A Perfect Day for Body, Mind, and Soul

What would a perfect day look like if you were taking care of your body, mind, and soul, for its optimum health? Well, it would go something like this.

Throughout the day you will be drinking water to get in your minimum of 64 oz. (see blog on importance of water)

Throughout the day you will be in positive thought and conscious mindfulness. (see blog on mindfulness and mind chatter)

After waking up, and before getting out of bed, begin your morning stretch routine for about ten minutes. (see my blog on morning stretch)

When that is done, find a quiet spot that is comfortable and go into a morning meditation. This is a time that you can visualize your day going smoothly, and successfully in what ever endeavors you will be doing. Be in gratitude for having this day to be alive. (see the meditation blog)

Now you are ready for a healthy breakfast. You know what to choose....natures food. Eggs, whole grain cereal, oatmeal, fruit, yogurt, and protein drinks, are a few of the things that are on the healthy choice menu!

Now you are off to school, or if you are one of my "big girls" that read this, you are either off to work or working at home. Remember to "do your best" at what ever it is you have planned for the day. (read the "Four Agreements" blog)

A mid morning healthy snack is next. This keeps your metabolism burning and gives you more energy to accomplish your tasks.

When lunch time comes around, you will indulge in a healthy lunch. Maybe its a salad with vegetables and chicken, or a turkey sandwich on whole grain bread. It could be a broth based soup with hearty chunks of vegetables, or tuna with tomatoes and celery. What ever it is, it is healthy and tasty.


After finishing your day at school, its time to do some exercise. Running, biking, track work, or a game sport is a perfect way to accomplish this. Throw in a few sets of push ups, tricep dips, and abdominal crunches, and you have a complete workout. Finish with a ten minute stretch and you will feel fabulous.

Have another one of your healthy snacks after you exercise as a reward for your hard work.

At dinnertime you will eat protein, vegetables, and if you want to, add a little whole grain to the meal. You might have chicken, fish, or lean beef with steamed vegetables and a salad. Yummy, and so good for you.

Ending your day with a bath or shower before bed is always refreshing. Your muscles will be warmed from the bath and that is a good time to do another little stretch. Follow that with a evening meditation of thankfulness and gratitude for all of your blessings.

Now you are ready for a good nights rest. Remember to get 8 to 9 hours of sleep. (see blog on sleep)

Now that is a perfect day! I know it is difficult to always have days where you can fit it all in, but try to make this day a goal for yourself. It is about taking care of your entire being. It is about being the best, and feeling the best that you possibly can. It will help you to achieve whatever your heart desires!

Getting what you want out of life while being healthy of body, mind, and spirit is a good goal to have.


Till Tomorrow,
Queenie

Exercise Ball; A Great Way to Get Into Shape

Exercise balls are excellent to strengthen, tone, and define your body. The great thing about using an exercise ball, is that you really don't need anything else. Adding a pair of dumbbells to your workout will give you several more options if you choose to do so.

Using an exercise ball not only helps to strengthen certain body parts that are particular to the exercise, but will constantly work your core as well. It will help you to develop better balance and coordination.

Doing push ups on a ball will strengthen your whole upper body. When your hips are on the ball and your upper body is down, the move will be easier. As you move your hips away from the ball, and move closer to your feet, the push up becomes harder.

Standing tall, holding the ball overhead and then bending to the side is beneficial for your side and oblique muscle.



Positioning yourself on the ball for abdominal crunches is a good way to work your abs. Variations of twisting from side to side, or slightly raising opposite knees to elbows is also effective.

Holding the ball against a wall and squatting until your legs are parallel to the floor will shape up your legs and butt. You can hold dumbbells to intensify this exercise.



Using a ball for lunges is very effective. This move will definitely improve your balance, core, and coordination skills.



The ball can be used to perform any free weight move that is normally done on a weight bench. The difference is your core is constantly being worked. You can do bicep curls, chest press, one armed rows, shoulder press, chest pullovers, and any other strength move that requires dumbbells.

A good sturdy non-burst exercise ball can cost anywhere from $20.00 to $80.00. It is a great investment for your fitness program. It doesn't take up a lot of room, it is light weight, and can be done anytime in the convenience of your own home. Gotta love that!

Give the exercise ball a try if you want to strength train. It really is one of the best and most inexpensive way to train. You will love the results if you use it consistently, I promise!



Till Tomorrow,
Queenie

What You Focus On; You Will Create

Have you ever noticed that what you are always focused on is what creates in your life? Sometimes it is easier to notice it in someone else's life, as it is always harder to see our own stuff.

Through the years I have watched people in my life and have come to the conclusion that what we focus on, we create. Sometimes that focus is positive, but many times it is not.

For instance; if you are always worrying, you will generally have more stuff come into your life to be worried about. I know several individuals that do just that. They worry about this or that and always seem to have more to worry about. It becomes their reality and their focus.

The same thing happens to people I know that are always fearful. They are afraid something bad will happen to them, or fearful that things will go wrong. Sure enough bad things happen and go wrong most of the time.

If you are focused on failure, you can bet that you will fail at what ever it is you are attempting to do. If you are focused on success however you will most likely be successful at your endeavor.

I know this sounds simple, but it is a reality that our focus is what will be our creation. Athletes for instance focus much of them selves into their sport and training. Because of this they become better athletes. Successful business peoples focus much of their time doing their business and that is why they become successful.

If you are focused on partying or playing most of the time, that is where you will be successful. You will not be successful at your school work, job, or other interests if your focus is just on having fun.

If you want to be successful at something, then that is where you focus should be. If you want to get into a great university, then your focus should be on your school work. If you want to have a healthy body then your focus should be on choosing a healthy lifestyle. If you want to be successful at anything....that is where your focus should be.

I hear so many people say they want something to happen in their life, but they don't put any focus towards it except to say that that is what they want. Its Never going to happen without the focus towards it.

If you want to be good at anything, or successful at anything, you better be willing to focus on it and act on it. Wishing and wanting something to happen will not get you the results you are looking for.

Focus on feeling good. Focus on the things you want in your life. Focus on joy, happiness, success, abundance, and all of the positive things that you want to be your reality. Let go of the thoughts of worry, fear, lack, envy, or any negative thoughts that will hold you back.

When you focus on the positive, you will feel better. When you feel better, you are happier. When you are happier, life is good!

So be conscious of what it is you are focusing on. Make sure it is what you want in your life, because you will get it either way!


Till Tomorrow,
Queenie

Why You Should Not Drink Diet Soda's

Many people think by drinking a diet soda they are making a better choice than choosing sugar soda's. Nothing could be further from the truth. Diet soda's are as bad if not worse than full blown sugar soda's. Both kinds cause major health risks.

There have been many studies done through the years to find out the effects that diet soda's have on our health. The outcome of these studies have proven that diet soda's put us at risk for cancer, heart disease, obesity, kidney disease, pancreatic cancer, and metabolic syndrome.

Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of risk factors such as excessive fat around the waist, high blood pressure, high levels of bad cholesterol, low levels of good cholesterol, and other unhealthy symptoms. When you have metabolic syndrome, your risk of heart disease and stroke doubles.

You are at a much higher risk of developing diabetes with diet or regular soda's.

Of course the soda companies strongly disagree with these studies, what a shock! However the evidence proves that diet soda's can be harmful to your health.

Most people drink diet soda to reduce their sugar and calorie intake. The problem with that choice is that diet drinks have actually been proven to increase appetite, which causes you to eat more than you might had you not drank the diet soda.

It has also been proven that diet soda drinkers have an overall bad diet. They tend to choose unhealthy processed foods full of sugars, saturated fats, and less fiber than people who do not drink soda's. They also exercise less and are more sedentary.

It has been my experience that this is true. All of the diet soda drinkers I have known eat poorly and most have a weight issue.

It is not uncommon for a diet soda drinker to order a cheeseburger, fries, and a diet soda. I have never gotten the point of that. Are they trying to cut calories? Do they actually think that they are doing something good for themselves? Not a lot of common sense with a choice like that.

If you are a diet soda drinker, (or a regular soda drinker; see my blog on soda's) make the choice to stop drinking that poison and begin to make healthier choices. A good alternative is to drink a half of a cup of juice with soda water added to it. You will have the bubbly carbonated drink with less harmful effects.

There is enough evidence to prove how harmful these drinks are. They now say that just two soda's a week raise your risk of pancreatic cancer by 50%. If that doesn't scare you off soda, I have nothing else to say!

Till Tomorrow,
Queenie

Begin Your Day with a Morning Stretch

A good way to begin your day is to do a morning stretch. Having a morning routine is a positive way to start a new day. Your body will like it as well.

Stretching does much more than just increasing your flexibility. It serves as a way to wake up and warm up your muscles. A morning stretch will help to gently ease you out of bed and into your day.

It is important to stretch properly to avoid injury and over stretching. The best way to stretch is what is called "static stretching". This form of stretching is used to stretch muscles while the body is at rest.

Static stretching is done by elongating the muscle and holding the position without any bouncing, and maintaining that hold for a minimum of thirty seconds. You can hold a stretch for two minutes, but it must be held for at least thirty seconds for the stretch to work. After holding a stretch for two minutes you should pull further into the stretch.

You should feel some discomfort while stretching. Remember that just like exercise, when you are stretching you need to be a little uncomfortable, or you will not be getting the benefits of the stretch.

Stretching improves your physical fitness, enhances your ability to learn and perform skilled movements, and increases your physical and mental ability to relax. Stretching also gives you better body awareness which helps in any athletic endeavors.

Stretching reduces injury to joints, muscles, a
nd tendons. It helps to reduce muscle soreness and muscle tension. It is a must for anyone working out. Studies also show an improvement in painful menstrual symptoms during stretching.

Another type of stretch that is practiced is called "Ballistic stretching". This is done with repetitive bouncing and is a more intense type of stretching. I do not recommend this type of stretching particularly in the morning due to the fact that the body needs to be warmed up, and the user needs to know how to correctly perform this stretch as it can cause injury.

When you wake in the morning your muscles are generally supple and loose. It is such a great way to begin your day by stimulating your muscles, creating better circulation, and allowing your body to ease itself out of bed. You will feel better right away, and ready for your day.

The only thing that would be better is to follow it up with a morning meditation! With those two things beginning your day, how could your day be anything but fabulous!




Till Tomorrow,
Queenie

The Power of Yoga

Yoga is an amazing practice to exercise your body, mind, and soul. There have been numerous studies of how Yoga effects our health not only physically but mentally as well. Yoga students also believe that spiritual growth is gained during the process of Yoga.

There are many discrepancies in regards to the origin of Yoga. Some say 5,000 years ago, others say 26,000 years ago. One thing everyone can agree on is, it has been practiced on this earth for a very long time.

Obviously it must have extraordinary results to have such history. You are going to want to do Yoga after reading all of the health benefits you'll gain by doing it.

There are several types of Yoga. Hatha is a style that is slow paced and gentle, and a great introduction to doing the Yoga practice.

Ashtanga and Power Yoga are more fast paced, intense, and rigorous styles of the practice. Iyengar is a style that is mostly concerned with alignment and the proper form of the poses.

Kundalini yoga is focused on the breathing and movement of the student. Bikram or Hot yoga is practiced in a room that is 100 degrees. This is believed to loosen the muscles, and cause sweating which is thought to be cleansing.

Health benefits come with any type of Yoga you choose to practice. Its pretty amazing when you understand that a stretching exercise can do so much. Here are some of its benefits.

Releases lactic acid which causes tension, stiffness, pain, and fatigue. Increases range of motion in your joints. Stretches ligaments, tendons, fascia tissue, as well as muscles. Improves posture, back pain, arthritis, insomnia, range of motion, and balance. Lowers blood pressure, cholesterol, and heart rate.

Improves your immune system, and lung capacity. Improves your mood, and ability to concentrate. Lowers stress, and slows the aging process.

Spiritual awareness and calmness. Harmony of thought and mind.

There are classes in most towns and cities. It is very popular, and there is no shortage of Yoga studio's. If taking a class is not your thing, DVD's are a great alternative. No shortage of those either.

I can't wait to re-commit to a Yoga practice. Try it for a couple of months several times a week, and see how much better you will feel. The practice has lasted for thousands of years, it has to be powerful...that's exciting!


Till Tomorrow,
Queenie

Making Your Own Good News

We are living in difficult times. Many people are struggling with survival, whether it is about losing their job, their home, or their dignity. The recent earthquake in Haiti brought to light the millions of Haitians who's normal life is full of sorrow, and now have more grief and suffering to bare.

The horror of Darfur, Afghanistan, Iraq, and other country's that are in bloody conflict, are the highlights of our evening news. Who was murdered, raped, robbed, and kidnapped, follow the global war in our interest.

The media is packed full of "Bad News" on an hourly bases, day after day. If you are at all conscious of what is happening around us, it is sometimes difficult to feel good.

Even if you or your family are not struggling, you probably know people who are. It's hard to escape the negative that is all around us because that is what we focus on.

I believe there is a lot of positive going on, it is just not news worthy. "Good" news stories are hard to come by. I find it interesting that people are more entertained by bad, negative, news. It fascinates me that good news is boring and bad for ratings.

We are more focused on what is going wrong instead of what is going right. I wish we had one hour of "Good News" stories everyday, it might counter act some of the negative that we are bombarded with.

Its hard to feel good when so much bad is in our face. You can take control of this by creating your own "good" news. There are many ways to accomplish this. Why not take control of where your energy is focused. Stop watching and listening to all the negative stuff. Stay in the positive and have that be your reality.

An easy way to feel better about your life and what's going on in it, is to help someone else who might be having a more difficult time. When you give to another whether it be monetary or in service, it will have a positive effect on you.

The Dalai Lama says, "The actual beneficiary of the practice of compassion and caring for others is oneself." I have found that to be true. Anytime I gave to someone else I felt fantastic. I sometimes feel selfish about giving because it makes me feel so good.

Your parents might be experiencing tough times now, and you may be feeling their angst. Do something nice for them like bringing them a cup of tea, or a chore you wouldn't normally do. Tell them you appreciate them and all the work they do to care for you. You will find a few kind words go a long way in relationships.

Whenever we lift up someone else, we feel better. If you see someone looking down, tell them hello, and give them a big smile. You might be the best thing that happens to that person that day.

Practice meditation by thinking good and loving thoughts. Breathe in the good of life. Think only of loving, compassionate, thoughts, while sitting in the quiet and still of your meditation. You are not only helping yourself to feel better, you are sending good and loving thoughts out into the world. There are Buddhist Monks that spend their whole lives in meditation for the betterment of the world.


Volunteer for community projects. Schools and churches are a good place to ask where volunteers are needed. Take flowers to a convalescent home to brighten up someones room, you don't even have to know them.

Helping and giving to others is one of the best ways in feeling better. Make your own good news stories by giving to and helping someone else. A little less focus on yourself will actually feel good. In this world of "Me, Me, Me" we have forgotten about the gift of giving. It is truly the best of gifts.


Till Tomorrow,
Queenie