Healthy Tip #5 That You Already Know-But Probably Aren't Doing!

It's been a few days since my last post. Are you ready for Healthy Tip number 5?  Here it is!  (from www.mindbodygreen.com) 

5. Wear sunscreen

You’ll like the crow’s feet you have from all the smiles, but the scars from the “suspicious moles” removed? Not so much. Save yourself the trouble and slop on that sunscreen.

My comments: We all know that wearing sunscreen is very important, but must of us never apply it, especially in the winter! I will be the first to admit that I hardly ever apply sunscreen as soon as the weather gets cold.  It's hard to think of  the possibility of getting a sun burn when old man winter comes for a visit and the sun sets by 4:30 pm! But regardless of the temperature or the season, the sun still emits ultraviolet or UV rays, which is a type of radiation that can damage our skin and lead to premature aging, ie. the infamous crow's eyes, or even more devastating, cancer.    

Here are some interesting facts for you regarding UV rays in the winter and why wearing sunscreen is important! 

a. Snow can reflect up to 80% of UV rays 
b. Altitude can also increase the UV strength by 10-12%
c. Even on a cloudy winter day, up to 80% of UV rays reach the ground 
d. Sunscreen has been proven to protect us from the sun's UV rays and therefore, help prevent premature aging! 
e. Sunscreen can also reduce the likelihood of developing skin cancer! 

So whether or not you are a winter sports enthusiasts, wearing sunscreen in the winter is worth it! But choosing the right products is also very important. Here is a link that provides a quick guide to effective,  year round, sun protection products: 

http://www.dermalinstitute.com/us/news/?p=690

Oh, one more thing. Don't forget to protect your lips! They need protection from the sun just as much as your skin does! 


Stay active and anything is possible! 
Donna 

#3 and #4 Healthy Tips You Already Know- But Are You Doing Them?

I missed a few days from writing due to some internet glitches with our service. So here are not 1 but 2 healthy tips that we all know but are probably not doing!  (FYI. Just a reminder that these tips are from a great website www.mindbodygreen.com. I am posting their 15 healthy tips over a span of 2 weeks!)

3. Get your rest

You need it. Turn off the television and smartphone and light up a candle. Take a bath or some deep breaths. Starting the rhythm of peaceful quietude at the end of your day is something that will change your entire state of being. Trust me, if the older version of you with two young kids and a full time career can figure out how to make it happen, so can you. And doing it now will help her a lot.

My comments:  Most people think of rest as sleeping. Well, I'd like to talk about rest in another way. Here is one of definition of rest: "Cessation of work, exertion or activity." I like this definition because it's what most of us rarely do! We are constantly on the go and our minds and bodies are pushed to do more! How much better would we feel, think and behave if we gave our bodies and our minds a chance to "rest?" One can only imagine!  But I'd like to think that we would feel happier, have more clarity and better focus, and we would definitely have more energy! So with all of these amazing benefits, why do we not give ourselves time to rest?  Here's my challenge to you. Today, take 5 minutes away from your phone, computer, or radio and sit in chair and close your eyes. Turn your attention to your breath and just listen. That's all! Just listen to your own breath for only 5 minutes. Then notice how you feel afterwards. 

4. Drink water

There are three main ways for toxins to leave your body: through urine, poop, and sweat. Drinking lots of water helps them on their way (and if you didn’t pick up on it yet, plants and moving daily will too). In addition having a hydrated body is a happy body, so fill up that water glass and throw away the soda

My comments: Ah, water. The very basis for all life. I am blessed to live in a country where water is plentiful. I have the ability to live everyday without having to worry about water for survival. But in most North American and European countries, we rarely drink enough water for our bodies and MIND to function properly.  Here are a few examples of how water impacts our bodies. Maybe one of them will stick out in your mind and motivate you to have at least 1 litre of water (in total) for the day! 

1. It's a lubricant: Without water, our joints would become stiff and unable to move! 
2. It's a transporter: Water transports nutrients and oxygen to our cells throughout our whole body and it carries away toxins and waste products our bodies don't need. 
3. It helps our brains function! Our brain is over 70% water and if we are dehydrated, our brain does not function properly. It becomes sluggish and slow. We can't afford that if we are constantly working with very little rest! 

Stay active and anything is possible! 

#2 of 15 Healthy Practices You Already Know-(But are you doing it?)

2. Eat more plants.

Your body craves nourishment in every calorie. Why do you think you can't stop eating that junk food!? Save yourself the trouble of discovering your metabolism can no longer handle all the crap you eat, and fill your plate with greens and veggies.

My comments: At dinner, I sometimes hear my mother's voice or even my grandmother's voice say over and over again, EAT YOUR VEGETABLES! In today's society, with fast foods becoming the main stream,we rarely see or eat anything green on our plates or in our to go containers! If we do, it's loaded with salt and butter, aka FAT!

As you may have read from my blog regarding my 21 Day Adventure Cleanse, one of the primary goals of the cleanse was to eat more plant based foods.  Yes, this meant I had to put more thought into my meals let alone more preparation. But what I discovered was that it wasn't that hard to add more greens into my diet. Eating them raw was the easiest way and to make it more interesting (and sometimes more tasty), I added hummus. Cucumbers, broccoli, and celery either alone or in a salad became my best friends for lunch. At dinner, I steamed my vegetables (ie. spinach, bok choy, brussel sprouts, kale, swiss chard, rapine, dandeline, kohlrabi)  or as a last resort, I boiled them. (keep in mind that if you boil vegetables, you lose a lot of the nutrients if you boil them for too long)

The idea here is to make an effort, even the smallest effort such as eating a vegetable for a snack instead of a bag of chips or a super sized cookie. Once you start here, you can work your way up to adding more green vegetables into one meal a day, 2 meals a day, etc.

If you'd like your taste buds to explore new greens, here's a website that lists over 20 different green plant vegetables!

http://www.vegetarian-diet-tips.com/list-of-vegetables.html


Stay active and anything is possible!

15 Healthy Practices You Already Know and Should Be Doing

I read this fantastic article from Mind, Body, Green's website (www.mindbodygreen.com) that I was going to post in January. You know, that time when most individuals create their "new year's resolutions" list?  But then I thought, why not start today! These are fabulous practices that we should we be doing every day. If not, we should start doing them every day! 

However, rather than list all 15 healthy practices at once, I'm going to list just one a day over the next 15 days. Why? As you read each practice, I want you to really focus on the message. Reflect, visualize yourself doing the practice and figure out a way to incorporate it into your daily routine. I guarantee it will impact your overall well being! 


HEALTHY PRACTICE #1

1. Move your body.

You can't underestimate the power of experiencing the strength of your physical body in healthy ways. Find healthy movement that you enjoy and try to participate in it at least 60 minutes daily. You're establishing rhythms that will support you throughout your life, so get moving!

My recommendation: If you can not fit in 60 consecutive minutes a day into your routine, break it down into 3 segments of 20 minutes or 2 segments of 30 minutes. Then work your way up to 60 minutes straight. Keep in mind that if you are moving, you are improving! 

Testimonial from Olga Valentine!

I first met Donna when I was looking for a personal trainer to help me prepare for my climb up Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa. She had recently returned from climbing Everest Base Camp herself, so I knew I was in good hands. I instantly fell in love with Donna’s infectious smile, positive attitude and most importantly, realistic approach to health and fitness. I felt like she actually LISTENED to what my goals were, what my likes and dislikes were, what my time commitment was like, etc. and THEN developed a program that would actually work for me. In this day and age, listening is a rare skill and it is refreshing to finally meet a trainer who does it so well. This is something that I always felt was missing from other trainers I had worked with, who just threw me in a program that they claimed was tailored to my needs, but that I always felt was exactly the same for their other clients.  

6 months after successfully climbing Kilimanjaro, I found myself living in Montreal and reading an email from Donna with news that she had just moved to Montreal as well! Lucky me! I had previously mentioned to Donna that I have always had a personal goal of running a marathon. She convinced me that if I really wanted to, I had enough time to start training for a half-marathon. Over the next 10 weeks, Donna was my coach, mentor, motivation, biggest supporter, and number one fan! Each week of training she held me accountable for my runs and pushed me harder than I thought I could push myself. 10 weeks later I ran the Niagara Falls International Marathon in 1:40 and placed 6^th in my category. I would recommend Donna to anyone looking for a personal trainer, run coach or even just healthy lifestyle motivator. She truly cares about her client's goals and happiness; she's simply the best. Thanks Donna!!!!