All posts by halfthew

Plan Your Trip

Your Wellness Plan

“Your Wellness Plan

is as individual as you”

There’s no one rule fits all when it comes to creating a Wellness Plan. A plan must consider your personal needs,goals as well as your current situation. Start by identifying your Wellness Goals which should revolve around both your physical mental and spiritual health.

You should aim to have at least two goals for each of the following areas:

  • physical goals (e.g. weight, fitness, reduced stress level, general good health, etc.)
  • mental health goals (resolving issues currently preventing you from achieving wellness)
  • spiritual goals (metaphysics and not necessarily religion)

For each goal, list 5 different actions that if you implemented you help you towards achieving each goal, these are your key actions. Use this list of 30 key actions to develop your wellness plan which should be broken into 5 sections:

  1. Daily Wellness Plan: what are you going to do each day to work the plan? Include food, exercise, rest and relaxation e.g. my plan includes eating well balanced meals, using vitamin and herbal supplements, walking at least 60 minutes a day, meditating each morning and ensuring I get enough sleep.
  2. Weekly Wellness Plan: the things you do only once or twice a week (not daily) e.g. resistance training sessions, yoga , a weekly chat/debriefing session or indulging in your favourite hobby.
  3. Monthly Wellness Plan: natural therapies, treatments, anything to reduce stress and improve vitality e.g. my plan includes a fortnightly massage, monthly acupuncture, a day spa treatment, and supporting a charity.
  4. Quarterly Wellness Plan: Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter all have their seasonal differences. In summer it may be OK to exercise outside, but during the rainy winter months you’ll need to consider indoor activities. If you’re eating fresh and organic then you’ll also need to consider what fruit and vegetables are available at different times of the year.
  5. Annual Wellness Plan: annual check ups and tests are a good way to track your progress.

Personalize your plan and ensure you have left room for creativity and flexibility. There’s nothing worse than creating something so ideal that you’ll never stick to it!

Begin your plan immediately. Review your plan daily for the first 2 weeks, then weekly for the next 6 weeks before then moving to monthly. Build your reviews into your plan. This repetition will ensure you plan is actioned and becomes a habit which will lead to discovery and to success.

Finally, don’t forget to track your progress – a health journal is a great tool for tracking and measuring your results.

 Why not get started on your plan now and check out Get Your Body Right or Get Your Mind Right now.

 

Plan Your Trip

Develop a Mission Statement

“A wellness mission statement

provides clarity and gives your journey

a sense of purpose”

Identifying a wellness mission statement ca be one of the most thought provoking and helpful things you can do. It may not be easy, but it will be a valuable addition to your journey.

There are 5 main steps to creating a mission statement:

  1. Identify Past Wellness Successes.Think about those times in your life where your health was at its peak or greater than it is now. Write them down and try to identify whether there is a common theme.
  2. Identify Core Wellness Values. Develop a list of adjectives that you believe identify who you are and what your priorities are. Narrow your values to six most important values and choose the one value that is most important to you.
  3. Identify Wellness Contributions. Make a list of the ways you could make a difference if you regained your wellness, health and vitality whether it be to your family, your friends, yourself or the world around you.
  4. Identify Wellness Goals. Think about your wellness priorities and the personal goals you have for yourself. Break your goals into 1 year, 3 year and 5 year goals.
  5. Create Wellness Mission Statement.Using Steps 1-4 begin writing your wellness mission statement

For example, my sample Wellness Mission Statement would look something like this:

1. Past success:

  1. reached 71kg of wellness
  2. was toned and muscular
  3. had vigour and always felt healthy
  4. was able to avoid sickness

Themes: Successes all relate to achieving great health and wellbeing.

2. Core values:

Creative
Dedicated
Problem-Solver
Decision-maker
Loyal
Friendly
Kind
Outgoing
Inspirational
Positive
Family-oriented
Honest
Intelligent
High Achiever
Compassionate
Empathiser
Spiritual
Analytical
Passionate

Integrity

.

Most important values:

Integrity
Inspirational
Compassionate
Honest
Positive

Creative

.

Most important value:

Integrity

 

3. Identify Contributions:

to my self: to live my life with integrity each and every day, and to be good to the people I meet along the way.
to my family: to challenge and encourage them to be better than they already are.
to my friends: to always be there for them and help them in their time of need.
to the world around me:to inspire people to achieve their dreams4. Identify Goals:

1-year: To regain my peak level of wellbeing.

3-year: To find ways to be more inspirational to others

5-year: To give back to my community and society as a whole.

5. Wellness Mission Statement:

“To live life with integrity and honesty, nurturing my body and mind to maintain great health and wellness; to care for the environment and the world around me, and to creatively explore ways to challenge and inspire others to find and follow their wellness passion.”

 With your Wellness Mission Statement complete, you can now develop a Wellness Plan to achieving your goals.

 

 

Plan Your Trip

Habit Number 2

“Begin with the end in mind”*

BeginWithEndInMind*Stephen Covey’s second habit in “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” is “Begin with the end in mind”.  But what does this mean?

Covey calls this the habit of personal leadership – leading oneself towards what you consider your goals by developing the habit of concentrating on relevant activities to build a platform to avoid distractions and become more productive and successful. Habit 2 is about programming the subconscious and enlisting Newton’s Law of Inter attractiveness (the same principle used by The Secret) to help turn thought and desire into reality. In other words, by creating the thought, the vision and the desire in your subconscious you are automatically programming your brain to seek your goal and are therefore far more likely to achieve it.

If you missed the phenomenon that is The Secret, then you can learn about it here: http://thesecret.tv/thesecretfilm/

As for Newton, his Law of Universal Gravitation, known in Buckminster Fuller circles as Newton’s Law of Inter attractiveness, states that “states that every point mass in the universe attracts every other point mass with a force that is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.”

What does this mean for you and your goals?

Simplistically it means, that there is already an attraction between you and your goal, and with every step towards it the attraction becomes stronger.

So how do you begin with the end in mind?

  1. Get a picture of yourself at your idea weight (or Photoshop one)
  2. Put a copy up in your bathroom, on your fridge and beside your bed
  3. Create a wellness mission statement for yourself and put it beside your bed
  4. Every night before you go to sleep and each morning when you wake, read your mission statement, look at your picture for 30 seconds, close your eyes and keep imagining the new you as if you’ve already achieved your goal
  5. Follow your wellness plan during the day

By beginning with the end in mind you increasing the likelihood of achieving your goals.

Why not get started with the end in mind now by visiting our Exercise Tools and Tips or Diet Tools and Tips pages now.

 

 

Plan Your Trip

What’s difficult soon becomes easy …..

“The only thing that comes easily is failure”

 "High Road, Low Road" Road Sign with dramatic clouds and sky.Winston Churchill said “He who fails to plan is planning to fail“. Do nothing, change nothing and failure is a swift friend. Say “I can’t do it” or words to the like, and you stat to believe them (even if you’re hoping to the contrary) and guess what? It’ll come true. You have unwittedly programmed your subconscious to fail, and hey presto, like magic, it happens.

Having a plan, and a goal, knowing your end destination is key to success. Even if you didn’t quite make it to the end destination you will be much further along your journey than you would have been without them.

It’s not easy to set goals and develop plans – if it was, everyone would do it and everyone would be a success. But there are two roads to take in life: and two have very different journeys.

Imagine a very steep mountain range that leads up to a pinnacle – your destination. The first road to your left is a meandering low gradient road, it seems like it winds on forever. It’s going to take a long time to reach the summit, but it looks easy enough, not to physically exhausting and doesn’t require any specialist knowledge or equipment. This is the easy road.

The second road to your right starts with a small incline, and gets steeper with every step. It looks like it may be difficult to navigate, rocky and steep and perhaps even a little dangerous without the right equipment and knowledge. But this road is sure to get you to the summit in a small fraction of the time the other road will take, which means you can enjoy the view longer. This is the hard road.

The interesting thing about these two roads is eventually the easy road becomes hard, tiring and frustrating whereas the difficult road becomes easier with each passing moment. So which road will you choose? Left or Right?

Why not choose the right road and visit our Exercise Tools and Tips or Diet Tools and Tips pages now in preparation.

 

 

Get Your Mind Right

What you eat shows …..

“What you eat in private, shows in public”

EatPrivateShowPublicSticking to your lifestyle plan is not always easy. Temptation (sugar, fat, salt, carbohydrates) comes in multiple forms and is often hidden in our foods.

From time to time we’re all guilty of eating foods that don’t support our wellbeing. More often than not this is done in the safety and comfort of privacy, the effects of which can quickly be seen in public!

What’s important is that you minimize these occurrences and ensure most of the time you’re eating good foods in appropriate quantities. The more you can stick to your lifestyle plan, the more health you will regain and the better you’ll feel.

  • Plan to succeed – simplify your meals and make slow incremental changes in diet and exercise. Every step you make in the right direction counts.
  • Everything in moderation – reduce portion sizes and don’t consider any foods or drinks taboo – you’ll just crave them and eventually give into temptation. It’s better to have a very small portion and enjoy it.
  • Eat in balance – ensure you eat three balanced, well spaced meals a day and include smaller snack in between if you’re feeling hungry (6 x 200 calorie meals may work better for you than 3 x 400 calorie meals). And don’t skip breakfast – it is the most important meal of the day.
  • Create eating rituals – Buy a special set of plates, cutlery, glass, place mat and napkin. Use them to set a place at the table for every meal. Lay your meal out and take the time to sit and enjoy it. Focus on the job at hand and don’t distract yourself with other things while eating.
  • Hydrate – Drink 300mls of water before every meal to help fill you up before you start eating, and ensure you consume at least 2 litres of fresh or filtered water each day.
  • Fresh is best – Fresh fruit and vegetables are great hunger solvers, are low calorie and contain all the nutrients you need to regain wellness. Raw and organic is best, and choose brightly colored fruits or vegetables as they’ll be high in anti-oxidants. Cut back on packaged and processed foods which are more expensive but have little nutritional value.
  • Reject added nasties – Fats, sugars, salts and refined carbohydrates should be minimized as much as possible. Instead of margarine or butter, swap it out for avocado (in small quantities) or 2% ricotta. Replace sugar with Stevia or cut it out all together. If you’re going to add  salt, use one that’s high in minerals (Himalayan, celtic sea or pink salt) and use it sparingly. Choose complex carbohydrates and avoid anything that’s highly processed and has numbers for ingredients.
  • Learn to cook – Steaming or grilling are the best cooking options to retain nutrients and flavour. If you’re not a cook then ask a friend, or take a couple of cooking made easy lessons to give you the confidence.
  • Have a buddy -Having someone to report to on a daily basis can help keep you in check. And if you’re heading out to a restaurant they can also act as your “wing man” to keep you on the straight and narrow!

 Visiting our Exercise Tools and Tips or Diet Tools and Tips pages now for more helpful advice.

 

 

Plan Your Trip

Get yourself a team …..

“Success is a team effort”

Success: def – a successful performance or achievement*

Team: def – a number of persons associated in some joint action*

SuccessTeamEffortWhilst you may have success on your own, your journey to wellbeing is certainly sure to be easier to achieve if you mastermind with a team instead of trying to fly solo.

According to American psychologist, Dr. Meredith Belbin, effective team work most successfully achieved with 9 identified ‘Team Roles’:

  • The creative type who generates ideas (the “Plant”)
  • The extrovert who has good networks (the “Resource Investigator”)
  • The dynamic individual who thrives on the pressure (the “Shaper”)
  • The person who soberly evaluates the usefulness of ideas (the “Monitor-Evaluator”)
  • The cooperative team player (the “Team-worker”)
  • The ones with specialist skills (the “Specialist”)
  • Those who turn ideas into solutions (the “Implementor”)
  • The person who keeps the team together effectively (the “Co-ordinator”)
  • The person who get issues completed (the “Completer-Finisher”)

Do you have 9 team members to help you that fit this list? Thinking that you’ll never find the right mix of people to fit this list?

Would it surprise you to learn that some of the 9 team members can perform multiple roles? And they do not all have to be people ~ they can also be tools?

The “Plant” may be you – researching your destination by referring to this site for ideas. The “Resource Investigator” may be found by joining an exercise or diet group (physical or on-line), which will keep you linked into other people seeking the same destination.  A personal trainer (or strong-willed friend or partner) may play the role of the “Shaper”.

The “Monitor-Evaluator” could be your diet software that monitors your lifestyle and tracks your results. You can enlist the help of a friend to play the role of the Team-Worker, performing the necessary tasks along side you for motivation or companionship. Your personal trainer, gym instructor or dietitian may also play the role of the “Specialist”, giving you the necessary guidance.

The “Implementor” could (and probably will be) be played by a range of people – doctor, trainer, mentor, other health professional (naturopath, chiropractor, massage therapist, etc.) – anyone who can help take your ideas for wellness and turn them into solutions you can action. You may have several “Implementors” in your team that you use from time to time.

Your diary, goals and task/to do list take the roles of the “Co-ordinator”, keeping everything moving along and on track. You can then focus on playing the role of the “‘Completer-Finisher”, performing the necessary tasks to achieve the desired result.

Why not get started putting your team together now by visiting our Exercise Tools and Tips or Diet Tools and Tips pages now.

 

*source: dictionary.com

 

Get Your Mind Right

It’s never too late …..

“No matter how far you have gone on the wrong road, turn back”

what_you_gain_when_you_lose_weight_infographic1The body is an amazing machine. No matter how much we abuse it the body has an inbuilt survival program to help it adapt to new conditions. But the body also has a natural ability to heal itself when it is finally put back on the right track.

We’ve all heard amazing stories of people in difficult situations that have lived on fresh air (or only a Mars bar) and water for weeks on end. And the recovery powers of the body for those courageous enough to stop smoking are well documented, reversing most of the long-term effects of heavy smoking in 5 years, and returning it to the same state as a never smoker in 15 years.

So it’s never too late to make the diet and exercise changes to lifestyle that will restore your wellbeing. But did you know in the process you can also reverse the aging process?

We age because of free radicals in our bodies oxidize in our bodies and leads to us looking older before our time. Free radicals are everywhere, in the air, our bodies, and the materials around us. They cause the deterioration of plastics, the fading of paint, the degradation of works of art, aging related illnesses, and can contribute to heart attacks, stroke and cancers. They are also caused by eating highly processed foods.

Oxidation can be fought by eating a low-fat diet that is also high in antioxidants. These types of foods almost always revolve around different fruits and vegetables and also some whole grains. Foods lose their antioxidant powers when they are processed and cooked so eating a diet high in raw fruit and vegetables is preferable.

Eating a healthy diet may be difficult to begin with but in time it gets easier the longer you continue. You may just decide to increase eating fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains while reducing your intake of meat and processed foods. When you see the signs of aging quickly drop from your body no matter what your age is now it will be well worth the effort .

Diet alone is not enough, exercise that produces a benefit on all bodily systems (cardiovascular, muscular and skeletal) also plays a crucial role in reversing the aging process. With age our bodies naturally lose muscle mass which leads to weakness associated with old age. To reverse (or prevent) this it’s important to replace that lost muscle through resistance training sessions 2 to 3 times a week.

Start to reverse the aging process now by visiting our Exercise Tools and Tips or Diet Tools and Tips pages now.

 

Get Your Mind Right

Elevate your mood ….. naturally

“For every minute you are angry,

you lose 60 seconds of happiness.”

 

Happiness, according to dictionary.com is defined as good fortune; pleasure; contentment; joy.

Did you know you mood can be altered significantly through diet and exercise?

woman-jumping-rope_300Exercise:

Within 10 minutes exercise can help ease depression and relieve stress by releasing mood elevating endorphins. However lethargy and fatigue are associated with depression, making it much more difficult to get started in the first place. The best cure is to start moving with something easy, like walking, or something that you enjoy doing and is fun (and no, lifting the donut from the plate to your mouth doesn’t count!)

Start slow with some stretches, or decide you’ll just do a few minutes of something, even if it’s just taking the trash / recycling out or getting the mail from the mail box. Chances are, you’ll start to feel more energetic and will keep going.

Where possible head outside and get some fresh air and sunshine. Taking a walk in the sun combined with the intake of dairy foods helps boost low Vitamin D level which are closely linked with depression.

And if you really can’t fathom exercise then read on for how water and food can help elevate your mood.

 splashWater:

Mild dehydration is a common but often overlooked cause of feeling lethargic. Adults should drink at least 2 litres of water a day, more if you’re exercising.

Drinking caffeinated soft drinks and coffee, these act as diuretics and increase dehydration. An easy tip is for every non-water drink you consume, to consume the same volume of water on top of your minimum (2 latte’s mean and extra 2 glasses of water).

Food:

Broad Beans are high in the amino acid L-dopa which, when converted to dopamine by the body is used to help with important brain functions including sleep, mood, learning, behavior, and regulating prolactin production from the pituitary.

One Brazil Nut will give you all the selenium you need to elevate your mood (but 1 only as selenium in large doses is toxic).

Turkey contains tryptophan which boost your serotonin and makes you feel calm (and sometimes sleepy from its sopariphic effect so don’t eat too much).

Green leafy vegetables, in particular Spinach is high in vital brain foods folic acid and folate.

darkchocstrawberryBerries are all high in anti-oxidants, and strawberries are also high in soluble fibre which helps keep the blood sugar and your mood even.

Foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids decrease the risk of depression. Oily fish like salmon, mackerel and sardines as well as ground flaxseeds, canola oil, walnuts and omega-3-fortified eggs are all good sources.

Dairy products have lots of whey protein, which can reduce physical responses to stress, improve mood and enhance memory. Low fat options are a better choice, and if you’re lactose intolerant try lactose free (treated) cows milk or low lactose options such as goat and sheep’s milk.

Complex carbohydrates help boost seratonin levels and offer far more nutrient value than simple carbohydrates and are released more slowly into the blood stream keeping your mood even.

Tea drinkers benefit from its naturally occurring theanine which helps calm you down.

Dark chocolate (70% or higher) contains phenylethylamine which stimulates the brain to produce serotonin. In addition it contains several other chemicals that stimulate the central nervous system.

BUT REMEMBER: Less is more – don’t over compensate and over indulge. All of these foods should only be eaten in moderation!

 

Get Your Spirit Right

Developing new habits ….

“You develop a habit through repetition”

develop-new-habitsAccording to dictionary.com a habit is “an acquired behavior pattern regularly followed until it has become almost involuntary”.

It is said that it takes a minimum of 2 weeks to develop a new habit. So if you’re wanting to develop a new habit you must perform it in the same manner every day for 14 consecutive days for it to become embedded in your subconscious so the behavior becomes automatic. If you use triggers (positive or negative) to reinforce the behavior, coupled with a replacement then it’s even more likely to stick long-term.

Let’s think about this for a minute – so all it takes is 14 days of doing something the right way, to reprogram myself. Think about the addiction of biting your nails. If you 14 days, you wore a rubber band around your wrist. And every time you went to bite your nails, you stopped and flicked the rubber band (negative trigger), and then every day you went without biting your nails you did something nice for yourself (gave yourself a foot treatment or massage, or a manicure or pedicure), do you think after 14 days of this behavior you’d be less likely to automatically bite your nails?

So how would this work with diet and exercise?

Start small, and make incremental changes: don’t go for a radical change that your body will rebel against and that is impossible to sustain. Aim to adjust your lifestyle food program on a small scale – cut out sugar, cut back from 3 to 1 coffees a day, or cut back food intake if you’re over eating (subscribe to a home delivered diet plan or use diet software to track your food or calorie intake, both will help re educate you).

The same goes for exercise, start by increasing your exercise duration or intensity slightly. Take the stairs where possible instead of the lift. Don’t go for the closest car park to the shops or mall. Get off a stop earlier on your way to work and walk the rest of the way. Increasing your activity several times through the day will have a compound effect and will be far less noticeable than trying to pack in a 1 hour fitness class that you end up missing because it all seems too hard.

Keep gradually turning these incremental diet and exercise changes up over the next 14 days, rewarding yourself when you stick to it (with something other than food or alcohol), and you’ll find yourself spiraling upwards to greater health and vitality. What have you got to lose? And think what you will gain in the process.

Start to create new habits that support your wellness by visiting our Exercise Tools and Tips or Diet Tools and Tips pages now.

 

Get Your Spirit Right

The greatest legacy you can leave ……

“The greatest legacy you can leave your children….

…. are happy memories”

LifeIsLimitedIs your weight weighing you down and preventing you from spending valuable time with your family? Would you love to be more active and involved with your kids on a physical level but can’t keep up? Do you want to get more out of life but are just too darn tied at the end of the day?

Most of us wish we had more energy to spend with our loved ones (parents, spouses or children). Things get in the way and we only have a limited amount of energy. But what if it were possible to have more energy, to get through the routine of the day with more zest and more quickly so that you’re left with more time (and energy) to squeeze a bit more out of life.

What if you had the extra energy to do all those things you wish you could?

Think of the wonderful memories you could create: playing cricket or catch with your children;  taking your spouse on a romantic weekend away (and not just spend it sleeping); taking your aging parents to an outing or event that would give them joy and in the process create a lasting memory for your both.

It’s no secret that poor fitness and carrying all that extra weight around makes you tired.  We only have a limited amount of time on this planet, in this lifetime. Why waste it? Why not take charge of your health and well-being now? Why not regain your health and fitness and give yourself the best opportunity to add extra years to your life and create some more happy memories with your family?

It IS possible…. you CAN do it…..it’s YOUR choice.

Why not get started and visit our Exercise Tools and Tips or Diet Tools and Tips pages now.