New Thought Patterns to Help You Get Healthy

Summer is right around the corner and a great time to get in shape. Do you want to lose weight? Get more regular exercise? How are you sleeping at night? These are important questions to consider on a daily basis.  Stress depletes our immune system and makes us more vulnerable to overeating, makes us more susceptible to allergies, and affects our sleep. This week I am addressing the mindset we need to have if we want to have a healthier lifestyle.

I am a firm believer in making our health number one priority because I've had some serious health issues, despite my good diet and regular exercise. Good health is the cornerstone of a long and active life. Prevention is the key to maintaining good health. As I heard recently, it's easier to take care of your health so you stay well, than to rebuild it after you get sick. Ain't that the truth?

                                   

In this series, we've talked about how to start your day and the importance of good sleep. This week I'm sharing on the mindset and perhaps get you to think about health in a different way. In future posts, I'll offer up some weight loss tips you don't want to miss. 

Prioritize Your Health 
Many of us take our health for granted. Sadly, many people in our society don't make their health a top priority. They eat and drink whatever and whenever they want. They rarely exercise. They don't get enough zzzzs. Look around you. How many of your family members or friends are overweight? Studies have shown that the habits of the people we hang out with do influence our choices. 

Plus, thanks to the American Heart Association propaganda, obesity and diabetes have become a pandemic of sorts, especially in the US. This organization is largely to blame for encouraging people to cut out fats and replace them with carbohydrates years ago. We now know sugar is enemy #1. Healthy fats are crucial, especially for our brain, which is composed mostly of fat, did ya know? 

But you can be the game changer in your family and it all starts with a positive,  goal-oriented mindset. 

Personal Story
As a teenager, I battled my weight. I wore long sweaters to cover my ample derriere. Even my high school history teacher told me to lose the weight. How embarassing. 

So, I became an aerobics instructor and learned all about the body, the bones and muscles, nutrition, calories, etc. I became a health nut at an early age because I had a goal to lose the weight and get fit and trim before I walked down the aisle which I accomplished. I still maintain healthy habits to this day - for the most part. Okay, I do get the urge to splurge on kettle corn and tortilla chips during times of peak stress, but I am human too. People at work used to laugh when they saw the prunes, dried fruit and nuts on my desk instead of the candies and glazed donuts that were on theirs. You know the saying "A minute on the lips, forever on the hips."

A day without exercise is like a day without sunshine. Speaking of sunshine, we need a good dose of it daily and be sure to take your vitamin D, folks. If you don't live in a warm climate, it is crucial to supplement. 

Think Fit over Thin

It's really a question of fat mass vs muscle mass. Muscle burns more calories than fat. Muscles give you that toned healthy look, no matter what your weight. And  maintaining muscle mass is crucial the older we get. This means weight training, folks and plenty of good protein. Weight bearing exercise like brisk walking is great for anyone and all you need is a good pair of fitness shoes. Incorporate protein in your meals and aim for at 25 - 30 grams per meal depending on your activity level. Your body can't build muscle without protein. But don't neglect complex carbs either like fruits and leafy green veggies. They supply the vitamins and some minerals like calcium and magnesium which is lacking in our soil these days. 

Think Fitness Plan instead of "Diet"
How many times have I heard friends bemoan "Oh, I have to start my diet tomorrow..." The word "diet" has gotten a bad rap, and implies deprivation so let's throw that out because no one wants to feel deprived. Let's use "fitness plan" instead. Fitness plan implies a thought-out strategy to achieve fitness, strength, and longevity. Doesn't that sound much better? It's all about mindset, folks. We have to reprogram our thinking about getting healthy and make it something we look forward to, not something we dread doing. 

Think Today Not Tomorrow 
It is never too late to change our habits and get healthy. There is no time like the present to do so. I believe in taking baby steps to make change doable. Small changes like substituting lemon water for that daily soda or coffee fix. Going for a walk at lunch or after dinner instead of sitting at your desk or watching the boob tube. Ditching sweets and snacks and choosing fruits and veggies to munch on instead. The key is to stop making excuses. You are worth it! You deserve to be healthy! You owe it to yourself and to your loved ones. 

For Reflection:

What fitness goals would you like to achieve? What small step can you take this week towards a goal? Today is a great time to take action so you can feel good in that new swimsuit and at the beach. 

I hope you are inspired by our new series. My goal is to motivate you to make the changes you desire so you can fulfill YOUR DESTINY! And do pass this on to a friend who will love you for it. 

If you enjoyed this post and would like to join our community, simply enter your email address in the box provided. You'll receive my weekly posts AND a copy of my free guide entitled "7 Steps to Finding Your Spiritual Path", and remember, communication and community is a two-way street so feel free to connect with me and others on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @ArielPaz08. 

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Thanks for reading, and stay tuned as we learn more on how to ignite the power within so you can take back your life and discover YOUR destiny!

Until next time, keep looking up!

Ariel Paz

How to Transform Your Body and Your Life

Spring is here and pool season is right around the corner. I can't wait. It's been a long winter, hasn't it? Have you been exercising this winter? What about weight training? When we make the time to strengthen and develop our physical muscles, they have more tone, definition and strength. Our body is then equipped to do all the things we want and need it to do throughout our lifetime.

This week's post is about exercise and no, it is not a dirty word, so let's do away with any negative thinking or excuses right now, ok? Exercise is not a chore we have to endure. There's a woman at the gym who is wheelchair-bound and I have been watching and encouraging her as she makes the effort to move her body. She is making slow but steady progress. The other day I saw her climb onto the stationary bike. Imagine what it would be like to be in a wheelchair.

Exercise is a blessing and also a lifestyle. Exercise is a part of my life and has been for many years. There have been seasons when I have been injured and out of commission, so I know what it feels like to be immobile. It's not fun. Fun is being able to move, dance, and regular, consistent exercise helps us do just that. It helps us feel more alive.



It is important to make regular exercise a priority. I know you've heard it before, but it bears repeating, especially with the rate of obesity and cardiovascular disease on the rise all over the world. Did you know Mexico has surpassed the United States in terms of numbers of obese people - 32.8%. The United States now ranks #2 and that is not something to be proud of.

There are many fun ways to strengthen our muscles and get our bodies moving. Now that the weather is warming up, I love to get outdoors as much as I can. My grown sons still love to play soccer and basketball. I taught them to play tennis and took them to soccer and baseball practice. They saw me exercising in the basement to my videos. When I was raising my kids, I used to get up at 5:30 am and go for a run around the nearby college campus before the sun came up. Jogging is a great way to get a quick cardio workout in and all you really need is a good pair of running shoes. I'd sign up for 5 and 10k races and collect donations for charities. Then there is biking, working out at a gym, taking a fun group exercise class like Zumba, playing several sets of tennis, swimming, the list goes on and on. Let's not forget yoga and pilates - two great ways to tone, stretch, and strengthen our core and connect with our bodies. Two fantastic low impact weight-bearing exercises that can really train the heart muscle as well as strengthen the bones are fitness walking and hiking. Both are easy and free.

While I'm on the subject of strengthening our muscles, let's not forget our spiritual muscle. Did you know you have a spiritual muscle? Yes, indeed, and it's called faith. Think about this. We all have faith in something to some degree. We have faith that the sun will rise every morning even if we don't see it. We have faith that the chair we're sitting in will hold us. We use faith every day but there are times when we need it in extra doses. In the same way we lift more weight at the gym, or run longer distances, there are circumstances in our lives that put more demands on our spiritual muscle. If we haven't made the effort to develop our faith, we won't be able to endure the inevitable trials that are destined to come our way.

So how do we develop our faith muscle? By exercising it, of course! Faith needs to be used in order to grow stronger. Every trial we go through is an opportunity to develop and strengthen our faith. Just as we strengthen different muscle groups with different types of exercise, different situations in life cause us to develop our faith in different areas.

Here is a short video I put together about this entitled "How to Transform Your Life". I'd love to hear your thoughts.

What do you think of the idea of having a spiritual muscle? Does yours need to be exercised more? What concrete things can you do to strengthen it? If you're not sure, stay tuned and I'll be sharing simple yet concrete and practical steps you can use to develop your faith. If you want to be stronger and stay calmer through the ups and downs of life, now is the time to start strengthening your faith.

If you'd like to join our community and receive my bi-weekly posts, enter your email address in the box provided. You'll also receive a copy of my free guide entitled "7 Steps to Finding Your Spiritual Path". Also check out my newest ebook, "Streamline Your Life: 5 Fundamentals to Simplify Your Life, Reduce Stress and Have More Joy" 

Stay tuned for more tips on how you can achieve healing, wholeness, and harmony and enjoy the balanced life you deserve.

Until next time, keep looking up!

Ariel Paz