Staying Healthy Tips

Making Good Food Choices

December 4, 2009 in Healthy Nutrition, Uncategorized by donna | No comments

I am often being asked for advice about making healthy food tasty. Sometimes it seems like people anticipate healthy food not being tasty, maybe you can relate to that.

There is a lot of press about being healthy and it feels like every other report contradicts the last one. Eggs are healthy, eggs aren’t healthy, egg whites are healthy, the whole egg is healthy if it comes from a chicken that gets to forage. What is a person to do?

I think we know a lot of what we are supposed to do already.
- We are supposed to eat natural foods that don’t have added sugars
- We are supposed to get a good amount of fiber in our diet each day
- We are supposed to drink mainly water
- We are supposed to eat a balanced diet containing protein, vegetables, fruits, and complex carbohydrates

One of the simple ways I think of a healthy diet is eating foods that are “close to the source.” In fact for me, I have a general rule that if a food looks like you would find it in nature I can eat as much as I want of it. If it has been modified in any way (except for being cut by a knife) that rule no longer applies. So for example, plain avocadoes, I allow myself to eat as many of them as I would like. Same goes for apples or oranges.

Think about flours, the same rule doesn’t apply because they don’t look like they do in nature. They have been processed. The farther away from its source that a food is, the less I allow myself to consume.

If that “rule” works for you feel free to borrow it.

Did you know that over 54 million Americans are pre-diabetic? WOW! That means that in the next ten years, if they don’t change their ways, they will develop the disease.

The next WOW is that 95% of these cases are preventable with a long-lasting lifestyle change.

You may have heard the statistics of Type 2 (often described as “Adult Onset”) has been diagnosed in children that are not even teenagers yet. This is a new development which is related to other unhealthy trends we are seeing.

Our goal at Quest is to save 20 lives this year. One way I will encourage you to make sure you are not in the “pre-diabetic” category is to consider your diet and if there are areas that you know are unhealthy, make a change for the better.

Try not to substitute unhealthy natural choices with man-made chemicals. For example, I recently stopped using sugar in my coffee. I no longer put ANY sweetener in my coffee because I have a mistrust of artificial sweeteners based on everything that I have read and heard about.

My father died of cancer this past June as you may know. Cancer grows on sugar and sugar has long been a weakness of mine. I have decided recently to greatly decrease my sugar intake. So far, so good. I am pleased with my progress. Having fresh oranges has really helped as they are in season right now and make a great evening snack.

Consider your diet and think of one area that you would like to improve and make better food choices. Make a commitment today to do so. There is no need to wait.

Donna Copeland is an Independent Shaklee Distributor who enjoys sharing what she has learned on her journey. You can find more information about Shaklee at www.DonnaCopeland.MyShaklee.com (Donna is paid by Shaklee for sales that happen through her website or through her.)

Share and Enjoy:

Tags: food choices, healthy living

Taking Care of Yourself During the Holidays

December 2, 2009 in Healthy Holidays, Mental Health by donna | No comments

What a hustle and bustle so many people are feeling these days with the holidays rapidly approaching. On top of that there has been lots of news around the economy, the environment, and human tragedy (like war). How does a person stay sane and perhaps even grow in such an environment? Here is my answer…

Change your environment.

I don’t mean move to a mountaintop and meditate for five hours a day. I mean consciously choose your environment. Turn off the news. Don’t read all that bad press in the newspapers or on-line. Worrying does nothing to benefit your life. Let’s face it…the more you are exposed to bad news the more real it seems. Instead, focus on what you CAN control (your thoughts, how you spend your time, the words that come out of your mouth, what foods and drinks you put into your mouth).

On that note, here are a couple thoughts to support you in having a less stressful holiday season…

1) Know your limits. Whether budget or how many events you can cram into one weekend, know when to say when (wasn’t that from a drunk driving commercial?). I think it is really true though.
2) Speak your limits, kindly but firmly. You know when you are getting too stressed out. Be in partnership with your friends, family and business associates to let them know where your limits are. (“I would love to help you out with your project and if I can manage the time after I finish ___, I will. I should be able to let you know where I am at by noon on Wednesday. Does that work for you?”)
3) Take care of yourself. Go to bed on time. Give yourself time and space to decompress. Know what nourishes you and give you a special treat at least once a week. I’m not talking about a full day at the spa. I’m talking about a hot bubble bath or lunch with a friend; a treat to look forward to. One of my personal favorites is a mug of steaming hot tea, whatever flavor seems most appealing at the moment. A fellow tea drinker once shared that a cup of tea in the middle of a stressful day can be like a mini-vacation. Use it as a time to meditate on the flavor, the scents, the warmth. Take five minutes to be in the moment of drinking the tea. This leads me to my next point…
4) Be in the moment. One of the worst things about news is that it is discussing (negatively for the most part) things that we can do nothing about and that pull us into worry. Instead, focus on the here and now. When you are shopping, BE shopping. Focus on that task so you can be thorough, not miss anything and be efficient. When you are eating a meal, EAT the meal. Focus on the foods, nourishing your body, chewing thoroughly. When in a conversation, be IN the conversation. Pay attention to what the other person is saying. Bring resolution in that conversation if at all possible so there doesn’t need to be a bunch of follow up which makes it harder to plan our lives.

There are a ton more great ideas. I’ll save the rest for another day.

In the meantime if you have questions or concerns you would like me to address, please feel free to post a suggestion or comment. Thanks for being part of my cyber-world! In the meantime, take good care of yourself during the holidays!

Donna Copeland is an Independent Shaklee Distributor who enjoys sharing healthy living tips that she researches. You can find more out about Shaklee at www.DonnaCopeland.MyShaklee.com (Donna is paid by Shaklee for sales through her or her website.)

Share and Enjoy:

Tags: holiday rejuvination, self care

Hangover Prevention and Recovery

November 30, 2009 in Healthy Holidays, Supplements by donna | No comments

My 20th high school reunion was this past weekend and the alcohol was flowing freely. The following day it was no surprise to hear a couple remarks about hangovers and recuperating from the big night. Obviously, the first way to prevent a hangover is to not drink excessively. Knowing that I am stating the obvious I will move on to how to avoid a hangover if you are going to drink excessively.

First off, if you will be staying out late you are already putting your body at risk of an “up late hangover” even if you don’t drink a drop of alcohol. If you normally go to bed at 11 and you don’t go to bed until 2 AM, you will feel it the next day. So if you are thinking you might be out late, get a nap the day before you go out and plan for a relaxing day the following day.

Dehydration is a huge contributing factor to hangover headaches. Alcohol is dehydrating anyway plus if you are drinking cocktails or beer you won’t feel the thirst for good old-fashioned water. I recall my brother giving me advise to “drink a glass of water for every alcoholic drink you have.” You have two beers, have two glasses of water in the evening. I know it makes you pee a lot more but it does tremendous good toward reducing a hangover.

B-Vitamins can also do good things for your body. Take a good B-Complex before you go out, again when you get home (before you go to bed) and when you get up in the morning. The B-Complex will also help you to have more energy, something we can all use.

Finally, we want to consider what alcohol does to our liver. You may know that my dad died of liver cancer (not related to alcoholism) but that puts me on extra-alert when it comes to protecting my own liver. Our livers process pretty much everything that goes through our bodies, especially alcohol so I suggest taking a liver detox to both support your liver and to reduce hangover. I have heard it suggested to take 1-3 before going out to reduce the effects of alcohol or if you forget, take a couple when you get home or the next day.

I’m not a big fan of drinking excessively. I have been truly drunk once in my life and hated the hangover experience. I also am not willing to risk driving intoxicated so I rarely drink while out. A glass of red wine a few times per week at home suits me perfectly.

I also feel compelled to mention briefly the dangers to our health long-term if we make it a habit of over-consumption of alcohol. Women especially shouldn’t consume more than one drink per day and no more frequently than five days per week (according to my ob-gyn office). More than that and we are putting ourselves at increased risk for all kinds of health troubles and diseases. Men can consume slightly more, but not a lot.

Whatever you decide to do about drinking, know that a little planning ahead can go a long way toward preventing a hangover. Cheers!

Donna Copeland is an Independent Shaklee Distributor who enjoys sharing the tips she picks up in her research to help you and your family to live a healthier life. You can find more information at her website (she is paid by Shaklee when people purchase products through her or her website): www.DonnaCopeland.MyShaklee.com

Share and Enjoy:

Tags: hangover prevention, natural hangover treatment

Driving Self Protection

November 25, 2009 in Self Protection by donna | No comments

Whenever I teach a women’s self-protection seminar I always spend a few minutes talking about how we can stay safe in and near our vehicles. I am often surprised at the misconceptions that are being passed along in the name of safety. With the holidays here many women are spending more time shopping so I thought this would be a good time to discuss self protection while driving.

Don’t get loaded down. I know that may seem impossible but if you do have a lot of packages in your arms, use a cart or take a break from shopping to drop packages in your trunk (not where they are visible) and then go back in for more shopping.
Carry your money and your keys in your pockets, not your purse. That way if someone grabs your purse they aren’t getting your credit cards, cash, and keys in one easy swipe.
Put packages in the car first, then people. If a carjacker happens along they can take the car (please don’t ever fight over things, only fight over people) and your packages but not your children.
ALWAYS lock your doors, both when you are not in the car AND when you are in the car (this includes while at the gas station).
Lock yourself into the car when you are securing your children into their carseats. I know it can be a bit akward to maneuver in your car with the doors closed and locked, but I can’t tell you how many times I see a woman with the minivan door wide open, herself half in/half out of the car, her groceries in the cart, and you know the rest of the doors are unlocked. Prime time for someone to snatch a car.
Here is the order for getting into a car (if you have packages and children): Observe the car as you approach it for anything suspicious. 1) Packages (keep children in the cart or have one hand directly on you while loading). 2) Children (lock the car while you secure them in their seats). 3) You get in. 4) You start the car. 5) Secure your own seat belt. 6) Drive.
Here is the order for getting in the car if it is just you: Observe the car as you approach it for anything suspicious. 1) Unlock only your door. 2) While slipping into the seat, hit the “lock” button. 3) Start the car. 4) Put your seatbelt on. 5) Drive. The thing that throws people off in this instance is that they are starting the car first before putting their seatbelt on. Have you ever seen a movie where someone is pulled out of the car before they have a chance to get it started? That is why we lock the door on our way in then start the car. You can always drive without your seatbelt on (or put it on while driving) but you can’t drive if the car isn’t started.
Have roadside assistance available and know how to contact them. I am a big believer in everyone knowing how to change a tire but there are times or neighborhoods where it isn’t safe for someone to do that. Be able to call a professional or simply have a few friends you can call on in emergency. There is safety in numbers.
Keep at least 1/2 tank of gas in your car. Tis the season of snow storms that can keep people stuck in traffic for hours. You don’t want to run out of gas because it was too chilly to put gas in the car on your way home last night.

The best thing you can do is to pay attention to your surroundings and listen to that inner voice that tells you if something is off. Have your keys ready to get in and start the car and drive safely. Statistically we are much more likely to be injured in a car accident than by being abducted.

Donna Copeland is an Independent Shaklee Distributor who also has a black belt and is part owner of Quest Martial Arts in Ann Arbor. You can find more information on Quest at: www.Quest-MartialArts.com and you can learn more about how to protect your body naturally at: www.DonnaCopeland.MyShaklee.com Donna is paid a commission by Shaklee and she also receives compensation from Quest.

Share and Enjoy:

Tags: defensive driving, safe driving

Good Grief: Holiday Planning

November 23, 2009 in Grief by donna | No comments

I was in a toy store the other day and I picked up some toys to donate in honor of Lee and Madison. I started doing that the year of the accident when I reluctantly started holiday shopping and in my grief couldn’t allow myself to NOT buy gifts for them. I donated the gifts to a local shelter and I recall sobbing in the car after dropping them off; it felt like I was giving away their gifts.

I think the holidays present the most long-term challenge for those grieving. There is so much tradition in many families and the fact that the holidays are only once per year create the situation that there is lots of room for grief to be re-opened. The most helpful advice I have for the holidays is to be flexible and create flexibility in your planning.

It is suggested that the first couple years of grieving a close loss that you don’t put yourself in a position of needing to host a holiday party (because you can’t leave if you are overcome by grief). And make sure wherever you go that you have the option of having time by yourself or even leaving when you want to without fear of offending the host. Just talk to them about it in advance and say something like, “You know John has only been gone about six months now and this is my first Thanksgiving without him. I don’t know how I am going to be. Do you mind if I end up leaving if I find myself too uncomfortable?” If it is going to mess up their plans if you leave early, find another place for Thanksgiving dinner.

I still buy the holiday gifts in honor of Lee and Madison and it has gotten a bit easier to donate them. For Christmas last year in honor of my dad Keith and I gave a donation to St. Vincent de Paul, a charity my dad was a volunteer for (and my mom still is a volunteer). My sister gave gifts of photos she had taken in my dad’s final days that showed some of the connection and yes, even fun that we had at the end of his life. My mom gave copies of a family photo taken in the late 1970’s that made us all reminisce.

Grief can be slippery and spontaneous. Planning ahead for the holidays can help to deal with some of the unexpected moments. There are silver linings to loss as well. My dad was almost always difficult to shop for. It was a relief last year to not try to figure out what to get him. As Ma from the Little House books used to say, “There is no great loss without some small gain.”

Sending you and yours blessings this holiday season.

Donna Copeland is an Independent Shaklee Distributor who likes to share what she has learned through her research and her experiences. You can find more information on her Shaklee business at www.DonnaCopeland.MyShaklee.com(She is paid by Shaklee for purchases made through her or her website.)

Share and Enjoy:

Tags: holiday planning, holidays and grief

« Older entries § Newer entries »

Staying Healthy Tips

Making Good Food Choices

Taking Care of Yourself During the Holidays

Hangover Prevention and Recovery

Driving Self Protection

Good Grief: Holiday Planning

Search

Pages

Categories

Log in