​We are deep into Summer at this point, how’s it going?  When you think of Summer, what comes to mind and what are you doing to bring those thoughts to reality?  Before it gets noticeably darker earlier and the crickets have quieted, consider any or all of the following:
 

• Run through a sprinkler
• Ride a bike
• Bite into a juicy peach or a slice of watermelon
• Sit on a porch and read a book
• Swing in a hammock and really relax
• Chase after the ice cream truck and enjoy a sweet treat
• Sip a glass of something that “says” Summer to you  (rose, iced tea, lemonade)
• Create something with chalk (a hopscotch board, a mantra written out, etc.)
• Dine alfresco
• Light a sparkler
• Fly a kite
• Enjoy an outdoor concert
• Watch a sunrise

 
Go ahead, give yourself permission to soak up all the season has left to offer and get a taste of simple joy.

Welcome to the second ½ of 2019.  Before you dive into a  Summer mindset (which is highly recommended), take a few minutes to check-in with yourself and your intentions.  Here are a few questions to consider asking yourself for an honest review:
 
What were my intentions when 2019 started?
 
Why did I select these intentions?
 
How am I doing in regard to fulfilling the intentions (or goals or resolutions)?
 
Which intentions are still meaningful to me and why?
 
What intentions am I sticking with or re-setting for the next 6 months?
 
How will I be mindful of these intentions?
 
What small actions can I commit to, so that my intentions realized?
 
 
Remember to check-in from time to time, take note of your highlights and yes, check-out from time to time for optimal health and balance.

When the sun rises, are you ready for the day or ready to hit the snooze button a few more times? If “morning person” has never been a way you would describe yourself, consider incorporating one or all of the following into your routine:
 

• Set a bedtime alarm.  Decide what time you really need to go to bed to get enough sleep to actually feel rested in the morning.  Now set your “it’s time to get ready for bed” alarm 30 minutes before that time.  When the alarm goes off, power down all electronics, get ready for bed and be in bed by your newly self- designated bedtime.
• Avoid fashion frustration.  Laying out what you will wear, (be it your gym clothes and or your clothing for the day), the night before, can save time and frustration in the morning. 
• Use an alarm clock. Go old school, stop using your phone right before you go to bed.
• Flip your opening lines.  Those first thoughts you say to yourself when you wake up (“I am so tired” or “I’m so stressed”) can significantly impact your energy levels for the day.  Try changing the script to something more positive.  Until it becomes habit, stick a reminder note on your nightstand.
• Hello sunshine.  When you get up, open the shades immediately.  Natural light flips your brains switch from sleepy to awake. And if the sun isn’t up yet, turn on the lights to get as much bright light in the room as possible.
• Stretch. Reach for the sky, now your toes, side to side and take a few deep breaths.  These simple moves alerts your body that its time to get up and going.
• Delay. Even a quick phone check can drain precious morning time and energy. If you start your day on your device, more than likely, you are starting it out in a reactive way.  Claim your morning as yours, and keep your device off for the first 15-30 minutes you’re awake.
• Chug. Ok, not really…sip a glass of water (add lemon if you like).  Starting your day with some pure hydration sets a healthy foundation for the day.
• Make your bed.  This simple action, can bring a sense of calm, control and might take you out of sleep-mode.
• Enjoy breakfast.  Providing your brain and your body with some fuel in the morning can boost alertness, moderate energy swings and may even control hunger waves later in the day.  Whole grains and berries are both full of fiber, add some protein and possibly even some healthy fat and you are set for success and satisfaction.

 
You may never be a natural “morning person”, but with a few tweaks to your routine, you can master your morning and set yourself up for whatever the day throws your way.

Does the thought of a digital detox give you the shakes?  We all know that more and more of our time is devoured by tech and it isn’t exactly terrific for our health.  But total abstinence (did you know that 71% of Americans sleep with their smart phones?!) is not required, just a little unplugging from time to time. Consider one or any of the following smart phone strategies:
 
Phone pause.  Wait and consider why you have the impulse to reach for the phone, is it  (habit, are you  lonely or an escape?  Be intentional about checking your phone.
 
Time out.  Set a timer for 10 minutes, turn your phone facedown and don’t touch it until the timer goes off.  Then check and repeat , if possible.  Try and increase to 11 minutes, 12 or 20.
 
Solo screening. Stop second screening; watching TV while scrolling on your phone.  Practice just doing one thing
 
Prioritize.Turn off all notifications except phone calls and text, This makes it realistic if someone really needs to get in touch with you
 
Phone diet. Technology is not on the menu, don’t check, look or play with your phone during a meal or all meals.
 
Spring clean. Temporarily delete a few social media apps and games and see if you really miss them.
 
Go ahead and dial back your phone use and see how you feel and connect differently with others.

Peanut butter and jelly, chips and salsa or a burger and fries are classics. These combinations are delicious and we tend to gravitate to them.  Other foods are simply tasty and good for you on their own, but make them part of a pair and they offer special health benefits. Consider incorporating one or more of the following into your next meal or snack:
 
Banana & Yogurt – Yogurt is rich in probiotics (the stuff that improves the levels of good bacteria in your gut).  Banana is chock full of prebiotics, or plant fibers.  Combine them and it is a win-win for your GI tract. Try them in your next smoothie.
 
Avocado & Tomato – The good fat  (monounsaturated) in the avocado promotes the absorption of lycopene (a powerful antioxidant), which helps calm inflammation.  Decreasing inflammation can lower your risk of many ailments from your brain to your heart to your joints. Include both in your next bowl or burrito.
 
Strawberry & Peanut butter – Bursting with vitamins  on their own(C found in the strawberries and E found in peanut and all nut butters), yet combine them and they become a powerhouse as the C helps with the absorption of the E.  Reducing cell damage as we age are the benefits of this pairing.  Update your pbj by swapping the jelly with fresh strawberries.
 
Chickpeas & Garlic – Absorbing iron from plant proteins is harder than from animal proteins, but adding some garlic to the garbanzos can boost the iron you get.  Increase your iron and energy with this combo. Enjoy some garlic hummus today.
 
Turmeric & Black Pepper – Although these two are spices, not food, they are too impactful not to ihighlight.  Turmeric is “the” current spice darling of the anti-inflammatory diet.  Although the bioactivity of turmeric is low, but when it is combined with black pepper it manifests into a nutritional powerhouse.  Include black pepper in your next batch of curry.
 
So many things in our lives are better when done together.  Bon Appetite!

We often tell others to wait a minute.  What if when we said that, we actually meant it?  What if we took thatminute and did something for ourselves? Wait, what? How can 60 seconds have any kind of impact?  Try any or all of the following and see for yourself what a minute can do for you.
 
- Step outside for a dose of Vitamin Nature
Bonus points for doing it first thing in the morning
 
- Text a friend for connection
        - Bonus for making yourself and or your friend laugh
 
- Indulge in an exercise snack
        - Bonus points for doing something you enjoy…dance, jump, skip, etc.
 
- Brain dump on paper  
        - Bonus of taking a tech timeout and relieving some stress
 
- Hello hydration. Sip some water or some wine 
        - Bonus points for refilling a reusable water bottle but not your wine glass
 
 
- Share some gratitude
        - Bonus points if you include yourself in that gratitude
 
- Wash your hands well, really well
        - Bonus for using soap
 
- Engage your sense of smell
        - Bonus for using essential oils, plants or baked goods
 
- Inhale and exhale. Then do it again and again, and again
        - Bonus points for pausing between and after each inhale and exhale

No need to wait, go take a minute and see how the time adds up for you and your health.
 

​Are you in the mood or in a mood?   Things don’t always go as we plan or wish and it can easily seduce us into a negative attitude. To regain a more positive perspective, try one or several of the following strategies:
 

• Ruminate. Recall a win or something positive that you excel at.  This type of confidence boost can shift your focus from the negative to the positive. 

 

• Move.  Just 300 seconds of getting up and moving around can shift your mood.

 

• Write. When worry hijacks your day and brain, write your worries down.  Set a timer for no longer than 15 minutes and put it down on paper.

 

• Recharge. Just do it… something you enjoy like reading, painting or walking.   

 

• Breathe. Seriously, just breathe for 1 minute.  It clears your head and reenergizes your spirit.

 

• Love. Show yourself some and treat yourself to a longer shower, a specialty drink or some time in nature.

 

• Mantra.  Repeating a positive affirmation can snap you into a better mindset.

 
So next time before a headache gets you, get in and stay in the mood…a positive mood.

Wait.  Is that a typo, don’t you mean weight?  After all, it is January.  It is normally the time for resolutions that we often make with out one bit of a reality check.  So, this year, wait.  Consider waiting and integrating any of the following into your new years planning:
 
Wait to pick up tech.  Delay engaging with your phone, computer or TV and take a few extra moments to be in the present moment.
 
Wait to say something.  Think before you respond to someone or something that either rubbed you the wrong way or needs your full attention and thought. 
 
Wait to eat.  Consider giving your digestive system some time off for a few hours between dinner and breakfast.
 
Wait, what?  Is a book, by James E. Ryan to consider reading to learn about some of the best essential life questions to ask.   And yes, “wait, what?” is a key question to ask when you are curious to learn more.
 
Wait to say yes.  By waiting to say yes, you are not saying no, but rather giving yourself the time to determine if saying yes is what you really want to and can do.
 
Wait a minute.  Pause.  Take a breath. Repeat a mantra. Give yourself a minute, whenever you need it (and ideally, before you need it!)
 
Wait on setting goals.  Take some time as you get past the holidays and think about what is really important and meaningful for you.  Identify the one thing that if doing that/making that change will have the greatest impact on you and your life and consider how to best (i.e. realistically, a small step at a time)) accomplish it.
 
 
Now, wait a little more and see what you really want, need and deserve in 2019.

It’s December and without a doubt, it is the month that can begin to cause turmoil.  The holiday “energy” that burns throughout this month, can interrupt our healthy routines.  This year, instead of the holidays disrupting you, consider disrupting them by engaging in any or all of the following:
 
Meetings. Schedule time to take care of yourself and treat them like meetings that you cannot miss.
 
Drink.  Consume lots of water…with bubbles or without, with a twist on the rocks or straight up.
 
Move.  Get up and move more often.  Try it in short bursts throughout the day, no sweat or gym is necessary. Dancing highly recommended.
 
Snack.  Wait, what?  Snack before a big meal or party.  Combine a little protein with a complex carb and or some fiber in and you will be able to navigate the buffet table with a bit more restraint.
 
Re-Cycle.  No need to shop for new clothing, wear something you already love and own. 
 
Lighten Up.  Modify a (note: not all!) holiday dish with some extra veggies (think adding some mashed cauliflower to the mashed potatoes) or update a drink with some flavored seltzer.  
 
Delegate.  Split the chores, the shopping, the baking, the cooking or some of the planning.  Ask for help.
 
Relax.  It seems so simple, but we often forget to relax/chill/let stuff go as the momentum of the holidays kicks in.  
 
 
Are you ready to be a disruptor?  Go for it and see how staying healthy can actually happen for you during the holidays.

Your vote counts. November is a time that we all will consider what we want, need and deserve in our lives.  You can elect to make the commitment to live a life that is abundant in healthy opportunities and benefits.  Consider putting any or all of the following on your personal ballot:
 
Connect.  The people we spend time and connect with can be a greater determinant to health than obesity, smoking and high blood pressure. As we age, socialization continues to be critically important to our overall well-being. Several studies have shown that people who are more social get sick less and have healthier minds. 
 
Create.  Design your nutritional intake for what works for you and your body, not by what the newest study or fad proposes. Commit to those foods that fuel you.
 
Calm. Focus on lowering your stress by enjoying those things or activities that you truly enjoy; yoga, reading, cooking, talking, taking a bath and journaling. Say yes to yourself more often and schedule time to return to a calm state.
 
Cultivate.  Develop ways to move more. Live a movement inspired lifestyle. Walk, dance, skip, ride, scooter, sit less. 
 
Go ahead, vote for yourself for a lifelong appointment that is worth running for and towards.