Will you make the choice to be healthy?

This blog post thought started when a ripple went through the nation about the most recent Biggest Loser Winner and how she may be TOO skinny. I'll be honest, I've always had the fear of this happening with that show, especially for people who are former athletes (super competitive) and/or have addictive personalities. I fear this because I've walked in those shoes. I'm a former athlete and also a former exercise anorexic. I've felt the thrill of losing weight and wanting the numbers to KEEP coming off even when there really were no more pounds to shred. I know the "joy" of stepping on the scale every morning and feeling that "control", but I refuse to go back there. Refuse.

Instead I choose this...

I choose to be healthy!

And I want to challenge you to do the same. I want to challenge you to let go of the number on the scale, let go of the calorie counting, let go of the fat restricting... and simply choose to live a healthy life. Choose to daily eat fruits, vegetables, and nutrient dense foods... to daily be active and to be active at an activity level that is healthy and not overindulgent. Choose to tell yourself you are beautiful just the way you are every day and to judge your health level by how you feel, the energy you have, and the way your clothes are fitting. Choose to deal with your anger, frustrations, insecurities, and anything else bothering you instead of letting it eat away at you. Choose to embrace yourself. Right now. Where you are at. Choose to let go of harmful practices, harmful relationships, harmful foods. Choose to have cheat days. Right now, in this moment, I challenge you to make a choice.

Will you make the choice to be healthy?

Will you choose to recognize you are a unique individual and your healthy is vastly different from anyone else's healthy?

One of the worst things we can do is compare our health to our neighbors health. To compare our weight to our neighbors. To compare our diet to our neighbors. To compare our exercise regimen to our neighbors. To compare our job to our neighbors. To compare our relationships to our neighbors. 

Choose to let go of comparison.

Choose in this moment for facebook, pinterest, and all other social media to not be comparison resources, but rather to be resources that help you to establish YOUR version of healthy. Your own unique and absolutely stunningly beautiful version of healthy. Trust me, it is worth it... Because you are far more than a number on a scale, a clothing size, miles run, hours worked out, job title, friends on facebook, and whatever else you may define yourself by.

You are stunningly unique and beautiful.

Today is your day. To choose to change those habits whether they are over exercising or under exercising. Whether it is over eating or under eating or maybe it is not sleeping enough or sleeping too much.It just might be too much junk food and not enough nutrients or maybe it is an abusive relationship. It may be letting go of that self harm you think will help ease your pain. Whatever it is that is keeping you from being the healthiest you, I challenge you, get to the core of the problem. So my challenge to you:

Dig down to the core of your unhealthy habits.

 It is going to suck. But it is most definitely worth it. It may have started somewhere in your childhood or those dreadful years called middle school. It could be self inflicted or stem for lies that someone has fed you. It could be out of sheer laziness or lack of self worth. Whatever it is, find it and face it. Let's walk through the unhealthy habit struggles together while each of our unique versions of healthy unfolds. 

Will you walk this journey with me?

I sure hope so! If you feel so inclined, share your stories, your pictures, and your journey. I absolutely love stories of beauty from ashes! The road to health is a daily journey and it is better traveled together, side by side, without comparison but rather a journey full of teammates. Let's do this. Together.

You my friend, are stunning and beautiful and I canNOT wait to watch what your version of healthy looks like.

What does healthy mean to you?

This weekend I had a conversation with a new health coaching client for our first session.  She was very knowledgeable, but had some common misconceptions. Through this conversation I started to think, what does healthy mean to each individual person?

Here are a couple of questions I have for you: What does healthy mean to you? Do you feel like you are at your optimum level of health? Do you know the barriers that are keeping you healthy?

Each person has a different view of healthy. It depends on your knowledge and your interest. It also depends on your current health status.  Every person's optimal level of health is DIFFERENT. The important thing for you is figuring out what your optimal level of health is, what is holding you back from it, and how you are going to get there.

During this health awareness week, I have a few key things I want you to look at.

1. First off, ask yourself the questions above.

2. Have you had your yearly physical?  Have you had your blood work drawn in the last year?

3. Are you up to date on all your vaccines?

4. Are you up to date on all your cancer screenings?

5. Are you drinking enough water throughout the day?

6. Are you active at least 30 minutes out of the day?  If not, are you making steps to be active for at least 30 minutes out of the day?

7. What excuses are keeping you from living healthy?

8. Are you eating 3-4 servings of fruit AND 3-4 servings of vegetables a day?

These questions are great steps in getting to your optimum level of health.

Have a happy, healthy week!

Even Kids with Cancer Just Wanna Have Fun

We all know that cancer sucks. There isn’t any better way to put it – it sucks. It’s ugly, it’s painful and it’s terrifying. It’s even worse when a child is suffering from cancer. Whether you’re a family member, a friend or a neighbor, everyone is impacted in some way when a community member is suffering.

One of my favorite things about children is their unstoppable enthusiasm. No matter their circumstances in life, they’re always optimistic and excited for any opportunity to have fun.

When children are going through treatment, they experience a wide range of physical and emotional levels of fatigue. It’s important to keep physical limitations in mind when living with cancer patients, but I would argue that it is even MORE important to make sure everyone is living their life to the fullest. 

Even Kids with Cancer Just Wanna Have Fun 

Depending on level of treatment or degree of progress, the following suggestions are things you can do as a family/community to make sure the children in your life – fighting for theirs – never lose sight of fun and excitement.

Get Active 

Countless studies have shown that physical activity brightens mood. Even more, physical activity promotes general health and wellness. You can share with a fighter (child beating/fighting cancer) that not only are they getting healthy, you’re getting healthy with them. Consider some of the following activities:

• Long family walks – preferably with a dog!
• Bike rides and the occasional bike race (friendly, of course!)
• Go to the playground/park
• Play tag in the front/back yard
• Play catch
• Soccer, anyone?

There are countless physical things you can do as a family. Find what you’re interested in and what you can participate in with your fighter.

Get Adventurous 

There’s nothing better than a good adventure to take your mind off of the mundane. Children have a special gift of imagination, rendering “adventure” as something that doesn’t have to go far. Try some of the following:

• A family boating trip
• Theme park vacation – there’s nothing like the thrill of a rollercoaster
• Camping/hiking – everyone kid like sleeping in a ten
• Road trip to “weird” places
• Backyard treasure hunts
• Day trips to the beach

Get Creative 

Children are endlessly creative – fighters ever the more so in many ways. Using imagination takes everyone out of their current circumstances (often circumstances we’d rather not think about) and into a world where anything is possible. To aid your journey to this world, try some of the following:

• Build a fort- better yet, a fort colony
• Pull out your old costumes (and maybe wardrobe) and imagine yourselves as something completely different
• Have a craft day – anything is possible with a little glue, glitter and paint
• Redecorate rooms – make your world a space adventure or an underwater oasis 

There are countless things you can do with your fighter as a family to help them still live the life of a child who isn’t suffering from cancer. This list isn’t by any  means exhaustive, and I encourage you all to share some of your favorite children’s activities. If you think hard enough you’ll notice that these aren’t things that are cancer specific – they’re child specific. Children with cancer are children first.

If you’d like to learn more about how you can become involved with cancer research or fundraising, check out some of the following sites:

St. Jude Marathon

Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research

St. Baldrick’s Foundation

Alex’s Lemonade Stand

Children’s Cancer Research Fund

Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation

Kids vs. Cancer