FOUR PILLARS support STRONG HEALTH:  Movement. Real, whole food. Emotional-Spiritual. Rest. 

When focusing on movement do you need to lift heavy weights in a gym daily or be training for a marathon?  No.  You can, but daily movement as part of a healthy lifestyle doesn’t require a membership or athletic prowess, it is simply a blend of aerobic movement, weight-bearing activity and flexibility through stretching.  We should be moving with intention at least 30 minutes a day - and maybe, be slightly out of breath while we are doing it.  10,000 steps is another measurement we often hear is a goal.  I find if I walk 3 miles each morning I have walked about 6500 steps in 45 minutes, and then in my normal day I accrue another 4000 steps easily.  There are MANY benefits to starting your day with an outdoor walk.  I love walking first thing in the morning.  Nature surrounding me visibly seems brighter, sharper and sounds seem clearer.  I walk in awe.  I seem to be able to practice presence of my incredible surroundings easier in the early morning before the unnatural traffic builds.  It is a great way to begin my day with gratitude for all that is around me.  Early morning light calibrates our internal hormonal clock that aides in our sleep that night.  Movement also creates energy.  Very difficult to imagine if you are in a rut but trust me, movement begets new-found energy.  Get up and move.

If you are committed to your health, MOVEMENT is necessary.  It doesn’t have to be structured.  It can be playful or useful. Think of natural, daily movement that could also impact your social-emotional health as well.  Have a daily walking buddy (human or canine), cycle and explore a new area, talk/walk for a meeting instead of seated in an office, dance in the kitchen while making dinner, golf with friends while pushing your clubs for some added weight-bearing exercise.  If standing is not possible you can also have a dance party in a chair and get the blood moving while increasing your endorphins with music and laughter. 

​Maybe take a tour of the local gardens with a friend.  Take time to pause and enjoy the many shades of the blooming flowers, the variation of colors in the leaves and blossoms and textures of the plants around you.  Sculptor and environmentalist Patrick Dougherty creates awe in the simplicity of movement of bent sticks! (See image above.)  Spend a few hours touring a park or garden and you will have walked 6000 steps without realizing it! 
Note: For our metabolic health, taking a walk around the neighborhood, as short as 15 minutes after a meal, can lower our blood sugar as much as 30 points!

​WEIGHT BEARING activity should be two to three times a week.  It could be structured at a gym under the guidance of a personal trainer or class instructor, or it could be during natural movement - preparing and planting a spring garden, using a push lawn mower, reorganizing the kitchen while moving appliances and canned goods,… or having fun tossing the kids or grandchildren into the air during water fun in the warm weather or a pool. 

​STRETCHING is greatly under valued.  As Joseph Pilates said, “You are as young as your spine is flexible.”  You need to intentionally stretch two to three a week for an hour, and each day should begin with some stretching.  There is a reason why babies and animals stretch when they wake up.  Before your feet hit the floor maybe try this EIGHT MINUTE GOOD MORNING  stretching series.  (Of course check with your physician before beginning any new exercises.  These are gentle stretches and should never cause pain or electrical feelings - just a gentle stretching.)

1. While still in your bed bring one knee to your chest and hold for the count of 60 (yes, 60 seconds not two😂).  Repeat with the other leg.  

Hold behind your thighs instead of over your shin if your knees are stiff.  

1. Now bring both knees into your chest or armpits and hold behind your thighs for 60 seconds.  Release your legs and straighten them.  Take a deep breath.
2. Let the soles of your feet come together gliding towards your groin and allow your knees to fall apart like opening butterfly wings.  Rest… stick a pillow under each knee if you need to to relax.  Count to 60… still under your cozy covers.  Focus on your body and feel your heart beating in your chest.
3. Straighten your legs out and roll to your side bringing your knees towards your chest, if your back is healthy, leave your knees to the side and open your upper body to face the ceiling leaving your knees to the right.  You may need a pillow under your knees or behind your back for support at first.  Count to 60, roll your upper body back to your side, gather your knees in your arms and roll to your back; then roll your entire body all the way to your other side and repeat the spine twist.
4. Roll to your side after your spine twists and push up to a seated position, maybe sitting on a pillow, and fold forward over your thighs.  You may simply lean forward an inch or maybe right over your thighs.  There is no right or wrong.  Honor your body where it is at and without judgment.  If your back hurts and a forward fold is not possible (remember no pain, ever) simply bring your arms behind your body to support you and gently push your chest forward sitting upright (and maybe you need to do this sitting on the firm floor).
5. Before you rise for the day, lay back down on your bed with your hands crossed over your heart, on your abdomen or resting down by your sides, and speak out loud five ​things you are grateful for this morning🙏🏻.

In addition to my morning bed stretches I love practicing Yin Yoga three times a week for a DEEP stretch of the connective tissues, meditation, becoming attuned to my body and practicing presence.  The added beauty of classes is that they include socialization with classmates (even via ZOOM).  Let me know if you would like to join the classes.
#CoachingWholeHealth #HealthCoach #IIN #YinYoga #movement #rest #emotionalhealth #spiritualhealth @NaplesBotanicalGardens #StickWork

 Friday began - blah.
It was cold and rainy, although we definitely needed the rain I had gotten spoiled by the warm sunny summer days that we truly had enjoyed outdoors (note: grateful), even amidst a pandemic.  Friday began by me missing my Yin yoga class that I was planning to take as a student.  Taking a class is still a gift when you're a Yin teacher!  After a delayed start I headed to the dermatologist for my annual skin check, (and yes, we all need to do this.  It's Breast Cancer Awareness month did you know?  Have you made your annual appointments for your girls and your skin?).  I left the dermatologist with several frozen spots, not so pleasant five-second 'shots' to say the least, and a bandaid, thanks to those aluminum foil lined album covers and baby oil in my teens (Please use sunscreen daily!).  Hmm, is this the start of my weekend?

With a 'happy place' detour (I LOVE grocery shopping) at Whole Foods to pick up supplies for the weekend that I couldn't find at my local grocer, I headed home to run an afternoon errand with my husband.  A two hour drive north errand, in the rain.  We listened to and discussed a Rich Roll podcast while I kept my eyes ready for good foliage pics to send his brother, but the splatting raindrops, 18-wheeler mist and thumping windshield wipers kept getting in the way of a good photo or video. 

We were heading to pick up our restored 1950s Old Town motorboat that had been winterized for storage.  After we made it to the boat shop, with 15 minutes to spare before their gates closed (we had already missed it once), we bounced and jounced through the water-filled potholes of the dirt parking lot to hook up the trailer, and headed to our family 'camp' for one last fall walk through.  Rather than driving into our driveway and having to turn around with a boat in tow in tight surroundings, we had parked across our next door neighbor's driveway and walked through the woods, in the light drizzle, to our cabin.  I did the inside walk-through as my husband took care of the outside.  

There is something about this old log cabin in the woods with a glassy lake, and the silence of all the ski boats, jet ski and pontoons put to bed for the winter, that causes you to pause, take notice of your surroundings and inhale s-l-o-w-l-y... and then exhale with a smile - even if in the rain.  All around me were the colorful leaves I was looking for!  I was surrounded by a bed of brilliant maple leaves framed by yellow.  I stood there grinning and took a picture of my feet in the leaves, as if the nail polish were intentionally chosen for this moment and the embroidery on my jeans to accent nature's beauty as well.  My husband came around the corner of the cabin and asked, "What are you doing???"  My feeling reminded me of when I was a kid, jumping through puddles in the street and swooshing my feet through the fall leaves in the yard.  I looked up, ripped off my raincoat,  threw it to the side in the rain and said, "Take a picture. It is SO beautiful!"

So often we hurry through our days, working, going to appointments, 'judging' the weather (even when the change is desperately needed), annoyed by something that happened or disappointed by what didn't work out, when all around us is the beauty we were meant to see.  Slow down.  Your body needs rest.  Practicing presence is a PRACTICE.  

For many years I commuted to Boston with my father for work.  Back then I certainly wasn't looking at technology in my hands, I was probably napping (being a teenager or working during college break).  I can hear his voice saying, "Look up. See what is happening around us."  He would make note of a new store or restaurant on the drive, a  car passing by (as a father of five driving a wagon or SUV he loved little sporty cars, which he eventually got to enjoy).  He would give us driving instructions on how to drive in traffic and to leave the window cracked to hear for approaching cars, your engine, or God forbid a flat tire, and would give directions of getting to where we were going - of course the 'back' way.  He wanted us present in the car whether we were passengers or a driver.  My Dad told me they built their home where they did so that he could drive by a particular lake on his way home each night and gaze at the peacefulness of the reservoir, just before arriving home to a busy house.  

I am thankful for those early lessons of observation and practicing presence. I am thankful for my church family who always teach gratitude.  I am grateful for my yoga teachers Shannon, Kim, Amy and Josh who continue to nudge the practice of presence along.  I am grateful for my students and clients whom I get to encourage along as well.  I am thankful for yesterday's rainy day that kept me too late in bed, removed an item or two from my morning calendar (God knew what I needed that day), and placed a rainy hush over the woods so that I would NOTICE the peaceful-riot of colorful beauty around me and say, "Thank you".

If there can be a perfect day, today was it.  We intended to go for a short hike in the woods and our planned exercise ended up being more like Forest Bathing.  

The Japanese call it Shinrin-yoku, translated literally ‘forest-bath’.  Today we are so immersed in the busyness of our lives, compounded with the use of technology which keeps our vision laser-focused to our hands or screens, that we are separated from the healing gift God gave us in nature.  Shinrin-yoku helps to bridge that gap and bring our senses back to nature and it’s natural soothing abilities.  One could pay a certified Forest Bathing guide to lead you through a forest bath experience for a couple hours or you could simply go for a walk in nature and allow mother nature to lead you by the hand.  It’s a sort of Yin style of meditation where you allow yourself to be carried by the waves of your senses through a forest, no goal, no destination.  

​Today we headed out on a trail and were swiftly drawn in by the dappled light drifting through the canopy of the forest, watching the light dance it’s way along our path through the flickering leaves above.  My senses were on high alert as I had read someone had recently seen a mountain lion nearby. Was that crack and thump an approaching mountain lion slinking nearby?  Oh, just a pine cone knocked loose by a scampering squirrel high above and falling from a towering stately pine.  Soon my caution settled down and I noticed a sound, a brook or a stream maybe, and followed it’s calling.  Down an embankment we went following the hypnotic sound of the gurgling of a low stream as it passed around the water-worn rocks, drawing me further downstream as I thought back to catching crawfish with my kids in a creek behind their childhood home.  We took a seat on a smooth boulder and I studied the different details of furled lichen nearby, and chuckled to myself allowing another memory to seep in of a challenging hike we were on where I distracted myself by seeing how many types of lichen and mushrooms I could photograph to escape from the heat and exhaustion!  The lichen carried me away until the caw of a blue jay awakened me.  As I looked up to spot the pair of birds that woke me from my trip back in time, the bright green of a delicate fern grove caught my eye and drew me in closer.  We had noticed much of the other foliage being limp with dehydration from the summer’s drought, but the ferns amazingly had dug their perennial roots into the bed of the decomposed earth and reached what water was left of the formerly cascading stream between the rocks, allowing this vibrant green, fairy garden to thrive.

After bumping into another couple who pointed the way back to a trail we continued to notice the forest with all our senses bathing in a ‘hike’ to nowhere.  The smell of the decomposing floor, the breeze blowing through the leaves still on their branches, the cool breathy brush of fall’s kiss on our cheeks and the symphony of the many different calls of birds.  The contrast in our footing changed as we passed over wet, mossy rocks onto dry boulders.  We noticed the the spring of decomposed leaves and partially rotted logs contrasted by the firmness of a pine grove as we stepped back onto the trail.

I once knew a man who would take a nature bath every morning five steps from his back door (the max he could walk at the time), which was really a form of Yin meditation simply following the loop of his senses.  He would step out onto his deck and close his eyes and follow the call of a certain bird for a couple minutes.  For the next few minutes he would then follow the calls of another bird species.  Next, he might move onto the the chattering calls of squirrels as they jumped from branch to branch seemingly defying gravity on their springy trampolines. Then he would follow the sound of a motorboat in the harbor as it pulsed along envisioning what it would feel like to be coasting across the crests of waves one after another.  Before heading in he would allow the air to awaken his skin whether it be a cool breeze or the warmth from the sun.  This is a form of meditation allowing yourself to be immersed in a nature bath.

I recommend you get out and experience Shinrin-yoku on your own this week.  Actually, each week if you can, and right through the seasons changes noticing the differences between the business of nature’s life in the summer versus the quiet of the cold winter!  Enjoy the magical beauty of nature through your all five of your senses giving you the gift of peace and joy.  If you don’t have a forest nearby to bath in, or are unable to walk into one, you could enjoy many of the healing benefits by pulling a chair out your back door or lay in your backyard (think of watching the clouds endlessly as a child).  Begin by noticing what you see around you and especially above you.  Then close your eyes if you are not walking and allow time to slip away as your senses wash over you.

Sometimes it is easy to focus on the emptiness in our lives. We want to be full of joy, full of peace, full of hope. But often that seems impossible because too many people and situations drain our joy, peace, and hope.
These are the times we must remember that God’s Holy Spirit is always in us like the air we cannot see in the glass. He desires to fill us with good things and to assure us that God is at work in our lives. He enables us to focus on our loving God who cares for us. Then we can know true joy and the peace that surpasses all understanding. They are ours through faith in Jesus Christ. 
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”
Romans 15:13

Spring seemed to be a long time coming in the Northeast and now that it’s here I was craving a basic barbecue night and have my husband fire up his Weber grill. Knowing that we don’t want to eat beef for many reasons, and I didn’t want to eat a frozen veggie burger with gluten and preservatives,  I made them myself. 

Processed food contributes to many health problems due to preservatives, chemical additives, high fructose corn syrup and gluten. People need to eliminate processed food from their lives - plain and simple.  There is nothing healthy about meals made IN a plant.  Eat your meals made OF whole plants!​

So when I wanted to make a good veggie burger I checked out one of my vegan cookbooks geared to MEN. Where else would I look? The Engine 2 Cookbook by Rip and Jane Esselstyn is a cookbook geared towards men and simple cooking. Recipes created to improve the health of the employees at a firehouse where men and women need nutritious energy and tasty food! These “Up and At ‘Em Burgers” were delicious topped by grilled pineapple drizzled with balsamic vinegar, grilled jalapeño, a spoonful of fresh sauerkraut (we like ), slice of tomato and lettuce. Mine was put on a gluten free bun - because I need to be gluten-free (yes, it gets a little messy, but think of it as finger-licking good!).  We also had a yummy coleslaw with broccoli, carrot and red cabbage slaw dressed with Engine 2 Mango Lemon Dressing. Perfect ending to a nice spring weekend! #Engine2 #Upandatemburger #mangolemondressing #coachingwholehealth
#webbergrill

I hear over and over from people “I’m just pre-diabetic”. This is serious folks! If you do not turn around your way of eating and make lifestyle changes you will most likely be diabetic in five years...and diabetes is the leading cause of heart disease and strokes.  Alzheimers is now called Type III Diabetes.  

Move intentionally every day like walking at a brisk pace for 30 minutes. It can be two 15 minute walks.  Movement is one of the best preventers.  

Try to remove stress or at least decrease it.  Stress kicks off your sympathetic nervous system, causing cortisol to raise in your system and cortisol raises your blood sugar. Try practicing deep breathing when you are feeling stressed - four second inhale, six second exhale.  Focus on your breath in your nose or your chest and belly inflating and deflating in waves, repeat 6 times. That's one minute of focused breath.  Everyone has ONE minute.  When you come home from work or school, take five minutes to yourself and simply lay on your back with your legs up the wall for 5 minutes of downtime.  If you have young children teach them to join you and you all line up with legs up the wall and your eyes closed.  Amazing!  

Switch out processed foods (the enemy) for whole food the way nature provides them.   Add a fruit (berries are wonderful!) and veggie to every meal. At least 75% of your plate should be plants at every meal.  Look at your plate like a pie with four sections.  Two should be filled with 1c green veggies (zucchini, broccoli, beans, asparagus, kale, baby greens, cucumber), one section with 1/2c grain or potato, one section with 1/2c. protein or 3-4oz. of your choice like legumes, lentils, lean grass-fed meats, wild fish, 2 eggs - whatever your preference. Then add a 1/2c bowl of fresh fruit.

In order to prevent Type II diabetes increase movement, reduce stress and eat whole food from natures farm-acy.  These simple changes can lower your blood sugar and improve your health outcome dramatically.  For more science behind the diagnosis.