Challenge Yourself: Live Your Dreams

Challenge yourself.

Set a goal.

Make a plan.

Recruit supporters.

Live your dreams.

The arrival of Spring, like the celebration of the New Year, provides a great opportunity to review and set goals, assess our life paths, and forge ahead. Since Spring seems to (FINALLY) have arrived here in New England, I’ve added a challenge to my life: I’ll be running a 10K (the TD Beach to Beacon). While I’ve run this race in the past, it’s been a while since I participated in a road race, so my training has begun!!

As I considered setting the goal of participating in this 10K, I kept a few things in mind:

I’m challenging myself; I am NOT competing with anyone else.

My goal for participating in this 10K has been set; the time I’d like to finish has been set.

I have a reasonable roadmap to get me there: running or run/walking three times a week. (Walking and cycling will also be part of my exercise routine.)

Support team in place.

How does this let me live my dreams? Setting this goal:

keeps me healthy and in shape

frees up my mind, which allows me to

get my work done more efficiently

work out conflict or confusion

minimize distraction

So…hop on it. Healthy living starts now. Set a goal to improve your health and see if it allows YOU to live your dreams. As always, let me know how this works for you.

 

Challenge Yourself: Live Your Dreams was last modified: April 25th, 2018 by Deb Nelson

Keeping the Food Demons at Bay While You’re Traveling

Here we are at the end of January. You’ve made some changes to your diet in the first month of the year, and now…you’re about to hit the road for a week. Here are five tips to help you stay on track with your good nutrition habits while you’re traveling – whether you’re hopping on a plane, train, automobile, or bicycle!

  1. Bring your own food. Grab some of your favorite snacks and pop them in a travel bag. Some of my choices this week were: apples, oranges, homemade hummus, carrot sticks, and a protein shake. When your eyes are focusing in on someone else’s cookies and pretzels, just open up your snack bag and make a healthy choice. An added bonus of bringing your own food with you when you travel: you know what’s in the food you’re eating. You’re having a nutrient-dense snack or meal instead of food that will ensure that you’ll be hungry before you know it.
  2. Eat before you get hangry. Plan the timing of your snacks and meals on travel day. Yes, it sounds like work. Trust me, though, you’ll be glad at 10:30 to have that apple or orange before your stomach starts grumbling to remind you it’s time to refuel. You’ll avoid crankiness AND you won’t be tempted by that bag of potato chips the person sitting next to you just opened.
  3. Do some research before you travel. Go online and look at restaurants in the area where you’ll be staying BEFORE your trip. Find out what your restaurant options are before traveling. Take a look at menus so that you know what kind of choices you’ll have: vegetarian, vegan, gluten free? If you don’t find any meals that suit your diet, give the restaurant a call and find out if they can accommodate your needs.
  4. Stay hydrated, and bring a water bottle with you. Drink water. Here’s an easy way to add some H20 to your day: have a glass of water first thing in the morning. Then have a glass of water a half hour before each meal. For an extra treat, add some lemon juice, strawberries, or cucumber slices to your glass.
  5. Get plenty of sleep. Willpower walks out the door when we’re tired. Everything in sight suddenly looks enticing, and it can be difficult to make healthy food choices. Go to bed before you’re exhausted, keep your electronics away from your bed, close the blinds or shades so the room is dark before heading off to dreamland. If you’re setting an alarm clock, put it on the other side of the room so that you have to get out of bed to turn it off.

There you have it – five tips to help keep you on track with making healthy food choices while you’re traveling. These are also great tips to make a part of your daily life at home as well. Healthy living starts now.

Keeping the Food Demons at Bay While You’re Traveling was last modified: January 31st, 2018 by Deb Nelson