HERE'S AT LEAST 4 GOOD REASONS TO MEDITATE

I love that scene from the movie, Eat Pray Love, where Julia Roberts, on her first day in India, tries to meditate.  After a seemingly never-ending amount of time, she looks up and sees she's only been at it for a minute--and her response is "Kill me now."  BUT she keeps working her way up and, eventually, she's able to meditate for several minutes at a time.

That's your take-away.  If you're just starting, it's okay if it's only a few minutes because eventually you'll work up to longer times.  Deepak Chopra recently told Oprah Winfrey that he meditates for 2 hours every day.  Yikes!  But he hurridly said that 15 or 20 minutes twice a day is fine.

It's preferable to meditate first thing in the morning, so you'll be energized and ready for anything your day dishes out. Sometimes that just isn't possible, though, so anytime late morning or afternoon is okay.  Nighttime, however, may not work; as much as meditation can energize you, it can also make you sleepy--and you just may be too tired at the end of the day. It's also probably better to sit, because if you lie down, you may doze off.

Here are 4 reasons you want to do it.

1.  You're silencing the mind, increasing concentration, focus and self-awareness.  You're a lot calmer and those daily challenges just seem easier to handle.

2.  Less stress.  You're letting go of a lot of things so, in effect, you're wiping the slate clean and starting fresh.

3.  Soul Connection:  I always thought there was something I wanted in my professional life, but one day while meditating I opened my eyes wide and said, "Well, that's not what I want at all!  This is!"

Here's the point:  We have both an ego and soul.  The ego is what gives us those negative thoughts, like being critical and judgemental, and those feelings of "I should"--even if it's not at all what you want. The ego is overly analytical, somewhat defensive--and is usually wrong.  The soul, on the other hand, is authentic and heart-centered, the true you.

4.  It just feels good.  Meditation makes you happier and healthier. I know when I meditate, it always feels like I'm taking a mini-vacation for my brain.

 

Still need more convincing?  Check out this great video (from YouTube) where Deepak Chopra explains meditation to Oprah Winfrey's audience on her Cable Show, "Super Soul Sunday, on the OWN Network.

 

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About Irene:  Irene Ross is a certified integrative nutrition and holistic wellness coach who helps people alter unhealthy habits so they can balance their lives.

 

Author of the e-book, Sugar's Sour Story, and of the forthcoming book, 25 Ways to Fire Up Your Day:  Increase Energy, Get More Done in Less Time, Balance Your Life, her website is: www.irenefross.com.

WHAT DO POSITIVE THINKING, MINDFUL EATING AND AN ABUNDANT MINDSET HAVE IT COMMON? YOUR OVERALL HEALTH, THAT'S WHAT!

Sometimes it seems that life is just serving one big sh*t sandwich--your car won't start, you burned out your computer, you just got a notice from your bank that you're overdrawn, you missed a crucial deadline....and the list goes on and on.  No matter what, though, it's important to remain positive--those negative thoughts will just keep you stuck in more negativity, fixed in that downward spiral, and keep you from moving forward. You also want to keep your body vibrational frequency up; science backs this-the human body vibrates at about 98 Hz, but it can go up or down with certain physical and emotional events. Here are some things you can do to raise your vibration and stay positive: 1. Treat yourself to a small amount of food you love, whether it's a cookie, cupcake, slice of pizza, small piece of chocolate, etc. It might seem a little counter intuitive to what we've all learned, but when you constantly live in that place of "I should," such as "I should never have...." you're actually lowering your vibration. That, in turn, can lead to resentment, anger, fear, depression--and THAT leads to emotional eating, cravings and a lot of other wellness challenges. Keep the treat small and keep it occasional--and you won't burst into flames or explode or anything. 2. Take some time out to play. If you have kids or pets (or can "borrow" some), don't be afraid to play with them--and get silly. 3. Get in the abundance mindset: When you think about it, abundance is really all around us--flowers, plants, water and other nature. Go for a walk and pay attention to this (Urbanites, get out of the concrete jungle and go to the park). Circling back to meditation, Deepak Chopra also recommends repeating this phrase: "Today, I behold all the abundance that surrounds me." If you can, pick some flowers--they vibrate at 400 Hz. 4. Compliment someone. My friend and colleague, Mark Carlson, recently told a wonderful story. Mark is working on his own personal transformational challenge and one day, he wasn't feeling too great. His energy was low and he was even kind of hating the gym. But someone came up to him--a person whom he hardly spoke to in the past 2 years--and told him how great he was looking. It made Mark's day--and I'll bet the other person also had a great one, too, because that kind of thing costs nothing, but tends to pay the highest in dividends... 5. Practice Gratitude: Someone once gave me an interesting challenge. At year's end in 2011, she told me to come up with 100 things for which I was grateful. "Are you kidding me?" I thought; as we all know, 2011 was hardly a shining, shimmering year. I took her up on the challenge (probably to prove her wrong), but I breezed right through the first 75 or 80 and, while the last ones were tougher, I still got through them easily. So every night, make a list of 3-5 things for which you are grateful; even the worst day has positive moments. And keep it in perspective. For example, while you might be chagrined about burning out your computer, there are probably a lot of people who WISH they had a computer in the first place to burn out. 6. Eat mindfully: It's easy to wolf food down without thinking, but everyone has a few moments to relax, breathe and eat in a quiet atmosphere; if you're at work and just can't get out, close the office door, turn off the computer and let the phone go to voicemail. Eat slowly and savor every morsel and texture. You'll be nourished, your digestion will thank you and your brain and stomach will have a chance to register satiety. 7. Keep a "success journal." Wow, we can be our own worst critics, beating ourselves up for every little miss-step. Keep a diary and write down every one of your achievements and successes, no matter how insignificant YOU might think it is (Chances are, it's not at all insignificant as you think.) Read the journal periodically, especially when you have a particularly bad day, so you can be reminded of just how terrific you really are.

How Can I Be Sure My Family Gets Their Required Servings of Vegetables and Fruit Per Day?

Yikes! What do the 7-13 servings of vegetables and fruit that we're supposed to get per day even look like? What if I'm so busy I don't have time to prepare healthy meals? How do I monitor my kid's diet when she's away from me during the day?

Well, here's how:

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  Spark your child's natural curiosity by letting him or her help out in the kitchen (no knives or dangerous tools, please) or even letting them grow their own little garden--even a small urban apartment has room for a small planter!
• Be Sneaky in a healthful way:  Blend and crush veggies and then sneak them in soups, sauces and other foods--wherever they can hide.
• We're all starving just before dinner, right? Use that to your advanage: A woman once told me that she was concerned about her 13-year-old daughter's weight--and rightly so, since we're now seeing kids with diabetes, high blood pressure, metabolic disease and the like. This woman had her daughter eat a big plate of veggies everynight before dinner so she wouldn't overeat at that meal. You can serve things before dinner like a big plate of raw veggies with a healthy dip, such as home-made hummus or salsa to keep them from reaching for the cookies, pretzels and other not-so-healthy items.
• Serve salad BEFORE the dinner entree, not AFTER (when people will already be satiated and probably won't feel like eating the salad)  Don't serve it DURING the meal, either; after all, if you had a choice between salad and pizza what would you choose?
• Take out an "insurance policy."  I like Juice Plus+ . It isn't a supplement; it's a whole food concentrate made up of 13 fruits and vegetables. No preservatives, no additives, just pure nutrition. Best of all, it comes in a chewable form, much like those "gummy bears" that appeal to very young kids. Actually, I had one of the super-busy days last spring when I went for over 13 hours without eating. I was starving and, while on the train, I realized I had a packet of the gummy bear-like Juice Plus+ chewables. So I wolfed it down; I got nutrition, but I'm sure anyone who saw thought I was eating candy.Want to know more about Juice Plus+? Please visit: www.irsharesjuiceplus.com

Why You Need Your ZZZ's

Everyone should aim for 7.5 or 8.0 hours of sleep at night, but millions of us don't get enough--and chronic sleep deprivation is one of the worse things that can affect us, damaging everything from our immune systems to making us injure ourselves.

 

In fact, sleep deprivation can actually make us GAIN weight, because it affects ghrelin, leptin and cortisol--all hormones that regulate appetite.

March 3-10, 2013 is National Sleep Awareness Week, so it is a good time to look at the things that can keep us tossing and turning.  Once we know exactly what the problem is we can, hopefully, do something about it.

 

·         Stress: Things like mind-chatter, impending deadlines and other events can make us toss and turn. Here’s where it is a cause, though; we awaken tired, anxious, irritable, depressed and lacking mental clarity—which means decreased or non-existent--coping mechanisms, adding to our ever-increasing stress load.

·         Pain: “If we consistently do not get enough rest it opens us up to the daily aches and pains we feel, as well as more serious injury,” said Michael Gazeleh, DC.  Guess what?  That pain keeps us awake.

·         Illness: The constant stress of sleep deprivation can trigger chronic and degenerative illnesses, but you also want to explore reasons for  not being able to stay asleep: “That might be caused by something like pain or even hunger,” said Dr. Peter Bongiorno, ND, Lac. “Hunger might either mean that there’s a problem with the liver or simply that the patient needs to eat a little more before bed.”

·         “The bedroom isn’t dark enough. Melatonin is the body’s natural substance that’s produced at night, and a decreased level results in lower immunity, increased risk of infection. “Even the slightest light can cause a decrease in melatonin  levels,” says Dr. Bongiorno ND, Lac

·         Pets.  I’m not passing judgment; in fact, I freely admit that I love sleeping with pets; to me, they’re like warm furry pillows.  However, the Mayo Clinic conducted a study finding that more than half of its patients seeking consultations at their sleep clinic were pet owners complaining of nightly sleep disturbances, caused by things like cover-hogging, kicking, growling, meowing, or even scratching.

 

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It's March--How Are You Doing With Your Wellness Goals?

We all do it, me included.  We make all these great promises:  To lose those last 5 pounds; learn to control our sugar cravings (By the way, I'll admit that I had a chocolate-dipped cookie today). We promise to exercise more, sleep better, spend time each day for meditation--the list goes on and on.

Then when it's just about this time of year, we forget about those resolutions--but we panic because Memorial Day, the unofficial start to summer, is just around the corner and we need to lose our winter weight--and fast.

You can still make 2013 your healthiest year ever, though. It just takes a little knowledge and a few easy fixes.

Remember that everything feeds us, not just what's on our plates.  We're also fed by things like rest and recreation, career, relationships, and more.  Our lives need to be in balance or we'll always be, well, sick and hungry.
But here are 5 things that can derail your wellness goals that you can do something about right now:

NOT GETTING ENOUGH SLEEP: A study by the Archives of Internal Medicine gave 153 people the rhino virus (common cold) by nose drop. It was found that those studied who got at least seven hours of sleep per night were 300% less likely to catch a cold. So here's the bottom-line: Sleep deprivation leads to exhaustion which can lead to chronic illnesses and injury. It also affects our weight, since sleep has a direct connection to 3 hormones that control appetite.
SKIPPING BREAKFAST: Breakfast breaks the overnight fast and will start your metabolism. If you skip breakfast, or any other meal, your body will think it is starving and will go into protection mode by lowering your metabolism. That means you could actually gain weight by not eating a meal and you’ll probably overeat at the next one, since your body will insist on making up those lost calories.
NOT PAYING ENOUGH ATTENTION TO THE TOXINS HIDDEN IN FOODS: For instance, those processed meats, like bacon, hot dogs, and sausage, have sodium nitrate, which have been linked to heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. Diet soda and artificial sweeteners can lead to prolonged exposure to aspartame, a neurotoxic chemical additive in these products that can result in nerve cell damage, dizziness, and headaches. Those mass-produced snacks, like crackers and cookies, usually use hydrogenated oils are used to lengthen the shelf life and are also associated with diabetes and heart disease.
TRYING TO FIGHT, RATHER THAN LEARN, ABOUT YOUR CRAVINGS: Cravings can give us brilliant information about our bodies. For instance, did you know that a sugar craving is often your body’s cry for energy? Deconstruct it—is that your body’s way of telling you to slow down, or engage in some stress reduction, or to relax and sleep a little more?? By the way, once you figure out what it’s telling you, the cravings will be eliminated—and the weight will start releasing.

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Want to learn how to control your cravings?  Sign up for my class, "3 Secrets to Kicking Those Sugar Cravings to the Curb in 30 Days" at: http://www.irenefross.com/3-secrets-to-kicking-those-sugar-cravings-to-the-curb-in-30-day 

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NOT EXERCISING ENOUGH: Anyone remember the episode of the television show "Everybody Loves Raymond" when Raymond becomes thrilled with the sudden, dramatic increase in his sex life--until he finds an exercise class flyer--featuring the photo of a very handsome instructor--on his wife's table. He thinks the instructor is the reason for her sudden interest but, when he confronts her, she says: "Has it ever occurred to you that I'm just feeling much better about myself these days?"

Exercise makes us feel better physically and mentally. It fights fatigue by carrying oxygen and nutrients to the cells and helps detoxify the body, by getting rid of toxins, accumulated wastes and poisons. It also improves our mood by releasing those natural, feel-good substances, endorphins which, in turn, also help us handle stress and sleep better.

ABOUT IRENE:

Irene Ross, CHHC, AADP is an integrative nutrition and holistic health coach, speaker and writer. 

She is author of the e-book, Sugar’s Sour Story, and of the forthcoming book, 25 Ways to Fire Up Your Day:Increase Energy, Get More Done in Less Time, Balance Your Life.

Her website is: www.irenefross.com..

Pets and Pounds: Not All That Different from Humans!

I'm an integrative nutrition and holistic wellness coach. I'm also a speaker, writer/book author and avid animal lover.

As a nutrition/wellness coach, one of my specialties is getting people off that diet roller coaster--you know, the yo-yo dieting that's responsible for everything from spending extra money on wardrobes in different sizes to accommodate those weight fluctuations, to lack of energy, high stress, decreased immune system and more.

The obesity problem is far and wide; both our kids and pets are experiencing that, plus lifestyle-based diseases, such as diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.  In a segment on Letterman a few years back, Dr. Oz said he was performing quadruple bypass on 25-year-olds!. 

 And pets-- 54 percent of all dogs and cats in the U.S. are now classified as overweight or obese!

Many of my writing assignments have been on the topics of nutrition and holistic wellness--for humans but, more and more, for pets. You see, pet nutrition is a big industry--and the pet industry as a whole is over $51 billion.

In my travels as a writer, I've interviewed countless veterinarians, veterinary nutritionists and other pet experts--and you know what I've found? Animals aren't really all that different from humans! Their nutrition can be as complex as ours--commercial foods, premium brands, home-made meals, raw food or BARF (Bones and Raw Food) diets. Just like us, each one responds differently to foods; just because your neighbor's dog is thriving on a food doesn't mean yours will.

I've also discovered that pets suffer from many of the same lifestyle-based diseases that we do, including diabetes and high blood pressure. Their obesity rate is through the roof; right now, 54 percent of all cats and dogs are classified as overweight or obese by the veterinarian. Just three years ago that figure was 40 percent--still too high--but it also shows how fast it's rising. In fact, according to Healthy Pets at Mercola.Com, Veterinary Pet Insurance (VIP), Americans paid $25 million in 2010 in veterinary bills for obesity-related problems, such as asthma, disc diseases and ligament ruptures.

Pets also get arthritis, cancer, the common cold, sometimes even flu, chronic stress and sleep deprivation and more.

Baxter was a member of the family!  I looked after his weight and  overall health as much as I would anyone.

So it only made sense to me to combine them into a program I call "Transforming People and Pets."  I'll transform you both into vibrant, happy, healthy beings--no more unstable weight gain, no more yo-yo dieting! No humorless, rigid and deprivation-based programs.

Of course, if you also have kids (the 2-legged variety!), I'll include them in the program if you wish.

It'll sort of be like one of those reality weight-loss, transformation shows-- only with both humans and non-humans.

Want more information about this?  See: http://www.irenefross.com/transforming-people-and-pets.  And be sure to pass it on to your customers/clients/patients!

ABOUT IRENE

Irene Ross, CHHC, AADP, is an integrative nutrition and holistic health coach, speaker and writer/book author. She helps both humans and their non-human children alter unhealthy habits so they live lives of health, happiness and vibrancy--and, in the case of humans, so they can balance their lives.

Author of the e-book, Sugar's Sour Story, and of the forthcoming book, 25 Ways to Fire Up Your Day: Increase Energy, Get More Done in Less Time, Balance Your Life, her website is:  www.irenefross.com.

Will Health Coaches Shape the Future of Health Care?

It's certainly not unusual for me to hear those questions "So what do you do?" or "How can you help me?

Health Coaches are sometimes referred to as "change agents," because we'll help you implement transformation in your life. Here's an example: I always ask every new client what they're "wake up" problem is--you know, that thing that eats at you, whether you're tossing and turning at 2:00 AM or rising at 7:00 AM.

My client said she was unhappy and frustrated that she had gained over 65 pounds in a relatively short time and, no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't lose it. So we took baby steps, first getting her blood sugar balanced, teaching her how to eat healthfully even with little or no time, showing her the most effective way--for her body--to exercise at the gym. She didn't know how to read food labels, so off we went on field trips to the supermarket and health food emporium.

After about seven sessions, however, what we uncovered was her ROOT problem, a severe time management problem. That problem affected every single thing in her life, from how she ate to how she managed her career. Needless to say, she had no such thing as work/life balance.

I ran into her recently and she was glowing. Everything changed instantly, she said, once we figured out what the real problem was. To quote the old cliche, "knowledge is power." Once she understood her problem, she knew how to handle it--and then rid herself of it once and for all.

What health coaches DON'T do is:

• Send you away with a list of so-called good and bad foods. Everyone reacts differently to a food, so what could be a good food for you for could be poison to ME.
• Leave our program open-ended with no end in sight. Starting with day #1, we'll write down and discuss your goals and challenges. Midway through your program, I review them to see if you're on track--or if we need to reset in order to reach them within your timeframe. '
• Mask issues-we get to the root of the problem, so you can get rid of it once and for all.

Many feel that health coaches will shape the future of health care. One is Dr. Mark Hyman, who's also a guest lecturer at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition from where I graduated.

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Irene Ross, CHHC, AADP is a certified nutrition and health coach.  She works with people to get them off the diet roller coaster so they can live a lifetime of balanced health, wellness, weight and energy.

Author of the forthcoming book, 25 Ways to Fire Up Your Day:  Increase Energy, Get More Done in Less Time, Balance Your Life, her website is:  www.irenefross.com