Keeping ACTIVE and EATING HEALTHY

Keep ACTIVE and EAT HEALTHY!

The key to a better you. It's that simple!

Fruits and vegetables provide important nutrients for improving your health, appearance and help to prevent diseases. So, are you getting your Five-A-Day servings?

Get moving for at least 30 minutes a day! 

Life is busy, but taking care of your health CANNOT and SHOULD NOT keep getting put off until “tomorrow,” “Monday” or “next week.” You need to stay active every day to stay healthy. Spend 30 minutes a day on YOU. Let this be your personal WELLNESS time. Don’t get side tracked, exercise first and then fulfill your other obligations. It’s easy to put your health last, but your health is what gets you though each busy day. Set an example for your family, your friends and co-workers that taking care of your health is priority. There’s no better time than right NOW!

If weight reduction is your goal, start by eating smaller portions, stop late-night snacking, eat a healthy breakfast, eat an appropriate amount of kcalories for your gender/age/height/condition…, when hungry snack on colorful vegetables, fresh fruit and whole grains and keep a FOOD JOURNAL. 

Remember, kcalories (calories) COUNT!

How’s your MOTIVATION?

What goal have you set and why are they so important to you? A goal that is true to your wishes will allow you to overcome the toughest challenges to get there. 

What’s your PLAN OF ACTION to reach your goal? Knowing why your goal is important to you is the essence of your “motivation” and the origin for which your goal stemmed from. 

Step 1: Identify/set your goal and establish why it is so important to you. This is the POWER behind your goal and the source of energy that will feed your “motivational” need as times get challenging.

Step 2: Envision yourself as if you have already reached your goal and SMILE. Write down and allow yourself to mentally experience what it feels like to have already reached your goal. How has reaching your goal changed your life? What hurdles did you have to overcome to reach your goal? What changes did you have to make to reach your goal? Was it worth it? Do you feel confidant and accomplished? Are you proud of yourself…? How happy are you? SMILE!!! What benefits will you get from reaching your goal? Jot down any emotion that you anticipate feeling when you have reached your goal. 

Now, on the flip side, envision yourself in the light of what would happen if you had never set and/or reached your goal. What would your future be like? If you had set this same goal in the past and have still yet to achieve it, what got in your way? What changes are you going to make now to make this next journey a success? Start by telling yourself why it’s so important for you to reach this goal (as done above) and then create a new PLAN OF ACTION (step 3) and believe in yourself! You can do it and the only real obstacle in reaching it is you. So, if you change your thought process, the rest will come.

Step 3: Prepare a PLAN OF ACTION. What steps, changes, preparation, knowledge, support… will you need to take in order to make your goal/dream come true? Set realistically attainable, incremental steps that can be incorporated…. 

Step 4: Create an environment that is indicative of living your goal/dream to help influence your behavior. This is personal for everyone it could be finding music that changes your emotional state and provides energy, movies that get you pumped to reach your goal, attending seminars or placing yourself in an environment that is conducive to supporting your efforts to reach your goal, gaining external support….

More motivational steps and tips to come! I hope you liked the above motivational techniques and find them helpful when planning out your path to reach your goal. Please keep in mind that the true test is once your PLAN OF ACTION is integrated into your daily life. Keep a laser focus on your goal and don’t lose sight of it. Allow your PLAN OF ACTION to grow with you along your journey. 

Make it happen!!!

8 to 10 Minute Power Workout!

No time to FIT a long workout into your day. No problem. Try this 8 to 10 Minute Power Workout!

Providing that you are medically cleared to exercise with no restrictions and are in good physical condition, this is a fun and quick workout that can be increased or decreased in intensity depending on how you feel.

You will need masking tape, dumbbells and a stop watch.

1.      Warm-up with brisk, WIDE Side to Side Steps for 1-2 minutes. A helpful tip is to place a 3 foot strip of tape on the floor or ground as a visual marker.

2.      Next, add Low Impact Skip Jumps pushing off with 1-foot, still going side to side over the tape for 1 minute.

3.      Continue using the tape as a visual marker – now increase your physical intensity with Side to Side Hop/Jumps, pushing off with both feet at the same time for 30 seconds. Next, turn and face the tape for Forward and Back Hop/Jumps for an additional 30 seconds (plyometric exercise – primarily targets quads, hamstrings, calves, buttocks, and lower back muscles).

4.      Next, lower your heart rate with WIDE Side to Side Steps for 1 or more minutes. You should not be winded before starting the next segment.

5.      Free Standing and/or Chair Squats (primarily targets quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves) – as many controlled squats as you can do in 30 seconds. Proper form is key for a safe and effective squat.

6.      Military Style and/or Knee Push-ups (primarily targets chest, arm, and shoulder muscles) – as many controlled push-ups as you can do in 30 seconds.

7.      Traditional Military Style Sit-ups (primarily targets abdominal and hip-flexor muscles) – as many controlled sit-ups as you can do in 30 seconds.

8.      Vertical Leg Crunches (primarily targets rectus abdominal muscles) – as many controlled crunches as you can do in 30 seconds.

9.      Arm Curls (primarily targets biceps muscle) - – as many controlled curls as you can do in 30 seconds.

Safety: 

·         These exercises are safe and effective when performed properly, providing that you have no known physical contraindications (injuries, illnesses or otherwise) to exercise.

·         Keep your heart rate at a controlled, comfortable and sustainable level. Perform periodic pulse check stops – you should be able to carry on a conversation while performing exercises. If you become winded, lower your intensity.

·         If you have known back, knee, ankle, and shoulder injuries and/or a heart condition – this routine is not for you.

·         If you are not sure of proper form for any of these exercises, refrain from performing until confidant in positioning.

Do you ever wonder why sometimes it’s so hard to get and/or stay motivated?

Do you ever wonder why sometimes it’s so hard to get and/or stay motivated?

Part I: Let’s start by understanding what the term “MOTIVATION” means. It can mean different things for different people. Defined as the reason or reasons an individual has for acting or behaving in a particular way. It is the general desire or eagerness to do something. Your goals are personal to you and your motivation to reach your goals is equally as personal.

That said, when kicking off a new healthy lifestyle inititative and setting goals, it is equally important to pay close attention to and remind yourself as oftena s you can, why your goals are so important .

Setting goals is like picking a destination when planning a trip. First you have to know where you want to go before planning out all of the other details. Goal setting is easy, fun and gives us something to look forward to, but reaching our goal is an entirely different reality.

Now that you are "pointed" in the right direction, you need to chart your course. Having a plan of action is critical in keeping you on track and/or getting you back on track when sudden “detours” get you off track - temporarily. Making changes, even to form new healthy habits can be challenging. For example, even if your goal is to eat at least one serving of fruit each day, you will need to plan ahead (ex. keep fruit at work and in car...) to make it possible.

Setting a realistic habit takes time, awareness and planning. Establishing new habits/behaviors takes time; about six weeks give or take, to become routine. Set smaller, incremental goals that are broken down into smaller manageable stages. More to come - check back for Part II.

ENVISION Your Future!!!



Processed foods - convenient or NOT in the end

Tip for the day: Did you know that choosing foods based on convenience alone may not be so convenient in the end? That’s right, what you eat DOES impact your health. Keep in mind, manufacturers spend a fortune in advertising to appeal to your “needs,” so why not make a goal to learn more about the foods you eat? If you need help navigating the food isles or have questions, please visit us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/EnvisionHealthandWellness or our website at www.envisionhw.com.

Let us know how we can help YOU!

Did you know...

Did you know that when you sleep and are totally relaxed, your organ cells are hard at work spending energy (cellular repair, digestion, circulation…). In fact, this work typically uses about two-thirds of three-fourths the total amount of energy you spend in a day. That’s a lot of energy! The remaining energy, which is smaller, is used by your muscles during waking hours. About one-fifth of the energy the body uses when it is at rest is used by the brain.

The body’s top priority is to meet the cells’ energy needs, preferably refueling by eating.

When looking to lose weight, we want to spare our lean muscle tissue and optimize fat utilization/breakdown (catabolism)!