I hope you are focusing on Habit #4 this month, eating clean. It’s one of the pillars of longevity. And it’s so fundamental to taking complete control of your overall health & wellness.

Before continuing, let’s recap WHAT we are doing with these habits and WHY we’re doing it.

I have dedicated the first 6 months of the year to 6 healthy habits. Habits that I believe to be important and necessary for living a longer, more fulfilling life. Little things that will have a significant, positive impact on improving your health & wellness.

Although we started in January, which is a time when everyone is thinking and talking about making changes with resolutions and goals, this is something you can start at any time – like NOW! You can link back to the first post of the year by clicking here.

You may be asking “Why are we taking it so slow?”. Here’s why.

Habits take time to develop or change. This includes reinforcing the good ones you want to build or maintain. Along with the bad ones you want to eliminate.

There’s no quick fix. Good habits require focus, discipline, determination, and a strong desire. They also require time.

Think about a good habit that’s part of your routine. Something you do every day for example. Well what happens if you go on vacation for a week, or break your normal routine in some way? If you’re not focused on that habit, you may find that after only a few days, your habit has been “forgotten”. Can you relate?

A similar thing can occur when life happens. Where you’re dealing with personal and professional priorities. If you don’t prioritize “yourself”, you may find that you’re busy chasing other people’s priorities. With little to no time (or energy) to tackle your own.

Before you know it, 1 year (or 5 or 10 years) has gone by. And worse. You may even find that you’re out of shape and overweight, wondering “How did this happen?”.

I am trying to help prevent this from happening to you. Or if it already has, help you turn it around by building a few key behaviors that will make a lasting impact.

By the way, I realize that you may have some current habits that will be difficult to break. And that some of these new habits may be difficult for you to make. You may also not like what I have to say. Like to stop eating fast food, fried foods, and high calorie/low nutrient processed foods. Or to drink more water, eat more fruits & veggies, and exercise.

So I guess it all depends on how intense your desire to get healthy is. AKA: your WHY and the price you’re willing to pay.

This week I want to talk about superfoods.

Superfoods are typically nutrient-dense, containing high levels of essential vitamins and minerals. And it’s far better to get your vitamins directly from food than from supplements.

Superfoods are also usually rich sources of antioxidants. Which means they protect our bodies from cell damage and help to prevent disease. They’re also high in fiber. Which is helpful for lowering blood cholesterol, maintaining a healthy weight, and lowering your risk of diabetes and heart disease.

There are quite a few documented “superfoods”. You’ve probably seen plenty of lists. So I will spare you from yet another list of the Top “X” superfoods, including obscure ones like Goji berries and hemp seeds. And instead, I will “list out” some of my favorites, with links to a few lists that provide a brief overview of each along with their respective benefits. Like:

• Broccoli (and other dark, leafy greens including kale and spinach)
• Berries (blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries – and sure, Goji berries)
• Walnuts (including almonds, and other nuts and seeds)
• Fish (especially those high in Omega 3 fatty acids like salmon and tuna)
• Poultry
• Olive Oil
• Fruit (including apples, bananas, avocados, kiwi, cantaloupe…)
• Whole Grains (oatmeal, quinoa, brown rice, whole wheat…)
• Beans (including lentils, black, white, kidney…)
• Wine 😉 (in moderation of course)

Here are a few articles I found to be informative and helpful. As I’ve said over and over, I am not into specific diets. But I found the Consumer Reports article interesting despite the reference to the MIND diet. I’ve provided the links below:

• http://www.consumerreports.org/food/brain-foods/
• http://www.naturalnews.com/042474_amazing_superfoods_nutritious_diet_healthy_lifestyle.html
• http://www.med.umich.edu/umim/food-pyramid/fats.html
• http://www.consumerreports.org/diet-nutrition/new-year-s-health-eating1/

How many superfoods are part of your daily nutrition plan? The more the better. Let’s try to add a few this week as part of our new eating clean habit.

Thank you for sharing your time with me. I’d love for you to let me know what you think by leaving a comment. Is the content valuable and helpful? Did anything resonate? Will you take action? What else would you like to see in future posts?

If you know someone that can benefit from this content, I’d be eternally grateful if you would share this with them. And if you like what you see, you can SUBSCRIBE for automatic updates, LIKE US on Facebook, and spread the word about www.thin2win.net with your friends, family and social circles.

Let’s stop for a minute to do an energy check. First off, what time of day is it? Now I’d like you to think about your energy level. Are you feeling alert and productive? How about energized and creative? Or would you instead describe yourself as stressed, in a funk, and having trouble focusing on the task at hand? Perhaps a little sleepy?

At some point in the day, the latter is a common description of most of us. Some of this depends on the type of work you do. But the amount of sleep you got the night before matters too. And your activity level and physical condition can make a difference.

None of us are super-human, despite what we may think sometimes. And most of us are dealing with some level of stress; whether it be personal, professional, or self-inflicted. It’s not an excuse, it’s just a fact. So we need to do everything possible to ensure that we are showing up as our best “selves”, energized and productive.

We all know the importance of getting 7 to 9 hours of good quality sleep every night. But sometimes that’s not possible. Yet even when we do get enough sleep, life and hectic work schedules can demand more from us than we have to give.

And it’s during these times that we can help ourselves by taking a short “power nap”.

Here’s what some of the experts have to say:

• Wikipedia: A power nap is a short sleep which terminates before the occurrence of deep sleep or slow-wave sleep (SWS), intended to quickly revitalize the subject.
• WebMD: A power nap will boost your memory, cognitive skills, creativity, and energy level.
• “Daytime naps can be one way to treat sleep deprivation”, says Sara C. Mednick, PhD, sleep expert and author of Take a Nap! Change Your Life. “You can get incredible benefits from 15 to 20 minutes of napping,” she says. “You reset the system and get a burst of alertness and increased motor performance. That’s what most people really need to stave off sleepiness and get an energy boost.”
• According to David Radcliffe, Vice President of Google’s Real Estate & Workplace Services says “No workplace is complete without a nap pod. We found that the five-minute to 15-minute power nap, works on Sunday before you watch the football game, why not here at work?”
• Best-selling author Michael Hyatt says “The secret to becoming more productive is not managing your time but your energy.”

“I love a good nap. Sometimes it’s the only thing gettin’ me out of bed in the morning.” ~ George Costanza

It’s unfortunate that napping carries such a negative stigma (thanks George!). Like you’re lazy, unmotivated, or just wasting time. But nothing could be further from the truth.

A power nap can make you more alert and productive. Otherwise, you could find that You’re Sleeping Your Life Away.

There is plenty written about power naps. And so my goal is to bring more of an awareness to it. Helping you realize the value, benefits, and even the necessity of making time for them whenever possible.

I’d like to share some articles and resources:

1. wikiHow – How To Power Nap: http://www.wikihow.com/Power-Nap
2. Business Insider – How To Take The Perfect Power Nap At Work: http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-take-the-perfect-power-nap-at-work-2014-4
3. Huff Post – How To Power Nap For All-Day Energy: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/15/power-nap-all-day-energy_n_5798256.html
4. Prevention – The Weird Benefit of Power Naps: http://www.prevention.com/health/sleep-energy/how-your-brain-benefits-power-nap
5. Great article by Michael Hyatt – 5 Reasons Why You Should Take A Nap Every Day: http://michaelhyatt.com/why-you-should-take-a-nap-every-day.html
6. And how about a little humor? A short clip from Seinfeld – Season 8, Episode 18: The Nap – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W__qCFWi1KA

So what do you think? Have you benefited from power naps in the past? Or have you learned something here that may help you moving forward? Your input matters so let me know.

Thank you for sharing your time with me. I’d love for you to let me know what you think by leaving a comment. Is the content valuable and helpful? Did anything resonate? Will you take action? What else would you like to see in future posts?

If you know someone that can benefit from this content, I’d be eternally grateful if you would share this with them. And if you like what you see, you can SUBSCRIBE for automatic updates, LIKE US on Facebook, and spread the word about www.thin2win.net with your friends, family and social circles.

Ohhhmmmm……

So far this month we’ve covered why sleep is important to your overall health and wellness. And what happens when you don’t get enough sleep. This week we’ll take a peek inside our own mind.

I am always looking for new ways to relax and recharge. Life moves pretty quickly, and it can be stressful at times. Stress isn’t necessarily a bad thing. But it can become unhealthy if we let it get the best of us for too long. Or if we don’t find a way to deal with it.

Depending on the type of stress you’re dealing with, you can try to find relief in a number of ways. You could for example:

• Go for a walk or a run.
• Exercise.
• Read a book.
• Listen to music.
• Take a vacation.
• Do something that interests you like gardening, playing cards, woodworking, knitting…

Notice that checking email or Facebook didn’t make the list. That just adds to your stress, or serves as a mind-numbing, time-sucking distraction in my book.

But hey, if checking Facebook or other social sites helps you find peace, then who am I to say it’s a bad thing. Just keep an eye on the time you spend focusing on others, which is time that you’re depriving YOU from working on YOURSELF.

Today I’d like to help you discover another way to relax and recharge. How? Through meditation.

I find that meditation is somewhat of an abstract, elusive “thing”. Meaning that sometimes I may not feel an immediate result. Some days it may not feel like I’m doing it right. Or it could feel great one day, but the next I might struggle with calming my thoughts.

But overall I find it very relaxing and helpful. My favorite time to meditate is after a great workout. My mind seems to be in the perfect state to relax. All it takes is 15 minutes and I feel like a new person. Rejuvenated and ready to deal with just about anything.

If you’re not currently meditating, I would like to help you learn more about it. And hopefully influence you enough to give it a try. Or get you to give it another chance if you’ve tried it in the past.

And if it’s something that you actively do and benefit from, I would love to hear from you by leaving a comment or contacting me directly. We can all learn from each other.

I think it comes down to personal preference. So I will give you some of the methods I find beneficial. Which you can either try yourself, or use to find something more suitable to your taste. And it doesn’t have to be a rigid ritual or practice that requires formal training.

I’ve never been formally trained in this area, but I’ve read a few books over the years. At this time in my life I prefer guided meditations. There are countless smartphone apps and websites that offer “free” guided versions. So all you need is your smartphone, a pair of headphones, and a comfortable, distraction-free place to sit where you have privacy. BTW your car can be that place if necessary.

I would suggest that you Google “guided meditations” on your computer. Or search for the same in the App Store or Google Play Store. Listen to or preview a few until you find something that resonates with you based on the person’s voice, background music, and the type of content.

Something else I learned over 20 years ago was the power of solitude, which could also be considered a form of meditation. To sit in silence, distraction free for 15 to 20 minutes – with your eyes closed, without moving, and your phone in airplane mode.

If you’ve never tried this, you may find it extremely difficult to sit still the first few times. But it’s a great way to calm your mind and observe your thoughts. As you begin to relax, focus on your breathing or ambient noise.

It’s incredible the number of thoughts that appear when you slow down and observe. I challenge you to give it a try. Whether it’s to calm your thoughts. Or to find a solution to a challenging problem. The key is to remain uninterrupted so you can relax.

Here are a few resources that may help you discover the benefits of meditation.

1. WebMD article: http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/meditation-natural-remedy-for-insomnia
2. Huff Post article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/15/meditation-in-action-mindfulness-sleep_n_3586716.html
3. The Honest Guys website for free guided meditations: http://thehonestguys.co.uk/meditations.html
4. Mindful Muscle: http://www.mindfulmuscle.com

Thank you for sharing your time with me. I’d love for you to let me know what you think by leaving a comment. Is the content valuable and helpful? Did anything resonate? Will you take action? What else would you like to see in future posts?

If you know someone that can benefit from this content, I’d be eternally grateful if you would share this with them. And if you like what you see, you can SUBSCRIBE for automatic updates, LIKE US on Facebook, and spread the word about www.thin2win.net with your friends, family and social circles.

Wakey, wakey!

How do you feel when you don’t get enough sleep? Are you enthusiastic and upbeat; or irritable and lethargic? Do you feel like going for a workout; or lounging in front of the TV with a bag of chips? Are you productive and creative; or distracted and uninspired?

Think about the choices and decisions you’ve made when you’re were sleep deprived. Were they aligned with ones you would have normally made; or did they come back to haunt you at another time?

Like the bag of chips lounging in front of the TV…

You know where this is heading. And for good reason. Other than an extreme or unavoidable circumstance that may happen from time to time. Or a medical condition. You are in complete control of how much sleep you get every night. It’s your responsibility to make sure it happens. And it’s your fault when it doesn’t.

This week we’ll look at how sleep deprivation is costing us more than just wasted time and billions of dollars.

In Michael Hyatt’s blog post “4 Reasons Your Leadership Suffers When You Cheat Sleep”, he points out that the national average for the amount of sleep leaders get is five and a half hours a night. About 20% less than what most people think they’re getting. And it gets worse if the quality of your sleep is suffering.

He goes on by outlining his 4 reasons why not getting enough sleep is undermining your team. When you’re sleep deprived:

1. Your ability to focus your attention selectively is impaired.
2. Innovation and problem solving suffers.
3. Decision making skills decline.
4. Emotionally, feelings are expressed in a more negative way.

WebMD wrote about 10 Things to Hate About Sleep Loss. Here’s their list:

1. Sleepiness causes accidents.
2. Sleep loss dumbs you down.
3. Sleep deprivation can lead to serious health problems.
4. Lack of sleep kills sex drive.
5. Sleepiness is depressing.
6. Lack of sleep ages your skin.
7. Sleepiness makes you forgetful.
8. Losing sleep can make you gain weight.
9. Lack of sleep may increase risk of death.
10. Sleep loss impairs judgement, especially about sleep.

None of the items on either list are going to improve your life. In fact, it’s just the opposite that you can expect. Even more of a reason to make sleep a priority.

But what happens if you have a sleep disorder? According to the Consumer Reports ‘On Health’ publication, up to 70 million Americans may have a sleep disorder. And according to research published in the journal ‘Sleep Medicine’, more than 40 million don’t get a proper diagnosis or treatment. Jeeze!

They suggest that if you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, or can’t function normally, you should consult your primary care physician to identify or rule out illnesses that can affect sleep. Like depression and overactive thyroid. Otherwise it’s recommended that you see a board certified sleep specialist. They can determine if you’re suffering from a common sleep disorder, including:

1. Chronic insomnia.
2. Obstructive sleep apnea.
3. Restless legs syndrome.

Chronic insomnia affects roughly 10 to 15 percent of adults. It’s defined as trouble falling or staying asleep at least 3 times per week for 3 months or more. Lifestyle habits are evaluated including caffeine use, alcohol consumption, use of electronic devices close to bedtime, and medications taken.

Obstructive sleep apnea affects an estimated 25 million Americans. It results in numerous pauses in breathing during sleep. A sleep lab polysomnogram is recommended to properly diagnose this disorder.

Restless legs syndrome affects about 10 percent of American adults. Symptoms include leg sensations such as burning, a creepy-crawly feeling, throbbing, or an uncontrollable urge to move your legs.

We’ve covered a lot here. You need 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night. If you’re falling short, it’s up to you to take control. And if you’re one of the 70 million Americans with a potential sleep disorder, seek medical help. Your health and your life depend on it!

Thank you for sharing your time with me. I’d love for you to let me know what you think by leaving a comment. Is the content valuable and helpful? Did anything resonate? Will you take action? What else would you like to see in future posts?

If you know someone that can benefit from this content, I’d be eternally grateful if you would share this with them. And if you like what you see, you can SUBSCRIBE for automatic updates, LIKE US on Facebook, and spread the word about www.thin2win.net with your friends, family and social circles.

We’ve got 2 months behind us. And as the saying goes, “time flies when you’re having fun”.

I hope you’re in the groove with 4 weeks of exercise logged. This should equate to at least a dozen strength and cardio workouts. And I also hope that you’re still drinking the recommended amount of water every day? If you are, that’s excellent! If you’re not, the best time to start would be today. After all, what are you waiting for?

Remember, we are focusing on one new healthy habit per month for the following reasons:

1. To make it easy to focus on.
2. To give you time to make it your own habit.
3. To help you incorporate new habits over the coming months.

For month 3 we’re going to tone it down a little.

What?

You may be thinking, “But I thought we were here to work hard. I want to lose weight and get in great shape”. And you are correct. We are and you will. But stay with me because you’ll be able to accomplish this month’s habit with your eyes closed.

And that’s because our habit for Month 3 is SLEEP.

We will learn how getting the proper amount of rest will enable you to recharge your mental, physical, and emotional capacities so you can be your best and capable of doing more.

Do I have your interest? I hope so. You’re not gonna want to snooze through this one, so let’s get started.

Sleep is a major part of your health & wellness. In fact it’s the 3^rd pillar of health along with nutrition and exercise. According to the National Institutes of Health, “Sleep plays a vital role in good health and well-being throughout your life. Getting enough quality sleep at the right times can help protect your mental health, physical health, quality of life, and safety”.

In an article, “Why Is Sleep Important”, they discuss how getting the right amount of sleep can help your memory, and improve learning ability, problem-solving, creativity, focus and decision-making skills. So it’s obvious that if you don’t get enough rest, your abilities in these areas would be negatively impacted.

They go on to describe how sleep plays such an important role in your physical health. And that ongoing sleep deficiency increases your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, obesity, and even early death. I encourage you to read this brief article at: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/sdd/why.

So then this begs the question, “What happens when we sleep?”

Here’s what the National Sleep Foundation says:

“Sleep architecture follows a pattern of alternating REM (rapid eye movement) and NREM (non-rapid eye movement) sleep throughout a typical night in a cycle that repeats itself about every 90 minutes.”

They go on to illustrate the role each stage and state of sleep plays:

NREM (75% of night): As we begin to fall asleep, we enter NREM sleep, which is composed of stages 1-4

Stage 1

• Between being awake and falling asleep
• Light sleep

Stage 2

• Onset of sleep
• Becoming disengaged from surroundings
• Breathing and heart rate are regular
• Body temperature drops (so sleeping in a cool room is helpful)

Stages 3 and 4

• Deepest and most restorative sleep
• Blood pressure drops
• Breathing becomes slower
• Muscles are relaxed
• Blood supply to muscles increases
• Tissue growth and repair occurs
• Energy is restored
• Hormones are released, such as: Growth hormone, essential for growth and development, including muscle development

REM (25% of night): First occurs about 90 minutes after falling asleep and recurs about every 90 minutes, getting longer later in the night

• Provides energy to brain and body
• Supports daytime performance
• Brain is active and dreams occur
• Eyes dart back and forth
• Body becomes immobile and relaxed, as muscles are turned off

In addition, levels of the hormone cortisol dip at bed time and increase over the night to promote alertness in morning.

Sleep helps us thrive by contributing to a healthy immune system, and can also balance our appetites by helping to regulate levels of the hormones ghrelin and leptin, which play a role in our feelings of hunger and fullness. So when we’re sleep deprived, we may feel the need to eat more, which can lead to weight gain.

The one-third of our lives that we spend sleeping, far from being “unproductive,” plays a direct role in how full, energetic and successful the other two-thirds of our lives can be.

If sleep is cut short, the body doesn’t have time to complete all of the phases needed for muscle repair, memory consolidation and release of hormones regulating growth and appetite. Then we wake up less prepared to concentrate, make decisions, or engage fully.

It’s interesting to see what occurs during the various states and stages of sleep. But I think the last 3 paragraphs sum it up very well. (So scroll back up and re-read those last 3 paragraphs in bold)

The consensus from all of my research puts the recommended amount of sleep for adults between 7 to 9 hours per night.

Over the past few years since I’ve been focusing on getting at least 7 but preferably 8 hours of sleep every night, I can say with absolute certainty that getting enough sleep makes a big difference the next day in so many ways.

I hope you found this interesting. Next week we will try to put this into perspective by discussing what happens when you don’t get enough sleep. Until then, make sleep a priority and make sure that you are getting the recommended 7 to 9 hours per night.

If you schedule it, you have a much better chance of accomplishing it. And that may mean you have to go to bed a little earlier. But YOU are worth it, so take care of yourself and get some sleep!

Thank you for sharing your time with me. I’d love for you to let me know what you think by leaving a comment. Is the content valuable and helpful? Did anything resonate? Will you take action? What else would you like to see in future posts?

If you know someone that can benefit from this content, I’d be eternally grateful if you would share this with them. And if you like what you see, you can SUBSCRIBE for automatic updates, LIKE US on Facebook, and spread the word about www.thin2win.net with your friends, family and social circles.

My goal as we wrap up Habit # 2 is for you to see the value of exercise and to actually, well, be exercising. Learning about it is important. But taking action is paramount!

In this final post before we move on to Habit # 3, I would like to address a common problem that everyone faces from time to time. If you are a fitness veteran, then you will be able to relate. If you’re new to exercise, or you’re trying to get started again after many years off, the root of your problem is a little different. And we’ll address that at the end of this post.

So what’s the problem? One word… M-O-T-I-V-A-T-I-O-N.

You know, when you just don’t feel like going to the gym. And you look for reasons to justify why you shouldn’t. Sometimes it may even turn into a negotiation. If you can even call it that because you’re the one arguing both sides.

For the veterans in the group, motivation issues can be caused by reaching a plateau where your results taper off, and then lack of interest follows. Boredom can set in from doing the same exercises and routines over an extended period of time. You could be tired. Or if you’ve ever come back after an illness or injury, you know how difficult it can be to get started again.

Here are some suggestions. You can mix up your routine, get an exercise buddy, hire a trainer for a few sessions, or set shorter term mini goals to see results faster. Or you can just stay home. Yea, that’s right. Take the day off. Once in a while is okay. It could be your body giving you a signal that it needs a break. But that’s once in a while; not 2 to 3 times a week.

If you’re new to exercise and you’re finding it tough to get started, it could be due to a number of things which can include:

• Laziness.
• A weak goal.
• Lack of interest.
• Lack of confidence.
• Fear of the unknown.
• Insert your reason.

Here’s where a strong “why” comes to your aid. Forget about willpower. To overcome the inactivity, you need reasons why you want to and why you should – exercise. Or you can show up and take a page out of Nike’s playbook and “Just Do It!”.

Putting motivation aside for a minute. If you do not exercise or haven’t in years, we need to talk. I’m not here to pick on you. And I am certainly not here to judge. But I am here to help you recognize the necessity and the value of exercise. And to get you to take action.

So I’m about to get direct to make my point, in as respectful a way as I possibly can. While there is no guarantee that exercise will help you live a longer more enjoyable life, there is plenty of evidence and medical data that shows it helps. In fact, exercise has been proven to provide numerous benefits. We discussed some of them 2 weeks ago. You can link back here.

But in this post I am not going to focus on the benefits again. I’d prefer to look at it from the ‘other side’ to see if I can entice you to reconsider exercise. There’s a lot of proof out there from people that don’t exercise and make bad food choices. After years of abuse and neglect, you’ll find many of them in hospitals and cemeteries. Hey, I told you I was gonna get direct.

By continuing to not exercise, you run the risk of:

• Gaining weight (and getting fat).
• Being depressed and unhappy.
• Having a stroke or heart attack.
• Developing type 2 diabetes.
• Dying early.
• Enough said?

This is not a scare tactic. But feel free to use it as one if it gets you to start moving. We have one body and one life. It’s a gift that we should cherish and take very seriously.

Next week we will tone it down a little as we launch our 3rd Habit. If you’re working hard and feeling stressed, you’ll appreciate next month’s habit. In the meantime, get some exercise and keep drinking plenty of water.

Thank you for sharing your time with me. I’d love for you to let me know what you think by leaving a comment. Is the content valuable and helpful? Did anything resonate? Will you take action? What else would you like to see in future posts?

If you know someone that can benefit from this content, I’d be eternally grateful if you would share this with them. And if you like what you see, you can SUBSCRIBE for automatic updates, LIKE US on Facebook, and spread the word about www.thin2win.net with your friends, family and social circles.