Click here to view the embedded video.

Healthy Soup Ingredients:

• 1 whole organic Free Range Chicken
• 1 pkg. Shiitake mushrooms
• 8 organic carrots
• 8 organic celery sticks
• 1 organic fennel
• 1 organic leek
• 2 large yellow onions
• Fresh chopped Thyme
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. organic curry (to taste)
• Sea Salt (to taste)
• 2 Tbsp. peppercorns

Directions:

1. Cut up chicken into pieces. I suggest having this done for you at the meat department to save time and mess. Place chicken in large soup pot and cover with clean, filtered water. Make sure you use all of the chicken, including giblets, neck etc. Sprinkle sea salt into pot and add peppercorns to broth.
2. Cut up 4 carrots, 4 celery sticks and 1 large onion into large chunks. Add these vegetables to the pot to cook with the chicken. Chop and add fresh Thyme to pot. Add 2 chopped cloves of garlic. Add Tbsp. of curry. These will all cook down and season the broth nicely. Keep heat on high and bring contents to boil. Skim off foam. Then, reduce heat to a simmer. Add 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar and cover. Let simmer for 6 to 12 hours. The longer it cooks, the better the flavor.
3. After soup has cooked for a long time (6-12 hours), separate broth from contents by pouring through a strainer into another large pot. Do this in the sink to avoid making a mess. Remove strainer with contents (cooked chicken and veggies. Place broth back on stove on low heat while you chop up fresh vegetables to place in broth to create final product.
4. Let contents in strainer cool (chicken and cooked veggies).
5. Chop up remaining raw carrots, fennel, celery, leek and onion into small pieces and add to broth on stove. Turn heat up to high and bring to boil. Reduce to medium or medium low and let vegetables cook for at least an hour or longer.
6. Once cooked chicken and veggies are cool enough (30 minutes or so), remove chicken pieces and discard cooked vegetables. Separate all chicken meat from bones and discard the bones. Pull chicken into small pieces and return to soup broth with cooking vegetables. At this time, I would add the Shiitake mushrooms as they don’t take long to cook at all. You can do this any time as chicken is already well cooked at this point.
7. Finally, after soup is ready, remove lid and taste. Add more sea salt, pepper, curry or spice to your liking.

The SuperFood Power Punch of Chicken Soup

Health Benefits of Chicken Broth*

Chicken stock provides a concentrated source of minerals and hydrophilic colloids that make your entire meal more digestible. Colloids that have been heated (i.e. in cooked foods) generally repel liquids, making cooked foods harder to digest. However, the gelatin in chicken and other meat broths has the unusual property of attracting liquids—it is hydrophilic—even after it has been heated. The same property by which gelatin attracts water to form desserts, like with Jello, allows it to attract digestive juices to the surface of cooked food particles. This is a primary reason why the broth in chicken soup is so good in aiding the digestive process. Good digestion usually means good health.

According to Sally Fallon of the Weston A. Price Foundation,

“Chicken soup has a natural ingredient which feeds, repairs and calms the mucous lining in the small intestine. This inner lining is the beginning or ending of the nervous system. It is easily pulled away from the intestine through too many laxatives, too many food additives. . .and parasites. Chicken soup. . .heals the nerves, improves digestion, reduces allergies, relaxes and gives strength.”

What better natural remedy to have during times of sickness and for maintaining health and wellness during cold weather?

Health Benefits of Carrots:

Carrots are rich sources of carotenoids (particularly beta-carotene), B vitamins, phosphorus, calcium and all important iodine. The antioxidant nutrients in carrots are believed to explain many of the heart protective benefits provided by this root vegetable. The carotenoids in carrots are also known for their benefit for eye health. And, lab studies have shown the ability of carrots and their juice to inhibit the grown of colon cancer cells. Carrots are simply too rich in digestive tract-supporting fiber, antioxidants, and unique phytonutrients to not be eaten in support of the lower digestive tract and colon cancer protection.

Health Benefits of Fennel:

Fennel contains its own unique combination of phytonutrients—including the flavonoids rutin,quercitin, and various kaempferol glycosides, that give it strong antioxidant activity. In animal studies, the phytonutrient anethole in fennel has been shown to lower inflammation and to help prevent the occurrence of cancer. It is also a great source of vitamin C. The vitamin C (needed for a healthy immune system) found in the fennel bulb is also potently antimicrobial. It contains a very high fiber content, and in addition, is a very good source of folate, the B vitamin necessary for the conversion of a dangerous molecule called homocysteine (that can cause a host of heart and cardiovascular damage) into other, benign molecules. It is also a very good source of potassium, a mineral that helps lower high blood pressure, another risk factor for stroke and heart attack.

Health Benefits of Leek:

Leeks can always be used in place of onions, although they have a slightly more pungent flavor than their cousins. Leeks are good sources of carotenoids, B complex and vitamin C and are considered nourishing for the liver. Leeks, not unlike their cousin garlic and fennel, also contain important amounts of the flavonoid kaempferol, which has repeatedly been shown to help protect our blood vessel linings from damage, including damage by overly reactive oxygen molecules. This appears to involve increased production of nitric oxide (NO), a naturally occurring gas that helps to dilate and relax the blood vessels. Leeks also contain a high content of antioxidant polyphenols, which play a direct role in protecting our blood vessels and blood cells from oxidative damage.

Health Benefits of Shiitake mushrooms:

Widely referred to as “medicinal mushrooms,” the Shiitake is a smoky flavored fungus, packed full of beneficial nutrition. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, shiitake mushrooms are used for cleansing and balance. They appear able to enhance immune function in both directions, giving it a boost when needed, and cutting back on its activity when needed. They are also known to contain a natural source of interferon, a protein which appears to induce an immune response against cancer and viruses. Like other mushrooms, they contain about 90 percent water and act as sponges, absorbing the flavors of other foods with which they are cooked. They contain protein, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and are a great source of iron and B complex vitamins, particularly biotin. They are also known to contain a substance called adenosine, that has potent blood thinning and anticoagulating properties.

Benefit of adding Apple Cider Vinegar to soup:

Acidic wine or vinegar added during the cooking process helps to draw minerals, particularly calcium, magnesium and potassium, into the broth.

The above health benefits of these vegetables are by no means exhaustive. There’s a lot more to be known about how they can bolster our health. Nevertheless, take what’s written here to heart (no pun intended) and serve yourself up this dish frequently. Not only will your taste buds love it, but your body will love you for its nutritional value all the more.

*NOTE: Much of the broth information above was obtained from the great book: Fallon, Sally (1999-10-01). Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats. NewTrends Publishing, Inc.. Kindle Edition.

As always, I welcome your comments, suggestions and questions below.

Related posts:

1. Healthy Gold Beets and Brussel Sprouts Dish
2. Soy Can Negatively Affect Your Weight & Health
3. 9 Tips for Eliminating Bad Breath

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Dish Ingredients:

• 4 medium or 8 small gold beets
• 20 Brussel sprouts
• 1 medium shallot, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2-3 Tbsp. olive oil (organic)
• 1 Tbsp. freshly chopped Thyme
• 1/4 cup blanched almond slivers (toasted)
• Sea Salt (to taste)
• Fresh ground pepper (to taste)

Directions:

1. The beets take the longest to cook, so start them first. Peel them with a vegetable peeler. Boil them in water in a small saucepan for 40-45 minutes. When done, set aside to cool for a few minutes and cut into quarters. (Note: you can cut them in quarters before boiling which will reduce your boiling time.)
2. While beets are cooking, toast the blanched almond slivers. Heat a skillet to medium high heat and add the almonds. Stir frequently with a spatula, taking care not to let them burn. When the almonds begin to brown, remove from pan into a small bowl or plate. Let cool, set aside.
3. Clean up the Brussel sprouts by removing brown leaves and by cutting off the stalky bottom. Put in small sauce pan and cover with filter water. Boil for no more than 5 minutes. They should be just about cooked all the way through. Set aside for a few minutes to cool, and then cut each sprout in half.
4. In a decent sized skillet heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil at medium heat. Add the thinly sliced shallot pieces, lower to medium heat and cook until translucent – a few minutes. Add a little more olive oil and raise the heat to medium high. Add the Brussel sprouts and gold beets to the pan, along with the fresh thyme and mix up well. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook for a few minutes more, stirring. Remove from heat and serve. Tastes great warm, but also tastes great the next day cold.

Makes about 6 nice servings. If that’s too much, that’s a good thing. Believe me, you’ll want leftovers. They taste even better cold the next day!

The SuperFood Power Punch

Besides the awesome flavor of this creative combination of vegetables, Gold beets, Brussel sprouts, Thyme, Almonds and Olive Oil pack quite a superfood, nutritional powerhouse whallop for our health. The health benefits of eating a dish such as this are plentiful and thrilling. Look at how you will nourish your body:

Health Benefits of Gold Beets:

Gold beets are great to eat year round, as they tend to have a neutral thermal nature. Some foods are warming and some are cooling. Beets tend to be neutral. They have a sweet flavor like red beets. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), they strengthen the heart, sedate the spirit, improve circulation, purify the blood, benefit the liver, moisten the intestines and promote menstruation. Furthermore, in TCM, they are used along with carrots to regulate hormones during menopause. Lastly, they are used to treat constipation and help nervousness.

While they are very good for you, one thing to remember is that they do contain oxalic acid which can inhibit calcium metabolism and has been known to promote kidney stones. So, you may not want to eat them every day.

Health Benefits of Brussel Sprouts:

Brussel Sprouts are members of the cruciferous vegetable variety and contain a good bit of Omega-3 fatty acids, anti-oxidants and other natural chemicals that help fight inflammation, as well as have a rich content of Vitamin K. Also, they are known to contain important detoxifying phytonutrients like glucosinolates and isothiocyanates which are known cancer fighters, particularly bladder, breast, colon, lung, prostate and ovarian.

Health Benefits of Thyme

Contains “thymol,” the main volatile oil in the herb, which is known for its ability to protect and increase the amounts of healthy fats in and around our cells. It also contains a number of flavonoids, including apigenin, naringenin, luteolin and thymonin – all of which, combined with its high content of manganese, increase its antioxidant capacity.

Health Benefits of Almonds

Almonds are high in mono-unsaturated fats, the same type of health-promoting fats found in olive oil (also used in this recipe). These types of fats are known to help lower LDL (bad cholesterol) thereby reducing the likelihood of heart and cardiovascular disease. In addition to the mono-unsaturated oil content, they also contain the heart healthy antioxidant Vitamin E. Furthermore, almonds contain the all important minerals magnesium and potassium, which help to keep the heart and cardiovascular system healthy.

The above health benefits of these vegetables are by no means exhaustive. There’s a lot more to be known about how they can bolster our health. Nevertheless, take what’s written here to heart (no pun intended) and serve yourself up this dish frequently. Not only will your taste buds love it, but your body will love you for its nutritional value all the more.

As always, I welcome your comments, suggestions and questions below.

Related posts:

1. Coconut Chocolate Brownies – Gluten Free
2. Soy Can Negatively Affect Your Weight & Health
3. Weight Gain, Belly Fat & Insulin Resistance

Are You Insulin Resistant?

Now, you may be thinking, “What is he talking about?” but I’m telling you honestly, this is something that you need to know if you plan on staying slim, healthy and well for a long life. Ok, so the quickest way for you to know if you’re insulin resistant is to take a look in the mirror -

Do you have belly fat?

When you try to “pinch and inch” on your sides, is there anything there to pinch? Well, if there is, then most likely you’re dealing with insulin resistance. And not only that, but you could very well be prediabetic or have metabolic syndrome.

Without getting long-winded here, let me just say that if you’re even slightly overweight, you are putting your life in grave peril. Nobody wants to do that, least of all, you or me. So, here’s a SUPERCHARGED Reminder -

Start Eating to Live and Stop Eating to Lose!

How do you do that? Well, I coach people all the time on how to eat the right way to maximize weight loss, slim down and promote longevity (that’s living longer ) – things we all want. If you’re interested in finding your way to wellness through proper diet, nutrition and exercise, then contact me.

But for now, here are-

5 simple nutritional pointers that will send you down the right path towards weight loss and wellness:

This list is by no means all there is when it comes to losing weight, getting lean and promoting wellness. But, if you can master these five tips, I promise that you will do wonders for your weight loss and wellness. And if you need someone to help you form a real plan, help you stick to it and take you from unhealthy Point A to Healthy, Lean Point B – then get in touch with me. For now though, at least start working on the above five pointers. You’ll love yourself for it and reap the rewards of living a healthier, longer life!

Related posts:

1. Soy Can Negatively Affect Your Weight & Health
2. 9 Tips for Eliminating Bad Breath

If you’ve ever been around someone who has bad breath (and I suspect you have), you know that it’s no pleasant experience. Even worse is being trapped next to someone whose breath is plaguing everyone within five or ten foot radius – such as sitting in the choir loft, a car, plane, train or some form of public transportation.

The truth is, we rarely can do anything to fix the halitosis problem of those around us, short of offering a piece of gum or a mint. And even this remedy won’t last that long. So, in light of solving bad breath for ourselves at least, which is one of my pet peeves, I’m offering some simple, yet effective solutions to bad breath.

1. Floss your teeth. This one may be a no brainer to most, but a lot of bad breath comes from decaying food that gets trapped between the teeth, particularly if you eat a lot of meat (beef is the worst). So pull out that dental floss after every meal. Not only will it make your breath fresher, but it’ll keep your gums healthy and also make you healthier. Look it up, the two are related.



2. Drink lots of filtered water. Health benefits aside, water rinses the bacteria off of your tongue and teeth. Bacteria is a primary cause of bad breath. Also, drinking lots of clean, healthy water hydrates the body. One of the first signs of dehydration is a dry mouth. And trust me, if your mouth is dry, your breath is going to stink.



3. Eat lots of raw green veggies. Raw green veggies contain the detoxifying and cleansing ingredient chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is what gives certain veggies that green color. Try foods such as watercress, parsley, spinach and fennel. These particular greens are great for cleansing and detoxifying the body and breath. Furthermore, chlorophyll in green plants helps to balance the digestive tract and curtail acid reflux – a major contributor to halitosis.



4. Cut out the sugar and junk food. I know, we all want our sugar fix, but sugar is a breeding ground for bacteria, fungus and viruses. If you’re eating a lot of sugar and refined or processed carbohydrates and fake foods, your breath is going to stink. There’s no way around it. Too much sugar causes an overly acidic environment in the body. It also majorly contributes to acid reflux, which also is a major culprit of bad breath.



5. Limit your coffee intake. I love coffee as much as the next person, but it will make your breath stink. And it’s not just the smell of coffee on your breath, but also all the sugar and milk that comes along with it. To top that off, caffeine is especially acidifying and drying to the body. In other words, it will contribute to acid reflux and indigestion and dehydrate the body. Lack of water in the body means lack of saliva, which means bad breath. At a minimum, try to brush your teeth and drink plenty of water after having your morning coffee.
6. Quit smoking. This is another no brainer for so many reasons, but if you’re a smoker, rest assured – your breath stinks. Enough said.



7. Brush your tongue and the inside of your mouth. You’ve probably heard this one before, but brushing your tongue, particularly the back, as well as the insides of your cheeks and the roof of your mouth, can go a long way towards warding off bad breath. And, while you’ve got that toothbrush in your hand, it may be a good idea to go ahead and brush your teeth good too, but that should go without saying.
8. Deal with your allergies. If you’ve got a cold or allergies, you’re breath is going to stink. Allergies and cold cause drainage, which can tend to pool in the back of your throat and stink. If you’re tasting it, we’re smelling it. Not only that, but when you’ve got the drainage going on, most likely there are old food particles that are getting stuck behind your tonsils, which don’t smell so nice. Do what you can to get rid of it. Seasonal allergies are common, but can be resolved by eating very clean and staying away from refined foods and genetically modified foods. Our bodies’ response to these types of foods is a histamine release, which causes allergy-like symptoms. Also, you can try supplementing with quercitin (it comes in capsule form). This helps a lot with seasonal allergies. Just make sure you start taking it a couple of months prior to the typical allergy season.
9. Chew some sugar-free mint gum. If all else fails, you can chew some sugar-free gum. It won’t cure your bad breath, but it sure will mask the smell for a while. As a health coach, I’m not a proponent of chewing gum period, as it sets off a host of digestive enzymes and stuff which can contribute to reflux, hunger and an insulin release. Furthermore, the chemicals in sugar-free gum are not good for you. So, this particular tip (chewing gum) should be your last resort.

The fact of the matter is, if you’ve got chronic halitosis, you’re not a healthy person. It’s a tell-tale sign of poor health and needs to be addressed immediately. Aside from the unpleasant nature of bad breath, the underlying health issues should be of major concern. Most people, doctors and the like will not tell you this. But, the truth is, bad breath can be a real indicator of some serious imbalances in the body. Take the time to address it now – whether it’s caused by smoking (unhealthy) or by some esoteric condition.

As always, I welcome your comments, suggestions and questions below.

No related posts.

Over the past several years, I have spent a lot of time and effort studying the Bible, spirituality, self-help, various coaching methods, diets and nutrition in hopes of learning all I can to help my clients (and myself) achieve the best life possible. Ultimately, the overarching goal is to attain a long, healthy life of balance, success, happiness and fulfilment. The old saying, “the more I know, the more I realize I don’t yet know,” (or something like that) comes to mind. Nevertheless, as I continue to study these various lifestyle issues, one thing has become predominantly clear:

When it comes to balance and wellness, much of our health, happiness, success and longevity is determined by the choices we make in life. The simple fact is, our choices can make us or break us.

If I sound like a broken record here, that’s good! This is a point that should be well learned and reiterated throughout our lives. None of us is ever too far advanced in our spiritual walk or personal development to think that he or she is above making bad choices. The Scriptures state it well in 1 Cor. 10:12 -

“Therefore let anyone who thinks he stands [who feels sure that he has a steadfast mind and is standing firm], take heed lest he fall [into sin].”

The issue of making good choices is one that I find myself constantly having to hammer home with my clients, no matter what their troubling issue or crisis may be.

On a Practical Note. . .

As an executive wellness coach, much of what I do concerns helping my clients make right choices in the above areas to find BALANCE. Today, let’s all make a point to energize our lives by making the best choices surrounding the above areas.

And, as always, if there’s mystery concerning what these best choices or practices are, consider hiring a COACH, or at least do some research for yourself to figure it out.

Life is too short NOT to squeeze out our BEST while we still have ample opportunity.

No related posts.

As always, feel free to leave comments or questions below. And if you need a coach to help you Clean Up Your Diet, feel free to contact me here.

No related posts.

Here’s a life rule that we’d all do well to master –

Choose your food (and eat) as though your wellness depended on it, BECAUSE IT DOES!

Tip #3 – Eat for Wellness

It’s interesting. People often seek me out for help and guidance to resolve a host of problems that they encounter in life, other than for nutrition purposes. Some of these other reasons are: relationship issues, emotional issues, depression, anxiety, work/life balance, budgeting, spiritual insight, etc. All of these, at first glance, are seemingly unrelated to eating, diet or nutrition – at least that’s what most people with these types of problems seem to think. And it’s true, these types of issues don’t necessarily stem from poor nutrition. However, it is my belief that WHAT WE EAT directly influences how we cope or deal with our problems. Let me explain.

How Poor Nutrition can complicate life problems and crisis

Essentially it has to do with balance, but that’s much broader a topic than I wish to cover here. What we need to focus on (for the purposes of this topic) is the fact that many of us use food as a coping mechanism for our tough issues and problems. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that emotional eating is not good, particularly due to the fact that emotional eating usually involves making very poor nutritional choices. Now I don’t claim to be an authority on emotional eating, but I do know, from personal experience and from working with my clients who want to lose weight, that many times humans use food (and other substances) as a quick fix when feeling bad, depressed, angry, or upset. The interesting thing is that emotional eating does work, but only temporarily. The downside to this type of eating is that it sets off an addictive cycle that only compounds our true problems.

Think about it – not only does this type of person have a difficult issue (unrelated to eating) to deal with, but also he/she is setting himself up for a host of health problems as well. Here’s an example.

John is under pressure at work from his boss to meet his sale’s quota by year’s end. To make matters worse, John has been underperforming over the last several months due to relationship issues at home with his wife. He finds himself feeling stressed out, tired, overwhelmed and sick most of the time. Instead of coping in a healthy way (to balance out his stress), he skips breakfast, drinks too much coffee, eats fast food for lunch, snacks from a vending machine during office hours, and eats popcorn, cookies and Coke every night on the sofa before a long night of trouble sleeping.

In the above example, John just wants to feel better now, but gives no thought as to the “food” and substances that he’s putting into his system. Not only does he have serious work and relational issues to deal with, but his poor dietary choices are compounding the issue by setting up a chemical imbalance in his body. Unchecked, this will cause him poor health and more suffering in the future. Here’s why. John’s unconscious coping strategy will most immediately lead to mental fogginess, weight gain, depression, mood swings, anxiety, high blood sugar, fatigue, insomnia, etc. Do you think that any of these will help him solve his problems? Furthermore, if he continues down this road (over a prolonged period of time), he will face even more serious issues, such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer or even worse. Talk about a life of regret.

Can you see how a bad diet will only complicate life’s difficulties? I could give tons of other examples, but I think my point is clear.

Being slack about our diet will lead to regret later in life

Here’s one point about eating well that many of us seem to overlook –

We are what we eat.

Profound, huh? I know. We hear it all the time. Many of us even say it a lot, but never take its truth to heart, so let me try to elaborate a bit more to make it more clear -

Every single thing you put in your mouth and swallow today BECOMES YOU tomorrow.

That’s right. All of the junk food, candy, cookies, sodas, alcohol, drugs, tobacco, etc. that you put in your mouth today will become part of your heart tissue, blood, brain cells, lungs, bone, kidneys, liver, skin, hair, etc. tomorrow. Eating a prolonged or permanent bad diet is like building a house with cheap or bad materials. It may look good at first, but it will not stand the test of time. The same holds true of your body when filling it with crap. Today it tastes great and seems to do the job. Tomorrow it may very well turn against you and cause you a world of sickness and regret.

Fortunately, we do have free will and the ability to make wise choices that will hopefully reward us with good health, happiness and promote longevity. Of course, there are no guarantees, but there IS a lot of science and research to back up the fact that HEALTHY EATING PROMOTES WELLNESS.

Clean, Healthy Organic Eating Promotes Longevity and Peace of Mind

Choosing to eat healthy is a standard we all should adopt for our lives. I chose to do this years ago, more out of necessity than pure choice. I spent many days racked with the fear and agony of anxiety, headaches, weight fluctuation and fatigue. I sought advice from doctors only to be prescribed addictive medications that I refused to take, once I discovered the harm they could do to me, in addition to “relieving” my symptoms. Through lots of trial and error, research and study, I discovered a foundational key to wellness that has revolutionized my life –

Clean, Organic Eating.

That’s not to say that choosing to eat organic whenever possible will solve all of my problems. But, at least I have added peace of mind – knowing that I’m eating the best way to nourish my body and have optimum health. I take comfort in this fact. And, in addition to this, eating a healthy, well-balanced, clean and organic diet promotes longevity, a healthy body, a healthy mind, stamina, clear thinking, less stress, and simply a better physical and mental disposition overall. What better way could there be to balance out or counter the problems that we face on a daily basis?

One of the last things I want is to bring bad health or sickness upon myself, due to dietary neglect. In other words, I don’t ever want to be guilty of making myself sick or overweight because of poor dietary choices. No, I have chosen to practice wellness now through proper nutrition to avoid bringing sickness upon myself.

What about you?

Have you made the conscious decision to practice wellness by eating in such a way that promotes good health and longevity? What kind of food are you putting into your body? How many meals a week do you eat fast food? Do you feel bad a lot? Are you overweight? Maybe it’s time to wise up before you regret this practice of bad eating.

Quick Ways to Clean Up Your Diet

If you’re like most people, you may not know a whole lot about eating well. That’s okay, there’s no time like the present. Here are some things you can do now to start cleaning things up and improve your nutrition:

• Learn to read the ingredients label of what you’re eating. If you don’t know what something is on the label, you probably shouldn’t be eating it.
• A long shelf-life means a short life for you. The faster a food spoils, the better it is for you. Good, real food spoils fast.
• Fermented foods are your friends. They contain lots of healthy bacteria that will boost your immune system and digestion.
• Stay away from white foods. Processed foods, no matter how pretty the package, will not help you in any way.
• Drink lots of clean, filtered water. It’s the elixir of life.
• If you eat meat, buy grass-fed as much as possible. It contains CLA, a known cancer killing compound.
• Eat as though you were living in the 1800s or earlier. They ate real food back then, not all of this fake stuff that we have today.
• Check out your local farmer’s market. Rest assured, what you’ll find there is much better quality than anything you’ll find at the grocery store.
• Eat organic whenever possible. Doing so will minimize the amount of environmental chemicals, pesticides and preservatives that you intake on a daily basis.
• Avoid as much sugar as possible. If you have a sweet tooth, then stick to things like honey, real maple or brown rice syrup, stevia, organic succanat or the like.

If you put the above tips into practice in your own life, you’ll increase you wellness exponentially. This is not something to procrastinate. Not eating well for life will most assuredly lead to regret.

As always, feel free to leave comments. And if you need a coach to help you avoid regret by eating for wellness, feel free to contact me here.

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Tip #2 – Learn to Control Procrastination

We hear the word – “procrastination” – a lot, but many of us have never taken the time to understand the power it can have in our lives, both good and bad. We all need to have discernment when it comes to procrastinating. Many of us unknowingly adopt the procrastinatory mantra- “why not put off today what we can do tomorrow?” Sure, that may be an effective philosophy, as long as what we’re putting off isn’t something vital that we should be doing today. But what if what we’re postponing IS vitally important to us?

In my coaching experience, I find that far too many of us neglect, deny and excuse doing what we should be doing today, and instead leave these things for tomorrow, or yet for some undetermined date in the future. Unfortunately, these crucial things that we neglect today may, in fact, never get done if we put them off to a future date. Even worse is the harsh reality that some of these crucial things we don’t take the time to do today while we have the opportunity, may never be attended to in the future. We might simply be missing our chance.

To be clear, let’s just make sure that we all really understand what “procrastination” is, as Webster’s defines it –

Procrastination – is the process or practice of putting things off intentionally and habitually.

Does this sound like you? Take a moment now and ask yourself the question – “Do I put off doing things intentionally or habitually?”And more importantly, “Am I putting off important things that I really need to be taking care of today?”

Can Procrastination Promote Wellness?

Truth be told, as an executive coach and wellness expert, I don’t have a problem with the concept of procrastination itself. In fact, I recommend it at times to some of my clients. As long as it’s practiced within the right context, I find that it can be key for promoting wellness, particularly as it relates to things like relaxation, productivity and success. Perhaps it may seem hard to believe, but in today’s fast-paced, hyperactive, overworked society, a little bit of procrastination (done right) may be “just what the doctor ordered.” Learning to put off the less important, non-crucial things until tomorrow or a later date, can be a very effective tool for promoting balance, wellness and success in a person’s life.

In actuality, some of us tend to fixate on small, unimportant or sometimes negative things, allowing them to dominate too much of our time. When this happens, we lose sight of the more urgent and essential items that we should be addressing. This is why it is so important to have clear and well-defined priorities when it comes to our personal and professional lives.

Procrastination that contributes to wellness – an example:

Here’s an example of something that should be procrastinated.

You make a point of staying up late most nights to catch up on recorded TV episodes on your DVR so that you can delete and record more – INSTEAD – of getting an adequate amount of sleep at night. This IS NOT a good priority or practice to have and will erode your wellness. The practice in itself is not bad on occasion. In this case, however, it would be much healthier to procrastinate to promote your own wellness. It may sound a bit trite, but a night of missed sleep is not something that can be recaptured as we’re all temporal beings and have a nightly need of roughly 7 to 9 hours to counter stress, be healthy and to maintain a proper body weight, among other things.

Procrastination that leads to Regret – an example:

Here’s an example of when procrastinating leads to regret.

You have a cherished relative who is elderly and not well. Because of your busy schedule, you keep postponing a visit until you “have more time.” You tell yourself that you’re going to go next weekend, but something always comes up. Once again, you procrastinate – putting off the visit for another week. Your cherished relative dies and you have yet to go visit her. Now, you find yourself at her funeral, wishing that you had taken the time out of your busy schedule to spend some time with her, but it’s too late. Now there’s only time for REGRET.

I could give example after example of both good and bad procrastination, but I think you get the picture. The key thing for us is to recognize it in our lives, make it work for us and not against us, which leads to regret. Use the following points to control it in your own life, so that it doesn’t grab hold of you.

5 Points to Ponder in Procrastinating:

1. Make a list of your daily procrastinations and be honest. Try this for a week. It may shock you.
2. If you’re going to procrastinate, do so over things that are tearing you down, instead of over areas that are crucial to your wellness, health and success.
3. Put off the silly, unimportant, non-essential, non-crucial things to a time where other pertinent things don’t take precedent (as in the TV example above).
4. Learn to prioritize your life on a daily basis, making sure you put the most important and crucial things at the top and the less important things towards the bottom. If you are forced to procrastinate over something due to time constraints, at least it will be over something at the bottom of your list and not the top.
5. Procrastinating over issues involving family, faith, finances and wellness is a “No, No” and will most likely lead to regret. Make sure you attend steadfastly to these areas.

If you want to avoid a life of regret and make your grass greener, learn to control procrastination. Allowing it to go unchecked, in any area of your life, will most certainly cause regret. Your life will lack the discipline and the spark that it needs to be supercharged and successful. But, if you learn to recognize it and use it the right way, it may just help you to move in the right direction.

As always, feel free to leave comments. And if you need a coach to help you weed out your procrastinations, make priorities and a plan to thrive in life, feel free to contact me here.

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I hear it all the time, in the midst of my coaching sessions…

If I had only…

I wish I hadn’t…

Why didn’t I just…

You fill in the blanks. We’re all guilty of it – wishing we’d done this or that, wishing we had made different, wiser choices over the years, choices that perhaps would have created a different and better life for ourselves.

It’s human nature to want what we don’t have, to be something that we’re not, or to not be something that we are. We can spend our lives wishing, wanting, whining, or even regretting why our lives aren’t what we want them to be. The truth is though, our lives are not getting longer, they’re getting shorter. There’s a verse in the Bible in James: 4:14 that states:

…you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.”

Now is the time to wake up and take notice. Now is the time to make a plan, strategize and make the most of our lives. Hence, this little series on “How to avoid a Life of Regret.” It’s important that we wake up now and make the most of what we have starting today. With this in mind, here’s the first way to avoid regret, and it’s a biggie…

Take meticulous care of your own grass!

If the grass is always greener, then what are we doing about our lawn?

It’s so true, and so easy to look over and see that healthy, green grass of our neighbor’s, taunting us, drawing us, so alluring and perfect. It’s almost as if that remarkable “grass” across the way is a constant reminder of what we’re not, or what we don’t have. And of course, it ALWAYS looks greener.

But why is that? How come what other’s have always seems better? Why is our neighbor’s lawn so seemingly green and perfectly manicured?

Well, in my opinion, there are two important reasons why the “grass is always greener.” Actually, there are probably more than two reasons, but I’m only going to discuss two here. The two that we really need to understand for ourselves to avoid regret.

Why our neighbor’s lawn looks better than ours

1. We’re not looking at our neighbor’s grass up close.
2. Our neighbor takes really good care of his grass.

This little example may sound overly simplistic, but I’ve found that in life – dealing with friends and clients alike (as well as with my own issues), that simple truths can be just as valid and transcendent as the complex ones. Simple analogies and metaphors penetrate our hard heads far better. Anyway, back to the point of the “grass.”

Green Grass at a distance

The simple truth is, what we see from a distance is not always what it is up close. Sometimes things are as they appear, but many times they are not. Just to give you an example, have you ever looked at a painting from a distance and been able to see a complete beautiful picture, but then when viewing it up close, it almost appeared completely different? From a distance, it looks complete and even beautiful, but up close you see all of the smudges and squiggly lines and even imperfections, much of which is done in such a way to create an illusion of beauty from a distance.

In like manner, many people appear on the outside to be well put together, put on a “good face” and are impressive. They carefully construct the “yard” of their lives in hopes of creating an impressive façade for those who drive by. The key here though, is not stopping and looking too closely, or we may actually start to see the imperfections of that “greener” yard.

My point here is this, Yes, the grass may be greener, but that’s only because we’re not really seeing it up close. If we really were able to get a good look, we’d see the weeds, the insects, and the imperfections. Let’s not forget this, when coveting our neighbor’s lawn.

Knowing how to keep the grass green

On the other hand, our neighbor may be right on target with his “green grass.” Maybe his grass really is greener, because the owner of the grass really knows his stuff and is tending to his lawn the right way – in an effective manner. His yard is a lush green because he knows how to keep it that way.

It is true, some people really have their act together. It’s not difficult to find others that are more successful, attractive, happier and wealthier than we are. Some things we cannot change and need to accept. But many things we can change. This is where our focus needs to lie – not on the things that we cannot control, but rather on the things that we can.

It may be that our neighbor has an entirely different kind of grass than what we have planted in our own yard, a type that is by nature a more lush shade of green. Perhaps this is something that cannot be changed. However, the question that we must each ask ourselves is this-

“What am I doing to maximize the beauty of my own lawn?”

We can spend all of our time admiring other people’s lives, even living vicariously through others, making excuses and giving an extended list of reasons why our lawns are brown, dried up and full of weeds.

Today, not tomorrow, but today, let’s all take a long, hard look at our own grass, our own yard, yes, our own lives. Today is the time to start meticulously, seeding, watering, cutting, manicuring and fertilizing the grass of our lives. We too can achieve that lush, rich green color and texture that we all desire.

Stay tuned for the second tip on “How to Avoid Regret” on procrastination. As always, feel free to leave your comments and suggestions. If you need personal coaching or help, contact me HERE.

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]]> http://rickosborn.com/avoid-regret-make-your-grass-green/feed/ 1 balance,change,encouragement,happiness,inspiration,ministry,proper balance,regret,success Here is Tip #1 on How to avoid a life of regret - making your own grass green. Here is Tip #1 on How to avoid a life of regret - making your own grass green. Rick Osborn clean 8:16 http://rickosborn.com/balanced-life-healthy-life/ http://rickosborn.com/balanced-life-healthy-life/#comments Wed, 20 Oct 2010 13:55:16 +0000 Rick Osborn http://rickosborn.com/?p=567 Over the past few years, I’ve counseled numerous people regarding weight loss, proper nutrition, fitness and general well-being. It’s interesting, because as I delve deeper into the lives of people, I find a general undercurrent of worry, fear and frustration manifesting itself in many physical, emotional and even spiritual ways. At the core of many is a lack of balance in life. And, in the midst of trying to help others, I found that the very same issue was plaguing me as well. While I’m quite thankful for the nutritional, dietary and fitness wisdom I now have, I feel that it’s important to mention a hard lesson that I learned in the process – how crucial it is to have balance in one’s life.

Managing Stress

Stress kills. But before it does so, it will knock your life out of whack. In my case, in the midst of striving to learn to be a fit and healthy person – I severely neglected the mental, emotional and spiritual side of the equation. I was eating right for health, but was not properly nurturing my soul. I soon found myself overstressed, anxious and quite literally, out of balance. I constantly felt physically ill and soon found myself worrying and stressed about everything – namely work, relationships with others AND my health. It seemed that my life was spinning out of control. The interesting thing is that the more I tried to control it – the worse it got and the worse I felt. I adjusted my diet a hundred different ways; I increased and changed the dietary supplements I was taking; I did research, perusing the internet looking for solutions for everything, including work and my health; I went to the doctor repeatedly to find out what was wrong with me; and I’m even ashamed to say, I began drinking a glass or two of wine in the evenings just to relax (which I rarely did before). Ultimately, I developed a very severe case of gastritis that was misdiagnosed, resulting in a lot of pain and unnecessary intestinal surgery.

I tell you all of this to demonstrate how lack of balance in my life completely threw things out of whack and caused me a lot of sickness, pain, worry and frustration. In case you didn’t get it,

Life without Proper Balance Isn’t Healthy Living

Life IS a juggling act. And quite frankly, most of us are NOT very good jugglers. I know I wasn’t. In the midst of my attempts, I was dropping things left and right. No matter how hard I tried to fix things, they continued to get worse and I just got sicker and more frustrated. I was missing the big picture. For those of you who are visual, look at this diagram that I created below, which I believe to represent proper balance in life:

Ideally, this is where we should be – having proper balance in life between these three main areas (Body, Mind, Soul). Imagine the above as a wheel that rolls perfectly, because all areas are in balance. If you were able to inflate or deflate one of the above areas, indicating a lack of balance, the wheel would cease to roll smoothly.

Many of us, due to neglect to our “life circle of balance”, if you will, have a deflated ball or circle, basically like what you see below – deflated, unfulfilled (lacks air or inspiration) and won’t roll or bounce. Take a look:

What you see above was representative of my life a few years ago. To put it simply, when you have a life out of balance, chances are some or many of the following issues may describe what you will experience:

• Poor health, malaise or sickness (headaches, nausea, acid stomach, ulcers, or worse)
• Anxiety or Panic
• Obesity, weight gain or even weight loss
• Insomnia or perhaps you sleep too much
• Relationship problems (have trouble relating to others)
• Depression
• Self-doubt

These are but a few symptoms of a life out of balance. And, if your personal life balance is representative of the deflated, uninspired diagram above, just imagine how it must affect everything in your life.

If your life is like mine was, like the above wheel or ball that won’t roll or bounce, here are three fundamental things to remember that may help inspire you. They are not so much about action as they are about your perspective. You may not be able to change your situation right away, but these may actually add some air (inspiration) to your life (tire, ball, wheel) so that it at least keeps rolling forward:

1. Stop focusing on your problems and worrying yourself sick about them. Worrying will not change one thing about your situation, in fact, it will only make it worse. Here’s what Christ Himself said about it in Matthew 6:27 – “And who of you by worrying and being anxious can add one unit of measure (cubit) to his stature or to the span of his life?”
2. Change what you can. Ok, so you can’t control everything, but there are things about your life that you can control. Many times in life we obsess and worry about things over which we have no control. Stop doing that and refocus on what you CAN control and change.
3. Focus on the good, the positive, the right things about your life. One of my favorite verses in the Bible is from Philippians 4:8-9, ” Whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them]. Practice this and the God of peace (of untroubled, undisturbed well-being) will be with you.”

If you practice the above three suggestions, your ball will begin rolling in no time. Meanwhile, keep working on solving the problems in your life.

Before you know it, balance will return and success, renewal and joy will abound.

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]]> http://rickosborn.com/balanced-life-healthy-life/feed/ 5 advice,anxiety,balance,change,despair,dysfunction,encouragement,guidance,happiness,health,problems,success "These are a few symptoms of a life out of balance. And, if your personal life balance is representative of the deflated, uninspired diagram above, just imagine how it must affect everything in your life. Here's what you can do to help . . ." "These are a few symptoms of a life out of balance. And, if your personal life balance is representative of the deflated, uninspired diagram above, just imagine how it must affect everything in your life. Here's what you can do to help . . ." Rick Osborn clean 8:17