New Year, New You, New Focus?

These days it seems like everyone is trying to lose weight. We get it - there are plenty of societal pressures around weight and how we “should” look, and we may even hear “lose some weight” from our doctors and medical professionals when we visit with health concerns.

We aren’t saying managing your weight isn’t important. But we definitely are saying that weight is only one tiny part of living a healthy life.

As you set your goals for the New Year, we urge you to consider more than just your weight and looks. Studies have shown that focusing on health vs just how you look has provided better overall results. As Holistic Lifestyle Coaches, we approach health from the lens of how you can live a longer, more fulfilling life with less pain, so you can be more active, have more energy, and just have more FUN!

We have been successfully coaching clients for over 25 years and we have narrowed it down to six key focus areas, that produce the greatest success:

Mindset - Our mindset sets the tone for every other part of our lives. If we tend to have a negative outlook, we are going to see the negative everywhere we look. If instead we practice a positive mindset with gratitude, we will see the positive in everyday situations and feel gratitude regularly.

Food - Everything we put into our bodies affects how we feel. We like to use the car analogy - if you put crappy fuel in a high performance car you will get low or no performance. If you want your body to perform at a high level - having more energy, sleeping better, doing tasks you enjoy - you need to put “high performing” (nutritious), whole foods into your body.

Movement - This is the best way to improve and extend your life. First, get up out of your desk chair or off your couch and move! For baseline health, start with a minimum - 5 brisk, 30-minute walks = 150 minutes of walking/running per week.  Second key to improving posture, reducing joint pain and increasing longevity is strength training. You need to do 2x a week of all major muscle groups 1-3 sets of 8-12 reps. Lastly, to keep moving efficiently, and with increased ease is daily flexibility. Find a yoga or pilates class, get some instruction and commit to it daily.

Breath - How often do you stop and think about how you are breathing? Are you taking full, deep breaths? Breathing is something our body happily does on its own, but we can check in with our breath and make sure we are breathing effectively and mindfully. We need oxygen to live. Ten deep slow belly breaths daily can improve your mood and your health.

Rest - Feel tired all the time or need 3 coffees to make it through the work day? (We hope you don’t just scoff and say, “only 3?!”) You need to prioritize rest. This doesn’t just mean sleep. Give your mind a chance to rest by watching a TV show you love or reading a relaxing book. Practice meditation and/or journalling. Put up your feet and just be quiet. Practice healthy sleeping habits like, turning your lights down, and being off all of screens two hours before you go to bed - this helps your eyes relax since the blue light from screens can keep you awake. Help yourself rest and recharge.

Self Care - Self care is not selfish - it is a necessary part of living a healthy, balanced life. Whatever self-care looks like for you, block off time in your schedule and make it happen. Get a massage once per month. Watch your favorite movie. Take ten minutes to play with your dog. Go for a jog. Self care can be whatever it needs to be for you as long as it gives you a chance to relax and reenergize.

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As you consider your “New You” focus this year, consider these six areas.

Notice nothing on this list says, “Fix something you don’t like about yourself.” Instead, with a positive attitude, look for something you can improve or adjust to live a healthier, more balanced life.

Need some “focus” support? We have several programs that can support you:

For Movement “focus” (Fitness)
- Shared Personal Training (in-person)
- One-on-one personal training (in-person and virtual)
- Virtual exercise classes 
- Yoga classes (in-person and virtual) Bonus: it adds mindset, rest, and breath!

For Food “focus”
- 7-Day Green Feasting Cleanse
- 21-Day Eat Clean program
- 28-Day Combined Cleanse + Eat Clean

For All Six Areas of “focus”
(Mindset, Food, Movement, Breath, Rest, and Self-care)
- 90-Day ReVITALize program
Begins in March - covers all these areas and how they work together to support your entire life.