The Mental Side Of Fitness Continued

Think your only support is in the house or only with your friends…WRONG…It is healthy to have your own interests……
Are you waiting around for your family to be active with you….waiting for spouse, teen, etc….guess what…YOU are in charge of YOU. I realize that being by yourself can be a bummer, feel lonely, and even scary…hell…I have more fun working out with a friend, but it is absolutely up to you to love yourself enough to make “ME” time for you regardless of your couch potatoes. Check out the classes at your local gym or recreational facility….You have nothing but good health to gain from the experience. Are you single and using the EXCUSE of… I have no one that will go with me to work out at the gym, or walk. This kind of thinking will never get YOU going. It is important to LOVE yourself enough to do it for YOU….eat healthy, enjoy exercise for the sake of moving your body…forget about waiting for someone else…think about it….that other someone may never come through for you…then what…give up…continue to make that your EXCUSE (yes, I am a hard ass here)….I say STOP today, put on your walking shoes and get out and absorb some vitamin D, breathe some fresh air, and MOVE!!! Love yourself THAT MUCH!!!

Reach out to others if your partner is not motivating you…..
OK…as much as you may want that perfect workout partnership….guess what…it may take time to happen. It is really OK and a fabulous idea to reach out to friends that share your interest in getting healthy, and getting in some great “ME” time with someone other than whom you live. You will probably be pleasantly surprised on how this will actually spice up your relationship because you will have new fun experiences to share. Do you feel guilty leaving your loved one behind or like you need permission to do something without them? Why? How healthy is this type of thinking…..not very….if it is keeping you from getting healthy. You will have to be your own motivation here, face any insecurity or fear, put the excuses in the trash, and call a friend today. If you do not have a friend that will help you be accountable and visa versa, try checking out your local gym for classes, or recreational facilities. I say start today by putting on your walking shoes, and MOVE…..enjoy the moment, take some deep breathes, appreciate your surroundings, and SMILE!!!!

Be strong in light of the pizza being offered….
You want chicken salad and he or she wants pizza….do not succumb to the temptations of your non supportive partner. This will be hands down the HARDEST part of getting healthy especially if you are accustomed to eating the same unhealthy foods together to begin with. Most pizza places also have salad bars and even deliver….imagine that. Stick to your guns, and set the example of good health with your nutrition. I realize it will not seem fair to have two different ways of eating going on at the same time…but think about it…YOU are the one who wanted the change, right? OK…so your eventual benefit will include an overall health improvement inside and out, and there is no greater reward than that:)

Unable to feel good about self….
This can be a difficult one. You may be in a very down place mentally, unable to get self motivated, and may not even want to see anyone. In this situation, start by letting some nice sunshine in your home, and take the first step to call a friend. There is nothing like the wisdom and support of a good friend to get you on the road to feeling better. You may also want to get in touch with your doctor for a few counseling sessions. It may take a while, but YOU are worth it. You are worth being happy and healthy….ask your friend for help in keeping you accountable. Take your chats outside for a power walk/talk…..a few sessions like this should boost your motivation and hopefully help get you on the path to feeling the best you have ever been!!!!

Talk yourself out of going to the gym…
Why Why Why!!!! This is what I call a big EXCUSE, and not acceptable…I am being the accountability police here. I can’t go because my work, my husband, my wife, my child, my chores, my school, blah blah blahhhh already. These are usually the same people that are getting in the TV programs, not missing social events, and simply wasting time doing other things while life is passing them by. I say if you have an extra hour watching TV….and usually it is hoursssssssssssssss, if honestly added up over the course of the week, you HAVE the time to exercise. Time to get honest, stop the EXCUSES, and get healthy!!!

TV over fitness…
I can’t emphasis this one enough….this society is technology driven, and media based. The television offers so much at the touch of the fingertips….let me ask you are you visiting the FIT TV channel and joining in on a fun workout? The answer to that question is usually NO. I challenge each and everyone of you to limit your TV watching to one hour per day for just ONE WEEK, and get to know yourself, be active, talk with your family, husband, wife, your girlfriend/boyfriend, meet with friends, take walks, play with your pets, and enjoy being active and real quality time that very often gets pushed to the side. After that fabulous walk and conversation, pull out a fun board game and laugh laugh laugh. Life is too short not to. I would love to hear how this experiment goes....

Stay Healthy!!!!!

Darla:)

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Porn is Harmless to Relationships….Right?….WRONG!!!!

What a subject on a fitness and health website….got your attention right? After you read the article you will see just how this fits into getting healthy and staying healthy. I have been researching this topic for a few days and of course my need to help people, women, men, couples, etc is at the frontline of my mission writing this blog. What I will be sharing is very candid, may shock some, offend some, and put some on the defensive. My intention is to inform you on a topic that has been proven to be at the very heart of ruined relationships, broken marriages, lost jobs, loss of family, lost lives, and loss of self. Many remain in denial of the damaging affects that porn, especially online porn, is having on their ability to function in reality. If you see yourself described in any way within this blog, I encourage you to seek professional help today. I will be citing from specialists in the field and reputable publications to start the blog off:

“it is coloring relationships, both long-and short-term, reshaping expectations about sex and body image and, most worrisome of all, threatening to alter how young people learn about sex” Time Magazine, The Porn Factor, Jan 2004, Health

"The Internet is the crack cocaine of sexual addiction," says Jennifer Schneider, co-author of Cybersex Exposed: Simple Fantasy or Obsession?

I realize that both men and women utilize pornography but studies show that the largest percentages are males “71% Nielsen/Net ratings 2003”.

"Men become like computers, unable to be stimulated by the human beings beside them," he says. "The image of a lonely, isolated man masturbating to his computer is the Willy Loman metaphor of our decade." Mark Schwartz, director of the Masters and Johnson clinic in St. Louis, Mo.,

Men became, in the words of Dr Margaret Redelman, the president of the Australian Society of Sex Educators, Researchers and Therapists, "lazy lovers". In the end they could not be bothered with real-life sex. In other cases, sex lives became porn-like, male-focused, extreme and lacking in intimacy.

Women feel as if “They can’t compete, and they know it. For how can a real woman—with pores and her own breasts and even sexual needs of her own (let alone with speech that goes beyond “More, more, you big stud!”)—possibly compete with a cybervision”…. The New York Times, The Porn Myth, Naomi Wolf

“A man can easily be drawn into porn, where he never fails in the fantasy and where he can be sexually stimulated without facing the issues with his wife. But the truth is, pornography neuters a man. He becomes so wrapped up in this fantasy world that he is no longer capable of being excited by his own wife. She cannot possibly compete with the airbrushed models in the magazines and on the computer screen, so the husband simply loses interest in her.” Dr. Dave and Donalyn Currie, Help, My Husband Does Not Want to Have Sex

“women are feeling the consequences of porn in numerous ways. We see eating disorders, body loathing, plastic surgery, and unrealistic expectations in girls and young women. We seem women equating their worth to their form and its sexual attractiveness. We see depression and sorrow as the acceptance and normalization of objectifying women spreads throughout the world.” Jennifer Jones, Mental Health Therapist, Does Pornography Help or Hurt Relationships?

What are your thoughts after reading the citations? What the hell is going on? A man struggles with being able to achieve and maintain an erection and to his probable embarrassment have an orgasm with a real woman. A woman feels inadequate, has body image issues, and feels the pressure to be a porn star with a man. A man feels insecure about having a relationship with a real woman, and retreats to his fantasy cyberchick over and over again until the fantasy becomes his sexual gratification. A woman takes on the feeling that she is not good enough to arouse and satisfy her man….he does not desire me, what else could it be? Well ladies and gentlemen…hold onto your seats…A team of American researchers from Stanford and Duquesne Universities has called cyber-sex compulsion a "hidden public health hazard". Sexual counselors and psychologists in Australia are less colorful. Brett McCann, a senior lecturer in the sexual health program at the University of Sydney, says it is a growing problem "with big implications for the public health dollar. There's no quick fix, and by the time the problem is uncovered, there's usually a crisis in the relationship."

Are you in a relationship where things do not feel quite right? As women have you been rejected by your husband or boyfriend and find yourself being the initiator of all intimate contact? As a man, do you find yourself scared to date, or initiate sex with a woman because of anxiety around non-arousal? Do you find yourself in front of your computer screen on a regular basis searching out cyber sex/pornography? Are you lying to your partner about your cybersex activities? As a woman, out of intimacy desperation, are you performing uncomfortable sex fantasies with your husband/boyfriend? As a woman are you feeling disconnected during the sex act with your husband/boyfriend? As a man do you find yourself having to recall a fantasy during sex in order to achieve orgasm? As a man, have you lost desire for your wife/girlfriend? As a woman, have you felt your partner become distant physically and emotionally? Do you see your partner preoccupied with the computer and brushing it under the rug?

Just a few questions to think about as you try to figure out what is going on. “The secret use of pornography is the true home-wrecker, according to most of the psychologists contacted. The most common pattern is for one partner to eventually discover the other's obsessive use. "When it's consensual use in a limited way, it's unproblematic," says Eric Hudson, the national president of the Australian Association of Relationship Counselors. "But where it is secretive, it is experienced as a betrayal of the relationship." Further, once the intimacy has reached a point where typically the husband/boyfriend has started withdrawing from his spouse/girlfriend, the fantasy addiction has reached its peak and brain chemical release no longer desires/responds to what his “real” partner has to offer.

This opens the door to explain just what is going on with the “WHY” your husband/boyfriend is not desiring you. First of all….it is not YOU!!!! I have had the recent opportunity to read numerous heart wrenching stories and cries for help surrounding the compulsive use of pornography and the damage it has caused to women and men.

Picture a person viewing cybersex or pornography and then look into their brain and body as the visual stimulation creates a release of chemicals; epinephrine, an adrenal gland hormone responsible to “lock-in” what created the experience occurring at the time of high arousal; adrenaline, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), noradrenaline, norepinephrine, testosterone, among others. This instant chemical hit or high created during the cybersex session can be created over and over again at the push of a button. Unfortunately the brain has created a memory or trigger that sexual release correlates with cybersex and eventually after habitual use responds only to that trigger. This also explains why men who view pornography habitually suffer sexual inabilities that they are usually embarrassed to admit: erectile dysfunction, inability to maintain erection, or inability to orgasm. Typically they will choose the fantasy cybersex for the “sure” sexual high that can be achieved rather than take a chance on feeling insecure or embarrassed being intimate with the “real” deal. As a man you may feel duped not having full disclosure of the side affects to compulsive porn use, and are struggling inside to even talk about it. I encourage that you can be better and recapture what was lost….the first step, if you are with a wife/girlfriend is to be honest. Your mate will probably be more understanding than you realize as she will also regain a part of her self esteem, not feeling to blame for the physical distance. Also, seek the guidance of a licensed therapist.

Men, I understand this is a very sensitive issue, one that many of you keep hidden, are ashamed about, and feel guilty to admit. Let me ask you…..is this good health? Do you want to hide behind a secret life that consumes you, distorts the true picture of intimacy, promotes lying and betrayal, robs your finances, puts you at risk to lose your job, and your family? Or do you want to be a man who lives a fulfilling, successful, happy life enjoying and KNOWING a true and REAL intimate relationship? I know this is laying it right on the plate and the answer probably is easy to say but not so easy to do, especially if you are already deep into compulsive using. My hope is to inspire you to reach for that healthy life….….

Women, I realize that you may feel like you have hit rock bottom if you are on the receiving end of rejection and betrayal caused from compulsive porn use. I understand how feelings of sexual inadequacy, feelings of why am I not good enough, pretty enough, horny enough, and why doesn’t he want me, can be so overwhelming. You may be putting your self worth aside just to be with your partner doing and saying things that make you feel uncomfortable. Tell me….are you happy? Are you physically satisfied? Are you emotionally happy? Are you loving yourself? Are you being the porn police? I ask you…..are you living a healthy life? I am here to tell you that you are good enough, that your sexual needs do matter, you do deserve respect, and to inspire you to love yourself and let go of those things that you just can not control. You do have a choice to live a healthy life filled with happiness, success, and true REAL intimacy. If you are enabling a compulsive porn user….why? What are you getting out of the transaction? Why are you not setting boundaries? I will say the same to you…I know this is laying it right on the plate and the answer probably is easy to say but not so easy to do, especially when you love someone. My hope is to inspire you to reach for that healthy life as well…..

Although this message may be one some of you may not want to hear, I am an advocate for good health, and healthy relationships, and the negative impact porn is having on many marriages and committed relationships is a matter that needs to be addressed. Further it is at the core of many health issues today: depression, eating disorders, body image issues, stress, not to mention ED. This article is not meant to judge or condemn, but a message to inspire you to be honest about where you are with your life, and to get healthy……..……

Stay Healthy!!!
Darla

I wanted to add a couple of helpful links

http://www.recoverynation.com/

http://npsupport.net/community/index.php

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The Mental Side of Going Fitness Alone Married or Not......Part 2

The Mental Side of Going Fitness Alone Married or Not......Part 2

Hi Readers!!!!

Part 2 has finally arrived!!! Lots more to come. This article is done in a mental blast format. I hope to give you food for thought, to stimulate and motivate you on your journey to good health......

Grocery store at the house….Yikes…beware the cupboard
Getting healthy for life involves looking at your whole being……so have you opened your kitchen cabinets lately? Are they laden with processed food items, chips, crackers, cookies, white pastas, even the low cal, low fat, low carb, and those processed 100 cal snack foods they put in the little bags to make you think you are doing a body good….NOT. Do you see lots of pretty packaging with enormous food labels with words so long you can not pronounce? If so….time to get that grocery store out of your house. The best foods are those WITHOUT food labels…..fresh produce (fruits/veggies), whole grains, lean meats, fresh spices, etc. What does that mean….COOKING AND PREPARING your foods.

Family eating what you do not want to......
This can be a struggle but YOU can do it. Stick to your guns on this one, even if your honey is bringing in the saturated, fat laden, sugar filled products because you no longer choose to eat them….DON’T. You have made a decision to get healthy with food and can be a wonderful example to your family now. As they see the positive changes in you and watching you eat the wonderful foods you have prepared for yourself, a little time will get the others curious. At first, you may be the only participant, but that is really OK….because this is about YOUR decision….right? Are you doing this for YOU or the person you are with? Do not make the mistake of forcing what you want for yourself down the throat of your significant…..remember how long it took for you to come to this decision and the feelings you went through. You may even find yourself with a little rebel on your hands and see even MORE junk food brought into the house during your time of getting healthy, but it is YOUR choice to smile and not partake. One better, enjoy fabulous conversation and relationship as you happily eat your chicken salad. Change is huge for a family/relationship especially if one-sided. So, remember to take that deep breath, and never make your change for the positive a negative change for the relationship because they are not following in your footsteps……YET…..remember it is just YET for now.

Struggle at the grocery store
This is HUGE…..you need to be your own health food advocate. Grab some books on healthy eating, and KNOW HOW TO READ A FOOD LABEL. The grocery store loves you and ESPECIALLY YOUR CHILDREN. Imagine all the colors and pictures all saying “PICK ME” to a child. Love your children, but when it comes to food shopping, it is best to leave them at home with your partner, babysitter, etc. The way to “Work the Grocery Store” is sticking to the perimeter. Think about it….produce first, usually followed up by dairy, and ending with the meat department. A few good choices would be some nice colorful fruits and veggies in season, good quality yogurts and reduced fat cottage cheese, and lean boneless/skinless chicken breast. BEWARE the center aisles that contain the pretty packaging sucking you in as a consumer with all the guaranteed low fat/low sugar/low carb/high protein, along with the extra special packaging of fat laden sugar filled delights that give ZERO healthy calories to you. If you have to enter the center aisles, KNOW what is on your list and stick to it. The center aisles do contain spices, canned items, and specialty “good quality health” foods…..but know before you go….and enjoy that tunnel vision on the way out.

Want your partner to share in getting healthy but they are resistant….do your thing.....
I touched on this earlier so obviously a biggie….this is just a reminder….I know YOU feel good about your choice and I applaud YOU, but be an EXAMPLE only. The worst thing YOU can do is try to change a person not ready to change. This will really cause a lot of resentment. You loved your partner before making YOUR decision, and it is important to realize that this is the SAME person. They will see the changes in you, and how exciting to allow them to approach you with asking questions about it. I see this as a spark to liven up a stale relationship….new conversations, new activities, healthy changes…..

Scared to make friends to work out with.....

Are you a loner, feeling insecure, and overwhelmed with the thought of making the first approach to finding a workout partner friend? Believe me….YOU ARE NOT ALONE….so many others feel the same way….and it is important that you know this. If you see someone at the gym, during your park power walk, or even at a family friend gathering, the first step is “hello”. Once a conversation starts up, talking about workouts, what you do for fun on your free time are always good topics to see if you would click with the person, and follow up with “do you want to meet up for a workout?” or “ your workout sounds great, could you put me through it sometime?” The later usually works well since it will also be a compliment to them….BINGO….an opportunity for a workout partner is now possible.

Stay healthy!!!!

Darla:)

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The Mental Side of Going Fitness Alone Married or Not......Part 1

Hi Readers!!!

As I gathered my ideas to write this article, before I knew it, 2 pages of inclusions developed and I realized this one would have to be broken down into parts, otherwise the book I intend to write would exist on the blog. So, as you read, remember that this is a "to be continued" article. The mental/emotional/feelings hiding deep inside each of us when it comes to getting healthy is a topic that simply is not addressed in books, etc.....and it is so HUGE....and so I am going there....and as you already know...I am a up front, tell it like it is, HONEST, fitness professional here to help you every way that I can....

The Mental Side of Going Fitness Alone... Married or Not.....

Feeling unsupported.......
Are you sitting home waiting for life to happen for you, for someone to make it happen for you? Do you want to feel motivated by your partner, but all you get is a roll of the eyes. Are you living alone and feeling lonely….there is a difference. Is this keeping you from being the person you dream of being. You may very well be in a situation where you receive no support at all, but you know what…..it is up to YOU to achieve your own goals. True happiness, success, and complete health come from each individual person within….so why keep looking on the outside for someone or something to make it happen for you?

People around but feel alone.......
Do you feel crappy because you are with someone, surrounded by your family, and want so much for everyone to be on YOUR same page to get healthy …..wake up….this is not realistic. The best you can do is create YOUR own page, be an example, and inspire your mate and family to appreciate and hopefully desire what they see in you.

Alone and can't do it alone.....
Are you completely alone and feel no motivation at all to get healthy? Are you stuck in a hum drum routine of going through the motions of life, and hiding from what life could be? It may be a scary thing, but walking through a bit of fear and insecurity WILL be necessary to start your journey to getting healthy. Check out a few online fitness meet up groups in your area and look for physical activities that sound fun and non intimidating at first. This is a gentle way of meeting people who more than likely feel just like you, making new friends, and guess what….gaining a support group and the best motivation through workout partners.

The fear to change is real but you can do it.......
Living an unhealthy lifestyle can come from such deep and hurtful emotional pain, and choosing to hide ourselves in an unhealthy package serves as a security blanket or protection from further emotional pain. I realize that the fear and how you feel is real, but believe that YOU CAN DO IT…..getting healthy is a work in progress. Taking little steps and eventually letting go of that which has trapped the person you really are can happen. Checking out support groups may sound like a HUGE step that just can not be stomached, but if you open up just a little and allow a bit of vulnerability to take place, your journey to shedding that blanket can begin.

It is OK to set the example and be motivated by what YOU want.....
Have you lost yourself in someone else, and have given up what motivates you? Why???? It is healthy, fabulous, and fun to be motivated by what makes up YOU, and even better to set the example of a healthy lifestyle through what makes you happy. Believe me, happiness is contagious and what was once lost….will definitely make a BIG impression.

Change with a smile and positive attitude......
Are you changing and getting healthy for yourself? I hope so and doing so with a smile and positive attitude because it is a choice that YOU made. Again, this is not about changing for someone else, or hoping that the one you are with will change…..sometimes this does not happen and acceptance of this is crucial because regardless of anyone else, it is YOU who has control of YOU, your happiness, and your health for life.

Feeling angry about your mate......
Getting healthy and angry that your mate is not joining the party? Why? Each one of us is responsible for how we respond to life’s circumstances and people. This includes those near and dear…..those we love. Take a look at your parents, grandparents, children, etc…..are you angry with them or do you accept them as they are regardless of the quality of their health. This stance needs to be taken with your partner as well….your choice to improve the quality of your life is just that….YOURS. In a perfect world, we would all be healthy and happy, but all of us are on our own time clocks for life transitions. The very best you can do, is enjoy the journey to good health, and be a walking example of your life. So, grab an apple, give a kiss to the couch potato and go for a walk/jog. I have found over the years of working with clients that have significant others, that the partner wanted the physical and emotional changes of the client. Bingo….they are both working out together, eating wonderful new healthy foods, and enjoying the refresh of the relationship.

Why blame he/she for who they are….the only thing you can change is YOU
The blame game…..such a trap for unhealthiness and unhappiness. Are you there? Do you find yourself dwelling on past hurts, pains, and events and feel stuck and unable to move forward? Think about it…….what is this doing for you each day of your life except causing stress, depression, zapping your physical and emotional health, and a loathing nag that life really sucks....well THAT really sucks. Why Why Why??? The past can not be changed, and you definitely can not change the people who caused such pain for you…..what can you do…work on changing YOU. Accepting that the behaviors of others are not about you and out of your control, although disappointing, is essential to your being able to move forward. Sometimes this takes a few sessions with a counselor that you have interviewed, bonded with, and feel comfortable taking steps of sharing with. We all at times need help putting our lives into perspective, and it is definitely worth your health and happiness. The past is gone, the future is not yet here, but this moment is your gift to live the way YOU CHOOSE.

Accept others for who they are….
I may be repetitive on this one….but this is so true…especially for relationships now struggling with identity crisis. Who the hell is this person? I no longer know you? Why don’t you do this or that? Well….take a look at yourself….stop focusing on them and focus on YOU….you have NO control of what is going on in someone else’s brain and body…their thoughts, activities, and decisions. This is always the set up for unrealistic and REALLY disappointing SELF expectations we place on others and often times without they being aware of it. How unfair is that??? and how dissapointed are YOU because of it??? STOP STOP STOP creating within your own mind what he/she was supposed to do, what they were supposed to say and how it was to be said, how the birthday, anniversary, holiday that played such the perfect movie in your head with that person did not happen how YOU expected....hell....they did not even see the movie. Expect everything from your own actions, thoughts and feelings and have zero expectations from others, and consider yourself truly blessed and appreciative when something thoughtful happens to you......because that is the beginning of letting go and realizing YOU do not control ANYONE....but sure as hell can love them for who they are and at that REALISTIC MOMENT be truly thankful. Sometimes that which once felt like a dream seems like a nightmare, but taking control of feeling great for yourself through controlling your own responses to life with your own healthy thoughts, actions, and decisions for yourself will reap healthy benefits beyond belief….

I realize that this is digging deep into truly getting healthy, and removing bandaids covering the crap hiding and keeping a healthy lifestyle from even being able to happen.....but going into the mental side of making the choice to begin a healthy journey is the key to open the door for a lifetime of good quality living.

to be continued........

Stay Healthy!!!!

Darla Benfield, LCPT, LCMT

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Peri-menopause and the crap of Hormone Imbalance

Peri-menopause, Pre-menopause, Menopause, and the crap of Hormone Imbalance…. Let's talk about it....

OK ladies (and gentlemen), feeling tired and I mean TIRED, flat, depressed, moody, just not yourself, not sleeping, unmotivated, no life drive and for crying out loud No Sex Drive, dry vaginas (get over the word people…it is a body part), unable to feel about really anything, and for that matter do not feel like doing anything, having night sweats…those unbelievable soak your clothes and sheets….and now I have to get up and I might as well sleep nude, and you wish it was for reasons other than this, craving sugar, walking around in a haze, really having a hard time understanding why you just do not feel the way you used to, feeling like you went to bed one night and woke up a whole different person that just does not feel good. Well….guess what…..YOU DID.

Hormone imbalance is real and a bitter sweet transition of life that hits generally between ages 30-50. This is where we and yes that includes myself as an almost 45 year woman, need to take control of what is happening and continue on the road to being the best we can be with what we have. Being your own health care advocate is imperative all the time and especially when making decisions on HRT (hormone replacement therapy). This has been quite the buzz lately on talk shows and in mainstream medicine for several years. The function of ALL hormones in your body depends on the balance of the other, so the “steroid hormones” directly affect the “sex hormones” and visa versa. The brain is the master switch controlling and regulating hormone levels and specifically coming from the hypothalamus and pituitary glands. Hormone levels can be affected by damage to the glands, a genetic glitch, receiving mixed messages by the body, or simply wearing out due to the aging process (the last one is usually the BIG culprit to what we refer to “THE CHANGE”). It is very important to realize that all of us are unique in our hormonal makeups and what is “normal” to one may not be “normal” to another. Who better to know your body than YOU? This is why we need to become educated on this very important subject BEFORE age 30 in my opinion, in order to be prepared to make very educated decisions with continuing to have a GOOD QUALITY OF LIFE for the rest of our lives.

Why this subject on the fitness blog…..because who feels like working out or eating right when you have the symptoms described in the first paragraph. So that being said, know the tests to ask for when you make that doctor’s appointment….here are a few…

FSH – Follicle Stimulating Hormone
TSH – Thyroid Stimulating Hormone
Estrogen
Progesterone
Testosterone

It is also important to love yourself enough to walk out of a physician’s office when you are disenchanted with what they say and their only solution is to offer up the birth control pill. Love yourself enough to research your options and KNOW what is out there to get you on the road to feeling good without risking your overall health.

I hope this article will spur you on to pick up a few books to read to GET HEALTHY and STAY HORMONALLY HEALTHY. One of my favorite authors on the subject and pioneer in this field is Dr. Christiane Northrup. Do not waste another day wondering if it is just “YOU”, but take this day to seek out the quality of life you DESERVE….Yes…that is right. Taking care of yourself is never about being selfish but truly caring enough about yourself to know that you are worth having the best life for the rest of your life. You, your spouse, partner, children, family, and friends will be glad you did.

Stay Healthy
Darla

A helpful link http://www.bodylogicmd.com/hormone-library

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What You Invest Will Be Your Return

What you invest will be your return. Let’s think about our bodies as we do our financial security. Fitting right now during these economic times. Everyone is doing what they can to invest properly, increase their growth potential, increase in healthy returns, and gain security. Well, security does come from a good investment and I am sure we can all agree here. During this time, our stocks can go up or down, and hopefully that invested in stocks is money not needed for everyday life and financial growth, but a bit of extra that is not lost when it is lost.

How are you investing in your health and overall quality of life? Are you seeing good returns from your efforts, are you increasing your growth potential in a positive way? Security does come from a good investment, and believe me, YOU are a good investment. Have you heard the saying, “without good health, you have nothing”….well there is truth behind that statement.

Consider how strongly we all yearn to feel secure financially and work so hard to be able to LIVE comfortably and to stop struggling. Now, apply that same strength to your physical and mental SELF. Let’s switch up the 401k and IRAs and look at our bodies as the growth bank for a moment, because truly without our healthy bodies, what will those financial investments mean to you?

Investments to positive fitness growth potential are being active, eating healthy, balanced food, drinking water, and quality ME time. I realize that the stocks may be a little high right now, and I am referring to the little extra investment that may be carried on our bodies right now, but with a little investment and time for positive growth potential, you will see a reduction and improvement in your physical health. In the long run, this is what is going to bring you the security to enjoy your future. Also, just like the stock market, do not get frustrated with the ups and downs, simply continue the pursuit of good investing, and you will reap the eventual returns.

Let’s look at how much you are working, and this would refer to your physically active investment. Are you working less right now during these economic times? If the answer is yes, your nutritional investments should reflect a decrease as well. If you are working less, and increasing the amount of nutrition you invest, a negative gain will occur, and the extra stock being carried around will continue to be a burden. If you are working more, and investing less in the nutritional area, a positive gain will occur in loss of the additional stock and increase in positive growth potential (muscle). All this depends too where you are in your stocks. If you are maintaining steady in the market, then simply matching your physical and nutritional investments is probably all that is needed to secure your future.

Security truly comes from a good investment, and although it takes time to build your accounts, do not get frustrated with the ups and downs of the market. Continue to increase your health growth potential through the investments and in time, you will adapt the health returns that will carry you through the rest of your life.

Stay Healthy

Darla:)

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Diet....The Dirty Word

Hi Readers…..

How have you been doing? Checking in with you to see how your “ME TIME” is going. Did you incorporate fun moving, healthy eating, and increased water????? Just a little food for thought and speaking of food, that is just what I want to address today.

DIET…THE DIRTY WORD

I developed an acronym for the word DIET and how it affects each and everyone of us.

D: Depressing
I: Illogical
E: Extreme
T: Taxing

How many times have you heard someone say they are on a DIET!!!! The media has once again hit us with sooooo many to choose from….Low Carb, No Carb, High Protein, Low Protein, No Protein, No Carb, No Fat, High Fat, Low Fat, All Soup, All Vegie, All Meat, No Meat, All Fruit, All Shake, No Sugar, Fake Sugar, Low Calorie, High Calorie, Eat for the blood type, Eat for the body type, Eat for the hormones, and for goodness sake…do not mix carbs, proteins, and fats together! Wow, this makes even my head spin. No wonder we as people are so confused about how to eat, what to eat, and when. Friends…..eat for health…how easy is that? Throw the DIRTY WORD out the window and implement a healthy NUTRITION PLAN that says YES…EATING IS GOOD! It is all about food selection. Eating 5/6 small meals per day is key to keeping your metabolism on fire. Restriction of the GOOD STUFF (FOOD) means Retention of FAT!!!

Stay Healthy!

Darla

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