Good health is a matter of priorities and choice--not mere chance.
Of course to a certain extent, genetics and other factors over
which we have less control come into the picture, however their
impact in the face of our daily choices and 'consenting' exposures
is miniscule indeed.
There's a lot of talk about goals and plans and making things
happen. The problem is that often that is where it all left: In the
talk. Without proper commitment to an objective i.e. a specific and
measurable goal, we stay in 'indecision'--hoping for the best, and
when sometimes we fluke it and 'The best' suddenly appears we don't
even recognize it because we didn't know what it looked like to
begin with.
1. KNOW WHAT YOU WANT AND YOU WILL GENERALLY GET IT
Clarity leads to power.
Becoming clear about the things we want is very important but
really there is nothing more important than becoming clear about
what optimum health means to you and the value it bring to your and
other people's lives. You see, it is only in pursing optimum health
(read: putting in the effort and prioritizing what is important in
your life) that you will be able to 'be, do, have' everything else
you want in your life.
Set your goals. But most importantly as David Henry Thoreau
advocated--"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live
the life you have imagined". This is only possible when you add
motion, in other words ACTION to the equation. However in 'going
confidently', Thoreau recommends another key concept and perhaps
even more important than the first--do it, 'in the direction of
your dreams'.
2. SURELY YOU DON'T PLAN TO FAIL?
You may ask: What does this have to do with my health? Simple.
Without a clear plan you are likely to keep going around in circles
and never really achieve the better health (or other) you wish
for.
If you want more energy, freedom from headaches, weight loss,
better skin, easy digestion, a clear head, or whatever it is you
desire to achieve in regards to your health--the only way you will
achieve this is by setting some clear goals about the actions you
will begin or stop taking in order to achieve your desired outcome.
You will also be forced to clarify to yourself what that picture
really looks like. And most likely you will need to get all that
information out of your head and finally put it down on paper with
clear dates besides each one of the things are you committing to
put in place.
Keeping yourself or being kept accountable by your health coach is
what helps you turn your dreams into reality, whether you want to
achieve goals for your health or in any other area of your
life.
3. THE PROCESS
An effective system in place to help you do exactly what you want
is paramount. But before you start setting goals you need to become
clear about where you are. Measure on a scale of 0-10 (10 =
excellent) where you are in each one of the following areas health
and physical, spiritual, mental, vocational/career, financial,
social and familial. Based on this assessment now you can start to
identify where you would like to be and start becoming specific
about what that means to you.
Let's use the example that you rate yourself a 2/10 in the health
arena and one of the main issues you identify right now with your
health is your energy--even though it is very likely that improving
your energy will only bring benefits to you before you set any
goals you want to answer a resounding YES to the following
questions:
i. Is it really my goal?
ii. It is morally correct and fair?
iii. Are my short-range goals consistent with my long-term
goals?
iv. Can I commit myself emotionally to complete the project?
v. Can I visualise myself reaching this goal?
So using the energy example, once you've answered yes to the above
questions you need to start get your plan in place and one way to
do this is to do the following:
A. IDENTIFY THE GOAL
Currently my energy levels are at 3-4/10 and it slumps around lunch
time to a 0-1/10. My goal is to Increase my energy levels to a
consistent 8-9/10.
B. SET A DEADLINE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
By 30th August 2008
C. LIST THE OBSTACLES TO OVERCOME
:: Laziness to get out of bed in the morning to exercise;
:: Laziness about preparing and organising my healthy food menu for
the week;
:: Not wanting to prioritise getting organised for the week;
:: Poor time management meaning I end up eating too late and as a
consequence stay up too late and don't get enough sleep;
:: Not wanting to go shopping for healthy food;
:: Not wanting to cut our sugar, chocolate, starchy foods, coffee
etc;
:: Forgetting to eat every 3 hours
:: Forgetting (on purpose) to take my energizing herbs and
supplements;
:: Healthy food is boring.
D. IDENTIFY THE PEOPLE, GROUPS AND ORGANIZATIONS YOU NEED TO WORK
WITH
:: My naturopath--to keep me accountable and direct me towards
making better health choices as well as providing expertise on how
and what supplements will give the best results for my health; She
can also give me food suggestions, shopping lists etc;
:: Find a training buddy to ensure I get to the gym no matter what
(or a personal trainer);
:: Organic fruit, veg. and meat delivery service to take the stress
out of shopping;
E. LIST THE SKILLS AND THE KNOWLEDGE REQUIRED TO REACH YOUR
GOAL
:: Learn how to cook tasty healthy meals;
:: Learn how to organise my foods;
:: Create a realistic plan I can follow;
:: Get ideas of what to eat and how to prepare it.
F. DEVELOP A PLAN OF ACTION
:: On Saturday or Sunday spend half an hour organising the menu for
the weeks to come. Every meal must be accounted for;
:: Create shopping list;
:: Go shopping;
:: Cook 2-3 healthy meals I can have during the week. Freeze some
portions for minimal preparation later;
:: Get a thermal food bag and put in all your meals/portions for
the entire day next to your desk;
:: Add nutrients to the bag, so supplements can be taken during the
day;
:: Set an alarm to ring every 3 hours to initially remind me to eat
until I get 'the hang of it';
:: Help keep training partner motivated--by showing up on time each
morning and being enthusiastic about the results you will both soon
see.
G. LIST THE BENEFITS--WHAT IS IN IT FOR ME?
:: Feel amazingly energetic;
:: Be more productive and get more done in other areas of my
life;
:: Healthily manage my weight;
:: Feel more in control of my health;
:: Be more organised;
:: Save money by preparing healthy food at home and taking it to
work and reduce eating unhealthy take-away food;
:: Know how to cook great tasting, healthy food;
:: Properly nourish my cells;
:: AND THE LIST GOES ON...!
Copyright 2008. Gabriela Rosa. All Rights Reserved
Leading Sydney naturopath and natural fertility specialist Gabriela
Rosa publishes the two celebrated
'Natural
Fertility Booster' and
'Natural Health
Booster' ezines with 1,000+ subscribers. If you're ready to
optimise your health and fertility, get your FREE tips today!
scientificnaturopath: naturopaths
sydney
scientificnaturopath: scientific
naturopath
Article Source: www.articlesnatch.com
Date Published: Dec 25, 2008 - 3:22 pm
Optimum natural fertility depends upon excellent general health,
which can only be attained when our body's metabolic processes are
nourished and well balanced. This is where the liver comes in.
The liver is one of the most important organs in the body because
it governs approximately 500 metabolic processes to ensure optimum
health and fertility. These are categorized into nine main ones and
include: Carbohydrate metabolism--assisting to maintain blood sugar
levels; fat metabolism and cholesterol balance; protein metabolism
including disposing of and re-making blood as well as other body
building blocks; storage of blood; bile salts production to assist
digestion; storage of vitamins (A, D, E, K, B, C) and minerals
(iron, potassium, copper, zinc); production of heat, breakdown and
elimination of hormones essential for hormonal balance and
detoxification.
The liver is the largest human internal organ and one of the few
capable of natural regeneration--as little as 25% of remaining
liver can regenerate into a whole liver again. Ensuring the liver
has what is required for optimum function is essential for peak
general health and fertility.
The way of ensuring optimum liver function is the same (of course)
as the approach used to help couples overcome infertility to have a
healthy baby, it includes a low toxin lifestyle: a healthy, clean
diet; no coffee or alcohol consumption; avoidance of chemicals,
recreational substances, smoking and any other things which have
been shown to negatively affect general heath as well as adding in
other things which can be beneficial--such as the recipe I share
with you below.
The Whole Lemon Drink is a recipe that was shared with me by my
esteemed colleague and author, Peter De Ruyter. I have used it for
various areas of health with excellent results (including and not
limited only to digestion and digestive system function).
It's simple and it tastes great. For improved health, fertility and
digestion, all you have to do is drink it twice daily. The other
great thing about this natural health and fertility boost is that
it is completely safe during the pre-conception period. In
addition, whether you are pregnant or trying to conceive naturally,
or via assisted methods such as IUI, IVF, ICSI--you can continue
this healthy ritual.
The Whole Lemon Drink is ideal for:
- Assisting with hormonal balance
- Detoxification
- Enhanced immune function
- Liver health
- Nourishing and strengthening cells and cell membranes
- Improving and normalising digestive health
Some of the benefits of the Whole Lemon Drink (observed in over 20
years of clinical practice):
- It decreases blood acidity and alkalises the system--despite
lemon juice being acidic;
- The oils provide essential fatty acids that boost immune
function, benefit cell integrity, and improve skin health
(resolving dryness), etc;
- The D-limonene in the lemon peel has anti-cancer properties;
- The pectin in the lemon helps to emulsify oils and chelate toxins
from the bowel
- Lemon peel contains oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPCs)--powerful
antioxidants with antihistamine effects;
- Lecithin acts on healing and detoxifying the liver (it's
wonderful to address fatty liver) and nervous system (peripheral
neuropathy) as well as the kidneys and brain, and enhances fat
absorption;
- Lecithin helps normalise cholesterol and triglycerides;
- The choline in the lecithin and the oils in the citrus skin
glands help liver detoxification pathways to work more
effectively;
- The drink helps decrease swollen glands, increases energy, as
well as lift depression and anxiety;
- It helps with insomnia and increases the appetite (only when it
is poor);
- It assists in weight normalisation;
- It frequently raises CD4 cell counts (fighting cells of the
immune system);
- It helps to decrease tumour necrosis factor (TNF), inflammation
and wasting.
One amazing brew - cheap, simple, safe, and effective!
WHOLE LEMON DRINK RECIPE
- 1 whole organic lemon, well scrubbed to remove any wax or
residues
- 1/2 cup filtered water
- 1-3 dessertspoons cold-pressed organic flaxseed oil or preferably
liquid fish oil
- 1 heaped dessertspoon lecithin (egg based if possible)
- 1 capsule of vitamin E (whole into the blender)
- 1 knob of fresh ginger (approximately golf ball size)
Cut lemon into small pieces, combine all ingredients and blend for
30-45 seconds. Strain and discard the pulp. Consume 1/2 of the
liquid before or with breakfast and the rest for dinner. Store the
remainder in a clean glass container* in the fridge. Always consume
the total amount within 24 hours to prevent rancidity and too much
oxidation.
*Ideally the glass container should be as full of the drink as
possible to decrease the amount of air, which speeds up
oxidation.
Copyright 2008 Gabriela Rosa. All Rights Reserved.
Leading Sydney naturopath and natural fertility specialist Gabriela
Rosa publishes the two celebrated
'Natural
Fertility Booster' and
'Natural Health
Booster' ezines with 1,000+ subscribers. If you're ready to
optimise your health and fertility, get your FREE tips today!
scientificnaturopath: sydney
naturopath
scientificnaturopath: naturopath
sydney
Article Source: www.articlesnatch.com
Date Published: Dec 25, 2008 - 3:22 pm