Better Health
Better Health is about Parents keeping and improving how they look and feel as they deal with bullying. One of the best ways to help your child is to help yourself. If you are not healthy or suffer from depression or low self esteem your child will feel the effects of your sufferring no matter how hard you try to hide it.
HOW TO move towards Better Health
The road to better health is not always a straight line. Many years ago I had my first gall bladder attack. (More about me.) My husband was away at work and I had two babies at home under the age of 3. I thought I was having a heart attack... A Hundred thanks to a good friend Ingrid who took me to the hospital and arranged for the care of my children. It was very scary and as is true with most scary things it was the beginning of something. After a year of struggling with eating differently and nasty cleanses I finally had my gall bladder removed.
Then my 'real' health issues began. I have since learned soooooo very much about the do's and don't's of staying healthy. It is not going to happen all at once...and here I go coaching you again...but I want you to breath this in and let yourself off the hook. There is no magic Genie who can come and make you feel better...lose weight or get fit. You are on your own...with me as your Coach of course.
STEP ONE: You are what you eat
I know, I know...you have heard it a thousand times.
Guess What?
That is because it is true.
Sorry, to be the bearer of bad news.
Everything you put in your mouth matters. One of my favourite 'treats' is Tim Horton's frosted cinnamon bun. YUUUUMMMY. Until I found it had more calories than a big mac and was causing an allergic reaction in my body. It was a double whammy for me. It was useless calories AND made me sick.
I discovered I am 100% lactose intolerant (apparently most adults are to some degree) and I had 33 food intolerances including wheat, oranges, celery, almonds and flax seed. Some of the very things I was trying to eat to get healthy were basically poisoning me.
I am just now after a year of tests and scopes starting to feel better. How can you do better?
a) Pay attention to how the food you are eating makes you feel. If you suspect food allergies/intolerances get your blood tested.
b) STOP DIETING: The only way you will look and feel better is if you choose a healthy Life Style. Everyone of us has different heritage meaning our ancestors all ate differently and we all have slightly different metabolisms because of it. That is why the big fad diets fail so often. They are cookie cutter, one size fits all. Embrace your unique heritage and develop an eating lifestyle that makes you look and feel good.
c) Start your day with a glass of water and lemon. A little trick I learned from my coach. It helps to balance your bodies acidity level.
d) Eat 70% fruit and veggies and 30% lean protein. This will take some experimentation. For example I cannot eat Raw vegetables. My stomach has serious difficulties digesting them so I always boil, blanche, steam, BBQ or Roast. My current favourite is roasted veggies with just a little olive oil and balsalmic vinegar...YUM ! There is an excellent website that helps to make healthy food taste great.
Visit www.vegancoach.com for great advice and recipes.
STEP TWO: Get Enough sleep
I have been diagnosed with Sleep Apnea... I have two children. I know what sleep deprivation feels like and believe me when you can get enough sleep it is like someone turned on the lights in a very foggy world.
Every one has a natural rhythm and you may think you are getting enough sleep...
TRY THIS TEST:
Here is a little test. If you are using an alarm clock you are not getting enough sleep !! Or if you wake up to your alarm and are sluggish and have to have coffee to get going...You are not getting enough sleep.
Creative Sleep Solutions
1) No TV/tech gear (yes including your phone) before bed. It has been shown the light from these devices can trick your body into thinking it is still day making it harder to get to sleep as your body does not produce the hormones necessary to get to sleep.
2) Go to bed and get up at the same time everyday. I know this is a drag on holidays and it is ok to get out of schedule sometimes. Just use this as a general rule.
3) Change your sleeping position. If you suffer from sleep apnea it can make a huge difference if you sleep on your side. This made a huge difference for me.
STEP THREE: DEAL WITH STRESS
You will experience better health if you deal with Stress as it can cause a mountain of health problems.
I know something about you. YOU ARE STRESSED !!
You should know the signs of stress in advance and if you don't believe me try this quiz.
How could you not be? Your child is dealing with bullying and that is stressful.
There is lots of information about stress and how it effects us and what you can do about it starting with Understanding it and then some tips on managing it right here on this site.
Besides bullying there are other triggers you may want to consider as well.
I always turn to my coach as she can help me sort real stress from the stuff I make up in my own head. A reality check can really help and she generally reminds me of all the great skills I have to cope as well as direct me to new strategies.
I would be happy to help you in the same way.
STEP FOUR: MOVE YOUR BODY
I hate exercise. I know it is a huge part to better health and I know hate is a strong word but seriously, it hurts and I never get that "feel good" after wards. However, we have to move our bodies or they get fat and lazy. Fact of life and the older you get the worse it gets.
TRY PLAYING
** As with any suggestion to get more exercise please be sure to consult a physician before you begin**
1) Play Games: Think about what you liked to do as a kid. Skipping, swimming, soccer and badminton all come to mind. Get your kids to help you and only do what is comfortable.
2)Get Creative: I like Yoga and I like to dance. So I combined them and now do YOGANCE...should probably trade mark it....LOL
But you get the idea. Enjoy a walk with friends to socialize or a romantic walk with your partner. Find ways to make moving your body FUN.
BETTER HEALTH MADE EASY
NOT, I am not going to tell you Better health is EASY. Although popular opinion would have you believe otherwise. I am your Coach and as such will always be truthful. Making life changes so you look and feel good is not going to be easy. We all know changing our behaviors and thinking patterns that lead us to those actions can be hard.
You can have better health and sometimes like adding a glass of lemon water it can be easy. If you are struggling with looking and feeling better and want to be a good role model for your child I can help.
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