate in group classes, meetups, and find healthy friends. Remember, you are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with. If you are spending time with people who mutually respect and support you, you will make better, healthier choices. I actively try to shake myself up and question what I think I know. I seek out mentors, lots of them. We all know people who have achieved what we want to do – go out and friend, follow, or learn from them.
You can always learn from history as well. I regularly read books — the more, the better. In 2017, one of the books that stirred me most was Think and Grow Rich, in which the author created his own “board of advisors”, such as Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Edison. As an ENTP personality on the Meyers-Briggs scale, I am motivated by fellow ENTP Walt Disney, and will ask myself: “What would Walt do?”. It may be helpful for you to discover your own personality type, and who you might look to for well-aligned inspiration. Whatever your sources of insight might be, the best advice is choosing to love yourself, reflecting that you are constantly evolving human.
Elizabeth’s Four Simple Steps to Success in Health and Prosperity:
- Have a plan. Most of us set goals, but try to bite-size the big ones into tangible weekly/monthly goals. For example, just set a goal of losing 1 lb a week. That’s 52 lbs in one year and you won’t starve along the way.
- Re-assess on a regular basis. Life isn’t static and neither is a health journey. You as a person are constantly evolving, and your health likely will, too. Get regular check-ups to monitor your health and reassess as needed. Perhaps you’re seeking more work-life balance, or want to do a triathlon – set your goals based on where you are. Force yourself to make deliberate choices based on how you want to align your priorities, and you can adjust them in accordance with your circumstances.
- Be positive. A negative attitude won’t get you anywhere, so if it’s time for a change, make one. Check in with yourself regularly, and acknowledge what’s not working before it starts to impact your motivation.
- Hold yourself accountable. This is both big-picture and day-to-day. Make conscious choices every single day on how you distribute your time to your career, friends, family, and yourself.
Health is a dance of continuous motion. By applying sound judgment and making time for wellness, you will see an impact on success on other parts of your life. For the first time in as long as I can remember, I am filled with excitement and anticipation for the new year. Here’s to new beginnings, to lessons learned, and to finding your health. I write this in the hopes that it helps you to have more health while you achieve your goals in 2018!
Elizabeth Quintanilla is a positive, creative, people-oriented, performance-driven Marketing Gunslinger. As a consultant and speaker, she focuses on understanding the customer perspective and consults on a variety of topics: online technologies and strategies, social business, marketing (traditional, online, social, content, Go-To-Market), product marketing, and demand generation. She has a broad-base of experience in multiple industries including: aerospace, franchise, IT, software, and real estate. As an expert communicator, she explains complex concepts in understandable terms and delivers high-quality creative solutions to ensure product and customer success.
Another #StoutSHOUT from us to Ms. Quintanilla for sharing her inspiring journey and purpose with our readers. Read on for our #STOUT takeaways, and click here to read more on fresh starts from Stout Magazine.
#Stout Takeaways from Part II of Quintanilla’s journey:
Body and Mind are Interdependent: When something is off with your body, it impacts your ability to think clearly and operate effectively. Conversely, when you are stressed and distracted, your energy is sapped and you can easily become physically ill. If you truly want to obtain your goals, you must take top care of both parts of yourself – doing half the job means that you will only be half as successful as you could be.
It Takes Time to Make Time: More sleep. Working out. Meeting up. People often skip these things believing that they do not have time for them. The irony is that when you are rested, happy and healthy, you operate more efficiently – meaning that you have time for self-care in addition to reaching your success goals.
Control Your Life Instead of Letting It Control You: It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the personal and professional demands on our time. When that happens, people get caught in an endless cycle of living task to task, with no big picture in sight. To lead a purpose-driven life, you must be able to move forward in a clear, focused direction instead of frantically fighting fires as they pop up around you. Strengthening your delegation skills – as well as your ability to say no – can be a first step towards regaining control.
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