Tip #82: Do it for your Mental Health

Okay, so maybe you could care less about having a perfect beach body or chiseled abs.  Who cares, most people don't.  What you need to care about is your overall health, including your mental health.  Our bodies were created to move.  Not to be sedentary.  You don't have to be a doctor to realize this.  Those who do not exercise regularly have significantly higher health problems, diseases, depression, and mental issues.

Why does exercise help your mental state?
-Exercise releases neurotransmitters and endorphins that ease depression
-Those who exercise have more energy
-Those who exercise feel better abouh themselves, their health and their lives
-Exercise can be quite fun!
-Exercise is a healthy way to cope with stress and anxiety.  The list goes on...

Having 3 young children, there can be days when my patience and irritability reach their limits by the time we get to lunch.  So, I put the kids down for a nap, hop on the treadmill, and engage in some quality venting and reflecting with my awesome God.  Amazingly, once the kids are up, I have a renewed sense of motivation, compassion and  perspective.

I realize that some of you may have become content with your somewhat sedentary lifestyle, but please also take into consideration your mental health.  I know that getting yourself to get on the treadmill, on the bike or out the door is the absolute hardest part.  If you can just get past that, you will be thankful, and you might even enjoy it.

Tip #81: Don't obsess over one body part, take care of it ALL!

I've seen it a dozen times.  The gal that is fed up with her belly "bulge" and does tons of sit-ups with little to no results.  Why?  Because she's zoning in on one little area of her body, while neglecting the rest of it.

We all have parts of our bodies that we are not very fond of.  The mistake that many people make is trying to target that one area, usually without any success.  If you want to improve your health, body weight, or any annoying body parts, your first priority must be to sweat and get your heart beating.  Do some type of aerobic exercise at least 3 times per week.  This means brisk walking, running, biking, swimming, an aerobic machine (elliptical machine, etc.), aerobic movement (Zumba, Tae-bo), or anything else you can think of to get your heart going for around 30 minutes or more.  Once you've made time in your schedule to make your "heart health" a priority, then you can begin targeting certain areas of your body.

The fastest way to get rid of your belly bulge (or insert your problem area) is to take care of your overall health by working that body!  Then add in some sit-ups, or other muscle specific exercises.  

***Stay tuned by the way, because in the next couple of weeks I'll be sharing some ab workouts, from my living room to yours!

Tip #80: Keep it simple. Keep it pure.

I have to admit, when my husband and I got married almost 9 years ago, I used to make a lot of casseroles.  I guess because they are so easy to make, and don't require much culinary skill on my part.  I'm not against casseroles, but often you end up throwing high sodium soups and large amounts of butter in a dish (along with some other hopefully more healthy options), and call it a meal.  Over the years, I have simplified many of our meals, and tried to eat foods more in their pure forms.  I know that my immune system, fitness, body weight and general health have benefited from these changes greatly!


Here are some guidelines to eating healthier by keeping your foods simple and pure:
1.  Read labels!  As a general rule, the fewer ingredients the better.  It's also nice if you can pronounce what is in the food you are eating.
2. Stay away from pre-made/microwave meals found in the freezer section at the grocery store.
3. Homemade always trumps store made (and it's cheaper too).  (Instead of buying Spaghettios for the kiddos, boil some whole wheat noodles (or noodles made from veggies), drain and throw in some butter, cheese and milk.  My kids love this better than anything that comes in a can!).
4. Eat large amounts of fresh fruits and vegetables.  The nutrients are richest in fresh, then frozen, and finally canned.
5. Choose water, tea, lemonade or even coffee over soft drinks.
6.  Eat those fruits and veggies raw--that's when they have the most nutrients.  Many nutrients are often lost when the fruits or veggies are boiled or cooked in some way.

These are only a few guidelines to get you started, but you get the idea.  Challenge your menu this week, challenge what you're used to; what you've always done.  Your health, your weight and your fitness are not going to change on their own.  Something has got to change, so why not start here?

Tip #79: Turn around your Tastebuds

Some of you can't eat many vegetables.  Let me rephrase that...some of you won't eat many vegetables, or other healthy foods for that matter.  Now, let's take a real honest look at why.  The hard truth is this: you have overstimulated your taste buds!  Do you know what happens when children watch T.V. and play video games ALL day?  They get bored very easily, and are not content playing outside or reading a book.  It is because they have overstimulated their mind.  You do the same type thing to your taste buds when all you give them are highly sugared, high fat foods all of the time.  They are no longer content with the healthy, simple and pure foods that your body needs.

Another problem with your over-stimulated taste buds might be that you are eating too much.  Have you ever gotten to the point of being super hungry, and when you finally got to eat, you said something along the lines of, "this is the best thing I've ever tasted!".  That's because you actually gave yourself a chance to get hungry.  Every good chef knows to serve their food to a hungry group--the food always tastes better.  If you allow yourself to get hungry once in a while, that carrot or apple is going to taste even more delicious!

So how can you retrain your taste buds so they won't get "bored"?

1.  Allow yourself to get hungry sometimes.
2.  Make sugary and high fat treats...treats, not the norm.
3.  Choose a food/drink in your regular diet to take a little "break" from and see how you do.  Show yourself that you really can live without it!  One time in college I didn't drink a Coke for several months because I was training for a big track meet.  After the meet was over, I was so excited to go to dinner and get one.  It was quite a disappointment.  It tasted so sugary and strong that I didn't even enjoy it.

You CAN train your body and your taste buds to live without those junky foods that you think you need...or at least some of them.  ;)

Tip #78: Don't Overlook your Mind

As I get ready to run my first 10k race in just 3 more days, I'm drinking plenty of water, getting extra rest, avoiding high fat foods, and...preparing myself mentally.  Though I have been getting all of my runs in and working hard, I could potentially sabotage my entire race, just by not being prepared mentally.  Even the strongest body will not perform well with a weak, discouraged, or negative mind.

A person's mental state is crucial to their health; whether it be the person running a 10k, the diabetic on her treadmill at home, the grandmother doing Zumba, the high school kid playing a soccer game, or the elite athlete preparing for the Olympics next summer.  It matters for everyone.  Some people mentally "quit" before they ever start.  So, how do I handle the negative and discouraging thoughts, pressures and road blocks???

One word.  Jesus.  Everything is about Him; including my health.  If I make it all about me, it's very easy to quit, because you know what?  I'm not strong enough, I'm not fast enough, I'm not tough enough, and I'm just not disciplined enough!  If I rely only on my own strength and perspective, well sure I'm going to quit! Keeping things in perspective, and keeping health in its right place is vital for the success of it.  At the starting line of a race, minutes before the gun goes off, a plethora of thoughts tend to swirl around my head..."Ooh, she looks fast...this is going to hurt...I haven't trained hard enough...I'm weak...it's hot...why am I doing this???".  It's easy for your mental state to go south really fast, when you are focused on yourself.  In the last few months, I have made a habit of looking up at the sky, and remembering my Savior, and putting that race in its place.  It helps me to remember how unimportant that race really is in the scheme of things, and to not make too much of it or of my performance.  I am reminded from Colossians 3 to "set your mind on things above", and "whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as unto the Lord, not for men, since you know you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.  It is the Lord Christ you are serving."

Perhaps you face different mental roadblocks than I do.  Maybe some of yours look like this:
"It's not worth it"
"I'll never look like her/him no matter how hard I work"
"This is too hard"
"I don't have time to care about my health"
"This hurts too much"
"I'm not good at this"
"I'm not an athlete"
"What will people think about me?"

If any of these negative thoughts are preventing you from taking care of yourself, let me encourage to lean into Jesus, ask him to take your burdens; strengthen you; motivate you.  Ask Him to help you.  Oh, and He will, I can attest to that!

Whether you are preparing for a race, an exercise session at the gym, or a brisk walk around your neighborhood, prepare physically, but don't neglect your state of mind.  It makes all the difference.