Karen Best Wright, B.S., M.A., Holistic Health & Wellness Coach

 Holistic Health & Wellness – Personal Goals for 2023

Every January, millions of Americans make promises to improve themselves - better health, improved organization, more money, better relationships, and more happiness. Most of these individuals will not stick to their resolutions. Why is that? One reason may be that New Year resolutions rarely consider how all six areas of wellness create balance and well-being, which improves the ability to achieve the desired goals.

Goals such as "losing 20 lbs.," quitting smoking," or "obtaining better employment" are worthy goals, but rarely are they accomplished without the influence of all areas of wellness. Holistic wellness includes physical health, emotional health, social health, intellectual health, spiritual health, and environmental health. These six areas of wellness factor into the success of accomplishing any important goal or resolution.

The three examples of losing weight, quitting smoking, or getting a better job are all influenced by physical health, emotional health, social health, and even intellectual well-being.

This process is called holistic health and wellness. All areas work together to create a synergistic well-balanced life. If a person wants to lose weight, she most likely will not thoroughly study all areas of wellness that could affect her success. However, it is possible to recognize the most apparent areas of wellness that will impact progress. In the example of losing weight, one's overall health is likely the first thing a person will consider. Emotional wellness is also vital because emotions often drive people to overeat or eat the wrong foods simply from habit. Social interactions often influence how and what a person eats. Intellectual wellness is also involved, as it allows a person to learn proper nutrition.

No matter which goals a person chooses to improve during 2023, they will all be influenced by other areas of wellness. When writing down goals for the New Year, note all areas that will impact your ability to accomplish these goals. Those who have become discouraged and don't want to make any resolutions could start with something relatively easy. It may be as simple as walking around the block three or four times a week. Whatever your situation, do something.

Don’t wait until you are sick to get well. What the heck does that mean? It basically means prevention. Many illnesses and diseases are long in coming and may not manifest until the later stages of the illness. We may have an imbalance in the body which leads to an illness.

Take a cold sore for example. The cold sore seems to pop out of nowhere. One minute we don’t feel. The next our lip is tingling, and we soon have a full-blown case of a nasty cold sore on our lip. Stress is often the cause that triggers a cold sore. Why wait until the painful sore appears to treat it? Why not prevent it in the first place? There is a prescription medication for a cold sore, but there are also natural remedies that work just as well for many people. When I feel a cold sore coming on, I immediately reach for my L-Lysine and tea tree oil to keep from having a major break-out. If I know I am going to face something very stressful, such as a trip (even a vacation can be stressful for me), any type of crisis, or even house guests, I can prevent the cold sore outbreak by being proactive with taking the L-Lysine and focusing on relieving the stress of the upcoming event – when possible. This is just one simple example of preventing an illness before it happens.

Many illnesses are silent such as diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis, and even cancer. They have a process that develops over time. Focusing on eating healthy foods and living a healthy lifestyle with the intention of preventing these diseases gives one a better chance of avoiding them. Prevention is a much better option than treating an existing disease with drugs, that will likely have side effects. If you have lived a healthy lifestyle and still get ill, you have a better chance of overcoming and surviving and maybe even reversing the disease. Maintaining a healthy body is the key to most illnesses.

By Karen Best Wright

Published in Albemarle Tradewinds

AlbemarleTradewinds.com

Products to detox the body is big business. There is no shortage of products touting body detox. Three things to think about when it comes to detoxifying the body 1) Why detox, 2) How the body naturally detoxifies, and 3) How to assist the body in detoxing.

Why detox the body? Every day people are bombarded with a toxic environment. It may come from the food we eat with pesticides, additives, preservatives, and maybe even the water we drink. It may come from things we physically touch – plastics, cleaning products, poisons, soil in our gardens, or even the dirty public handrail we use when going up or down a staircase. Or it may come from the air we breathe – car fumes, dust, smoke, cleaning chemicals, and even manufacturing by-products. Toxins can damage organs such as the liver, kidneys, lungs, skin, and the heart.

The body has several natural detox processes. The liver starts the detox process by filtering the waste in the blood and excreting the toxins through the kidneys and intestines. Over-loading the liver, kidneys, and intestines with toxins will erode the healthy functioning of the organs.

The skin, being the largest organ of the body, also assists in removing impurities from the body through sweat and skin pores. However, toxins can also enter the body through the skin. Use protection when dealing with chemicals that affect the skin or lungs. The lungs remove carbon dioxide from the body and may remove other toxins through phlegm. Healthy organs can remove most of the toxins that enter the body.

However, the body may need additional help to remove harmful toxins that have been ingested or inhaled. The first step is to avoid toxic substances, to begin with – think smoking, food additives and preservatives, and even heavy perfumes or deodorants. Diligence will not prevent the consumption or inhalation of toxic substances completely. A simple Internet search will yield many products to purchase claiming to detox the body. Avoid as many toxins as possible, then start with a simple detox program.

Drinking plenty of water (coffee doesn't count), specific herbal teas, and certain foods will assist with body detoxing. Drinking lemon water is popular and simple. Dandelion root tea, Burdock root tea, green tea, and apple cider vinegar with "Mother" are also known to be good in detoxing the body. Foods such as fresh leafy greens, apples, broccoli sprouts, turmeric, spirulina, beets, and ginger are also helpful in removing toxins from the body.

Not removing the toxins in the body can result in damaged organs, illness, and even death. Make detoxifying the body a conscious and everyday part of life.

Stress "management" has become a multi-million dollar industry.

Everywhere you go there are books and magazine articles on stress management. There are entire websites dealing with stress.

But let me clarify one thing. I do not like the words "stress management." When I am dealing with excessive stress, the last thing I want is needing to "manage" one more thing. I prefer the terms "easing stress, de-stressing, or stress relief."

Stress is part of everyone's life; some stress is beneficial and some detrimental. What is the most detrimental to our health is stress that builds up and does not get released.

Unrelieved stress can cause depression, anxiety, and chronic diseases. Stress that builds up can complicate chronic diseases such as hypertension, high cholesterol levels, and diabetes, along with other conditions.

Many things can cause stress than can become toxic if we do not balance our lives and reduce stress. From childhood to our elderly years, stress is everywhere. We must never negate the stress that children experience as well as the elderly. And adults of all ages and backgrounds live through stressful events.

What complicates stress is when we feel hopeless to do anything about it. How we view stress, the actions we take to reduce it, and accepting it when it cannot be changed are important things to remember when analyzing our stress levels.

What causes you stress?

• High-stress job

• No job and not enough money

• Difficult relationships

• Illnesses

• Being a full-time caregiver

• Depression or anxiety

• Lack of a support system

• Unhealthy environment (work or home)

• Loneliness

• Too much to do

The list can go on endlessly. The stress you are experiencing will determine specific needed action.

Obviously, if you just lost your home in foreclosure, doing jumping jacks and deep breathing exercises will not solve your house problems. But enjoyable healthy activities and a proper diet may help you deal with the stress better, have a better outlook on life, and actually help you come up with creative ideas to solve your problem. Listen to everything that comes into your mind to see if it offers you ideas and ways to improve your stress levels.

Years ago when I was a single mother going to school, I was so stressed that I couldn't even breathe deeply. As I was learning yoga and deep breathing practices, I would cough every time I tried to take a deep breath. I was mega stressed. I realized that when I was the most stressed, I actually would hold my breath unconsciously. That certainly didn't help matters. With practice, I learned how to relax enough to at least breathe properly.

Check out my Wellness Way coaching program to help you get your stress under control. But beware, we will be talking a lot about what you eat and how proper nutrition can help with stress. Your body will thank you for it.

In regards to physical activity, find your passion and start, small if you need to. Even jumping jax and dancing alone in the living room is a good place to start, along with the go-to jumping rope. Continue this if that is your style. However, many people need others to help keep them motivated. Probably many of us do, and that is okay.

Find your passion and get started!

Do something every day, regardless of how small or insignificant it may seem.

Fitness activities need to be enjoyable and stimulating, even while pushing yourself enough to gain health benefits. Both aerobic-type activities (dancing, walking fast, sports, etc.) and strength-building activities are needed. Weight-bearing activities not only improve muscle mass but increase bone density, especially needed in post-menopausal women.

Remember! Sedentary lifestyles lead to excess weight and chronic diseases. Physical activity is necessary for individuals of all ages, from children to the elderly.

Whether you join an exercise class, hire a private trainer, exercise with a DVD, walk with a friend, or dance alone at home to your music, anything is better than nothing. Getting started today if you do not already have a regular exercise program is vital to your long-term health and wellness.

Fitness and Physical Activity

There are probably few people who would argue against the importance of fitness and physical activity in regards to our overall health and well-being.

Research repeatedly shows the importance of living a physically active lifestyle in reducing stress, maintaining proper weight, and preventing and reducing chronic diseases.

What do you think about when you think about exercise?

• Enthusiasm

• Dread

• Work out at the gym

• Running a 5K

• Walking around the neighborhood

• Playing sports

• Aerobics class

One thing is certain, not every type of exercise is right for every personality type. There are people who love to exercise and people who do not. Part of the problem is when people who think they do not like to exercise concentrate on the types of exercise they do not like. They then simply assume they do not enjoy exercising.

Many years ago, I saw myself as a person who simply did not like to exercise. I really did not like it. The truth was, I did not like the types of exercises that many others thrive on. After taking a little quiz I found in a magazine about fitness (many years ago) what I discovered was that I simply did not like to exercise in a loud group, such as in an aerobics class. Others loved it. I did not. I tried running. That seemed to be the in-thing at the time. I fell and broke my foot, cracked 2 ribs, and sprained my ankle. So much for my running days. I was frustrated.

I discovered; that I like to walk quickly either by myself or with a partner. I like weight training; I like ballroom dancing (probably because I am dancing with one person at a time). I like hiking in the mountains; I do not like aerobic classes. In short, I like nature and I like to be alone, with a partner, or with a small group of individuals.

Other people thrive on loud music, large crowds, and competition. There is no right or wrong thing to like best. I encourage clients to discover their exercise personalities. A person is much more likely to succeed with a fitness program if they select activities they enjoy, not ones they are supposed to enjoy.

What Color is Your Food?

Do you really pay attention to whether or not you eat colorful and healthy food? Sometimes we stress eat and then consume foods that not only break down healthy cells in our bodies but cause us to gain weight that we do not want or need. Some "foods" that are available or no healthier than cardboard. The next time you reach for a snack or quick lunch pay attention to what you are actually eating. Has it been processed so thoroughly that there are no nutrients left? Choosing colorful foods (no dyes) will put you on the right path to eating healthier.

The more colorful the food, the higher the nutrients.

The nutrients in colorful foods are called phytochemicals or phytonutrients. A plate of colorful foods (natural, not artificial coloring) will provide your body with needed antioxidants that help to prevent cell damage.

Blueberries, raspberries, and whole-grain cereal provide valuable nutrients any time of the day, not just for breakfast.

Dark green and colorful vegetables are filled with nutritious anti-oxidants. Before you take that first bite, decide why you are eating and decide if what you are eating is actually good for you.

By Karen Best Wright

Published in Albemarle Tradewinds

AlbemarleTradewinds.com

What causes high blood sugar levels, and why is it harmful? The body needs and uses the nutrients in foods to nourish body organs. Without proper nutrients, body cells die. The pancreas releases the hormone insulin that allows the glucose from digested food to enter and nourish the body cells. When large amounts of sugar or simple carbohydrates inundate the body, the pancreas pumps out increased insulin. Eventually, the pancreas cannot produce enough insulin, or the body becomes resistant to the insulin. When insulin is ineffective, too much sugar remains in the blood and does not nourish the cells. When the blood sugar is higher than normal but not high enough to be diabetes, it is prediabetes.

Approximately 96 million American adults (one in three adults) have prediabetes, and most don't even know it. Without intervention, they are at increased risk for Type 2 Diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. A simple blood test by your healthcare provider will diagnose prediabetes. Reducing blood sugar levels back to normal is possible and much preferred than the alternative.

STEP 1: Know your blood sugar levels

A glucometer is a simple blood glucose monitor. Purchase a glucometer at a pharmacy or online. It is easy to use and is necessary when tracking one's blood sugar levels. When fasting for at least eight hours or more, a healthy blood sugar level would be less than 100. Two hours after eating, a healthy range would be less than 140. Tracking one's blood sugar level is only the first step in lowering it.

STEP 2: Foods to eat and not eat

Learning what foods to eat and not eat is the next step. Read labels on all foods that have them. When "sugar" is listed, or one of its many names (such as corn syrup), it might be one to put back on the shelf. Learn the glycemic index (GI) of different foods. The higher the glycemic index, the faster it will raise your blood sugar level. The American Diabetes Association rates the glycemic index scores as "low" for 55 or below, "moderate" for 56 to 69, and "high" for 70 and higher. A simple internet search for the glycemic index of white bread is 71, while the glycemic index of 100% whole grain bread is 51. Become familiar with the GI of various foods. Simple carbohydrates, such as sugary desserts, soft drinks, and processed foods will spike blood sugar levels faster than high fiber complex carbohydrates.

STEP 3: Herbal Remedies

Along with monitoring one's blood sugar levels and eating the proper types and amounts of food, many people have found numerous herbal and natural remedies helpful. This is not a complete list, but a few include cinnamon, fenugreek tea and seeds, marshmallow root tea, aloe vera, ginseng, prickly pear cactus, ginkgo, and garlic.

For those already taking diabetes medication or pregnant or nursing women, consult your healthcare provider before adding herbal remedies.

By Karen Best Wright

Published in Albemarle Tradewinds

AlbemarleTradewinds.com