Move it!

Note for today to encourage YOU and ME:

Lots of water "kissed" with a Lemon & pinch of Cayenne! (amazing energy you'll get from )

Don't walk - skip, jog! Even when walking across a room exaggerate the movements

Don't just stand - Stretch, lunge, squat

Here is an Article I found by Denise Austin:

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Fidget-Cise

One reason I’ve stayed in such good shape over the years is because, in addition to regular exercise sessions, I keep moving. When I’m brushing my teeth, I’ll do squats. While I’m waiting for my toast to pop up, I’ll squeeze in 30 push-ups, leaning on the kitchen counter. Your muscles don’t know whether you’re exercising in gym clothes or not—they just know you’re working them. I do this to tone up and boost circulation throughout the day. I call these quick moves fidget-cisers,
and I swear they keep me fit. Check out 12 of my favorites. Check out exercises you can do around the house–no gym clothes needed. By Denise Austin Posted December 23, 2009 from Woman's Day; January 5, 2010

At work???? then here ya go

LITTLE CHANGES CAN ADD UP Here are examples of how you can change your daily routine to burn more calories: Typical day at the office Calories burned Picking up the pace Calories burned Park by building, take elevator to your floor. 15 Park 5 blocks from office. Take stairs to your floor. 80-120 Make phone calls for an hour at desk. 15 Take calls standing up and pacing. Put notepad on bookcase or filing cabinet to take notes without bending down. 100-130 Seated 45-minute lunch. 25 Walk 30 minutes at lunch; sit and eat 15 minutes. 100-130 Seated 1-hour meeting. 15 1-hour walking meeting. 150-200 Take elevator to ground floor. Walk to car. Drive home. 15 Take stairs out of the building, walk back to car. 80-100 Total 85 Total 510-680 Source: Adapted from Move a Little, Lose a Lotby James Levine and Selene Yeage

Craving Chocolate?:

You may need: Healthy Foods that have it

Magnesium Raw nuts and seeds, legumes, fruit

Craving "Sweets?"

You may need: Healthy Foods that have it:

Chromium Grapes, Cheese, Broccoli

Carbon, Fresh Fruits

Phosphorus, Chicken, beef, poultry, fish, dairy, nuts, legumes, grains

Sulfur, Cranberries, horseradish, cruciferous vegetables

Tryptophan Cheese Liver, lamb, raisins, sweet potato, spinach

I have discovered if I'm having a "need" something sweet feeling.

STOP, look up, take a deep breath and say.... "I don't N E E D it .... " Then SPEAK OUT any scripture verse: (Draw on the the LORD for Strength)

"Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones" Proverb 16:24

MEMORIZE the Word of God -

It'll bring health and Wellness to your Body, Soul and Spirit.

SALUTE! To your Health and Wellness

Day 9

Hebrews 11: 30 and 1

³⁰By faith the walls of Jericho fell,

after the people had marched around them for seven days.

¹Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

Day 9

It can be discouraging when we don't see the results of our efforts. Although this is a 21 day to Health and Wellness - NOT A DIET. Being at the Optimal weight is a benefit of "Healthy lifestyle living". No doubt as you choose to eat healthy and exercise, you expect to see your body reflect those choices.

Patience's! Trust in the Truth! Were is your faith?

I thought of the story of Joshua when the Lord gave him the plan for the capture of Jericho.

Joshua Chapter 6

² Then the LORD said to Joshua, "See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. ³ March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. ⁴ Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams' horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. ⁵ When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have all the people give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the people will go up, every man straight in."

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Wow, think about being one of the Israelis - Trusting Joshua. Being Blindly obedient. I'm thinking about the 3rd or 4 day that I've been walking around the wall. I'm sure I would be thinking to myself... "what the heck! Every day I'm walking around this wall and .... and nothing is happening, except I'm getting tired, discouraged and I have blisters on my feet? " Then I'm still walking.... it's now the 5th day.... the 6th day.... "COME ON". If I serve such an amazing Powerful God... why doesn't he just "slap this wall down".

Ok, the the 7th day.... "what did you say Joshua?..... we have to walk around this stupid wall 7 times in one day!" ohhhh my Lord!

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That's kind of the same dialog I have with myself. Why doesn't God just "zap me into the Health and Wellness and the perfect figure!". All the work I have to do to be healthy! All the work I have to do to lose weight and not wear a "moo moo". And, let's not talk about the effort everyday to keep my face from wrinkling.

Then I slap my head (like the V8 Commercial - "I should of had a V8)

and say

OH, That's not God's way. MY Life is about me

becoming a women of faith, perseverance, trust.... determination, patience etc...etc... etc...

again the Word of God says in Hebrews: ¹Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

So, as I step on the scale each morning and feel discouraged I need to:

One: Have faith that right choices will pay off in time

Two: Be accountable for the choices I made and didn't make the 24 hrs before I stepped on the scale

Three: REMEMBER that Weight loss is not the focus of my efforts it's the benefit.

Being HEALTHY is the GOAL!

MY THOUGHTS TODAY:

I am the temple of the living God

I will choose healthy foods

I will choose to think healthy, positive, life giving thoughts

I will choose to MOVE my body - exercise and stretch!

I will choose to fill my mind with sounds and sights that encourage and lift me up

I will serve the Lord today with all that I do

I will have a grateful heart and Praise God for what he is doing in my life

I will, I will, I will succeed today.

I will Obey and Trust God and walk around the wall another day!

When I am discouraged and or tempted I will

STOP,

Look up,

Take a deep breath

Ask God for Strength by quoting HIS WORD!

Salute! To Health and Wellness

(I look forward to your comments and feedback)

Day 8 - Laughter

Proverbs 17:22
"A merry heart doeth good like a medicine..."

FOUND at http://www.christianpost.com/article/20070713/learn-to-laugh/index.html) (Rick Warren is the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., one of America's largest and best-known churches. In addition, Rick is author of the New York Times bestseller The Purpose-Driven Life and The Purpose-Driven Church

Proverbs 14:30 says, “A relaxed attitude lengthens a man’s life.”

Humor is an amazing thing. It’s a tension dissolver. It’s an antidote to anxiety. It’s just like a tranquilizer, but without any troublesome side effects. And it’s free! You don’t even need a prescription.Laughter is life’s shock absorber. If you want to have less stress in your life, learn to laugh at your circumstances. Somehow, you must find the fun in the frustrating.

SPIRITUAL: Lord, today fill me with your goodness, that I may have a "merry heart".

MENTAL: Humor!

Currently I'm reading "Infusing Humor into Healthcare by Enid A. Schwartz, RN, Ms,MC for Continuing Education.

Here is one of the Chapters that discusses how Nurses can use humor to prevent "burnout":

USING HUMOR TO SURVIVE NURSING,

In this era of decreasing staff and increasing workload, how would nurses survive without humor? For example, consider the following scenario. You have seven acutely ill patients, a doctor is screaming for assistance with a procedure, a patient is in pain and constantly on her light, and down the hall a patient with dementia is yelling, "Help me, God. Oh please, help me, God" .

What do you do? Screaming is out, although that might be exactly what you feel like doing. What would happen if you took one moment, got on the intercom to the room of the patent with dementia, and said, "This is God. Now go to sleep." That happened one night at a small, rural hospital in southeast Arizona. The patient , who had barely slept since she arrived at the hospital, fell asleep and slept the rest of the night.

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My Dad taught me the value of not taking life so serious and finding humor in situations. It's help me tremendously in my life. He'd come home after work and tell us Jokes he heard (ones rated G for little ears). Also, I recall my cousins told us some hilarious stories when they were going through the process of making arrangements for their fathers funeral. Not a funny situation, but their sense of humor and laughter got them through a very difficult task. My sister and I had a similar experience of some light hearted moments when we had the very same task. I knew my Dad was watching us from above cracking up at our antics.

On Day 6 I have to admit I was struggling to muster up some "feelings of happiness" when I awoke. I recall how I laid in bed that morning... fake smiling! Knowing it works to just smile.... if anything, you can laugh at how silly you look laying in bed smiling at nothing!

Well, that morning during my blogging I wanted to maybe put a "beauty tip" in my blogs. So, I did a quick search on line and found "Dunk your head in Ice water and cucumbers"... That made me crack up. I used it to just be funny. But, It that set the tone for the rest of the day or me. Come on... a beauty tip that tells you to DUNK YOUR HEAD IN ICE WATER! Just cracks me up! If my husband thought I was crazy smiling in bed about nothing... he'd put me away if he saw me in the kitchen dunking my head in a sink full of Ice water and you'd be mailing my birthday cards to Dena Marie C/O The Funny Farm.

Lighten up! Life has so many difficult struggles. So much happening around us and TO US.

Ask the Lord to put that Joyful Spirit in you. I keep saying, and will keep on saying. We are in a Spiritual Battle! Put on the "whole armour of God"

Ephesians 6:12-13

¹²For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

¹³Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

It's real! Weight, health, family, Money, Work.... We have to wake up every morning BELIEVING we serve the God of the Universe! Knowing HE is our Hope! Knowing HE gives us Strength to face the Day.

The Song we sang in Church as a little Girl "Because HE lives, I can Face Tomorrow. Because HE lives all fear is Gone".

1 John 4:18

but perfect love casteth out fear

So, in the Lord, feel the freedom to laugh at life's situations. Walk in Joy and laughter today!

PHYSICAL: See January 6th post on "get moving". Exercise YOUR HEART (hey, I have a theme today.... Merry Heart and Exercise your Heart! must be getting ready for Valentines Day. :) lol - yes, that means LAUGH OUT LOUD! DO IT for your Health!

Eating TIP:

Eat only a portion that is the size of your fist! My Aunt went on a diet that I heard about that said you could eat anything as long as you could fit it into a half of a Pita Bread. Hummm, I think that sound about right. So, even if you choose a healthy Snack... don't put the WHOLE bag in front of you. Take out the right portion! BUT THE BAG AWAY so you won't be tempted. So, when you finish the portion it'll take effort to get the bag and give you a chance to STOP, LOOK UP, TAKE A DEEP BREATH and quote a scripture verse like "Greater is HE that is in me than he that is in that BAG"

SALUTE! To your health and Wellness

Day 7

Ephesians 4:29-32

²⁹Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths,

but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs,

that it may benefit those who listen.

We hear what WE say, right. We feed our minds with what WE are saying to others. WE feed our minds what we say to ourselves.

Psalm 19:14

Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer

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Words are so powerful. Can you think of a time someone said a complement to you that you've never forgotten. Do you recall how it made you feel at that time?

Can you recall a time someone said a criticism that has haunted you. I recall My teacher, Mrs. Candelaria in 4th grade who told me I was a terrible speller. So much for the spelling bee's I won in 3rd Grade. She said it, She was my teacher, so I believed it. I am a terrible speller. Is it because those words were planted in my head? I don't know, but how crazy I recall that teacher and what she told me 40 years later. (Ok, maybe a few more than 40.... guess my math ain't so good either, and throw in grammar too. ) HA!

SPIRITUAL: Lord, help me to day to use my words to impart strength to myself and others. Help me to choose words that bring life, healing and wellness to my soul. AMEN

Mental: (See post on Vitamins). I do believe that we can't get all our nutrients from our foods, but Vitamins are not a replacement for a healthy diet. Vitamins can be "overused" and cause problems.

Physical: This is Day 7 - find a way to increase the type and or duration of your activity or exercises today. Find ways to exercise throughout the day!

I mentioned before the importance of "Motion". Toddlers loose their baby fat, why? Because they've learned to walk! That's also why Toddlers loose interest in eating between 2-4 years old. They are too busy MOVING! ACTIVE! CURIOUS!

Take a lesson from Toddlers!

Find opportunities to day to move, stretch. You can walk in place while talking on the phone. Try walking with exaggerated movements (ok, when no one is watching you).

For example When standing at a counter or sink:

Standing Calf Raise: Stand on the floor (or with your heels hanging off a bench or step) and hold onto a bar or wall for balance. Lift up onto your toes as high as you can, squeezing the calves. Lower and repeat for 16 reps.

Or when the opportunity presents itself and your alone with a WALL (ha ha)

Wall Push Up
(A) Stand a few feet away from a wall and place hands on wall at shoulder level, a few inches wider than shoulders. (B) Pull the abs in and, keeping back straight, bend elbows and lower body towards the wall until elbows are at 90 degree angles.

SALUTE! I'm hoping to get feedback. Is this helpful to your journey to health and wellness? What should I add or remove? Please bear in mind, this is my "starting point" ... Thank you for your comments in advance

Get Moving!

Aerobic exercise: Top 10 reasons to get physical

Regardless of age, weight or athletic ability, aerobic exercise is good for you. See why — then prepare yourself to get moving!

By Mayo Clinic staff

At least 30 minutes of daily aerobic activity — such as walking, bicycling or swimming — can help you live longer and healthier. See how aerobic exercise affects your heart, lungs and blood flow. Then get motivated to reap the rewards!

How your body responds to aerobic exercise

During aerobic activity, you repeatedly move large muscles in your arms, legs and hips. You'll notice your body's responses quickly.

You'll breathe faster and more deeply. This maximizes the amount of oxygen in your blood. Your heart will beat faster, which increases blood flow to your muscles and back to your lungs. Your small blood vessels (capillaries) will widen to deliver more oxygen to your muscles and carry away waste products, such as carbon dioxide and lactic acid. Your body will even release endorphins, natural painkillers that promote an increased sense of well-being.

Aerobic activity can help you:

1. Keep excess pounds at bay. Combined with a healthy diet, aerobic exercise helps you lose weight — and keep it off.
2. Increase your stamina. Aerobic exercise may make you tired in the short term. But over the long term, you'll enjoy increased stamina and reduced fatigue.
3. Ward off viral illnesses. Aerobic exercise activates your immune system. This leaves you less susceptible to minor viral illnesses, such as colds and flu.
4. Reduce health risks. Aerobic exercise reduces the risk of many conditions, including obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, stroke and certain types of cancer. Weight-bearing aerobic exercises, such as walking, reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
5. Manage chronic conditions. Aerobic exercise helps lower high blood pressure and control blood sugar. If you've had a heart attack, aerobic exercise helps prevent subsequent attacks.
6. Strengthen your heart. A stronger heart doesn't need to beat as fast. A stronger heart also pumps blood more efficiently, which improves blood flow to all parts of your body.
7. Keep your arteries clear. Aerobic exercise boosts your high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or "good," cholesterol and lowers your low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or "bad," cholesterol. The potential result? Less buildup of plaques in your arteries.
8. Boost your mood. Aerobic exercise can ease the gloominess of depression, reduce the tension associated with anxiety and promote relaxation.
9. Stay active and independent as you get older. Aerobic exercise keeps your muscles strong, which can help you maintain mobility as you get older. Aerobic exercise also keeps your mind sharp. At least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise three days a week seems to reduce cognitive decline in older adults.
10. Live longer. People who participate in regular aerobic exercise appear to live longer than those who don't exercise regularly.

Start slowly

Aerobic activity is safe for most people, but sometimes it's important to get a doctor's OK first — especially if you have a chronic health condition. When you're ready to begin exercising, start slowly. You might walk five minutes in the morning and five minutes in the evening. The next day, add a few minutes to each walking session. Pick up the pace a bit, too. Soon, you could be walking briskly for at least 30 minutes a day — and reaping all the benefits of regular aerobic activity.

Other options might include cross-country skiing, aerobic dancing, swimming, stair climbing, bicycling, jogging, elliptical training or rowing. If you have a condition that limits your ability to participate in aerobic activities, ask your doctor about alternatives. If you have arthritis, for example, aquatic exercises may give you the benefits of aerobic activity without stressing your joints