Goal Setting Strategies for Success

Who’s ready to set some new healthy lifestyle goals?

Goal setting is important for successful change, but without the proper tools to reach your goals, it can be a set up for disappointment and utter failure.

I am sure at some point, you have set out to make healthy lifestyle changes before. Whether that was last year’s New Year’s resolution or a summer body fitness goal, it’s time to re-visit, reevaluate and/or make new goals!

THE NORM

Most people don’t have any sort of plan as to how to get to where they want to go when they set goals. They set a goal and often times just don’t hit their mark.

The problem isn’t setting a goal, it is setting the right kind of goal.

What I mean by that is, goal setting with direction and motivation to make it happen. It is so much easier to set a goal than it is to follow it through.

Only 8% of people who

set New Year's resolutions

 reach their goals.

Success isn’t in goal setting. It’s how you set your goal and what follows, that actually makes goal setting a success or not.

SUN-TZU*-BE-LIKE (ERR. . . GET YOUR STRATEGY ON)

Be reasonable. Have strategy.

A strategy describes how the ends (goals) will be achieved by the means (resources).

When New Year’s comes along, set a goal that is reasonable, meaning, something you can actually do. Not something you think you can do.

For example: don’t commit to losing 30 pounds in 30 days. This is not reasonable.

You also can’t set a goal to run a marathon in 2 months when you’ve been completely sedentary for the past 6 years.

The people who do this type of goal setting throw out reasoning. They get all into the emotion of sparkly wine and kisses and New Year’s misses (or misters) and get totally unreasonable.

Nobody likes failure and this is a set up for failure. And when this happens a few years in a row, you end up piling failure on top of failure.

The idea of setting any sort of goals and making any sort of changes ends up feeling very daunting and impossible. After awhile, most people quit.

The difficulty level of your goal has to be realistic for you to have success.

*Born around the 5th century BC, Sun-Tzu is said to be the “father of strategy’.

MADNESS OR METHOD

There has to be a method to your madness or else all you will have is madness.

In order for goal setting to work, you need to understand that there is a goal-setting process that has to happen in order to have true success.

Knowing why goals work, and how to implement a goal-setting program is where it’s at for happy days.

Analyzing your progress as you go and keeping your plan in motion (adjusting as you go) is also part of the method.

BREAKING IT DOWN

Before you set out to make goals, you have to understand the definition of goals. What I mean by this is, there are objective and subjective goals, and one way works better than the other.

Objective goals:

These are goals that you can measure.

Example: I want to lose 2 inches in my waist in 2 months.

These types of goals are easy to set, keep up with, and reach.

Subjective goals:

These types of goals are not measurable.

Example: I want to look and feel better.

These goals are vague and are hard to achieve. These types of goals are the ones you talk about but find yourself not doing.

3 TYPES OF GOALS

Outcome Goals

These goals have an end result that cannot be attained on your own.

These are often fun goals because you’re usually doing them with someone else, in a group or competition. Like running a 5K.

These goals are a little more difficult to control, however, because you aren’t 100% in control of the outcome.

Performance Goals

This kind of goal is measurable and one you set for yourself with something you specifically want to accomplish on your own.

For example, if you want to add a certain number of extra reps to your workout or to run a mile further next week, you’re setting this according to your own personal performance.

Process Goals

These are small goals that support performance goals by giving you something to focus on as you work towards your performance goals.

Process goals are 100% measurable and in your control. Focus on these small things until you eventually achieve your final performance goal.

HOW TO USE ALL 3 GOALS

So, now, how does this work?

Let’s say you set a performance goal of losing 100 pounds. In the mean time, you have to set process goals at say, 10 pound intervals. These process goals get you to your performance goal. These goals can help you achieve an outcome goal of running a marathon in three years.

These steps work for any type of goal you may have. This is not just a process that only fits the health and fitness world.

WHERE TO PUT YOUR FOCUS

Your focus should always 
be on how to get to your final goal, 
not just your final goal.

Setting goals in this way is one hundred percent within your control and brings with it amazing end results.

Focus on the process.

SOME FACTS

“One of the most consistent findings in all behavioral psychology is that specific goals produce significantly better performance than easy goals, no goals, or do-your-best goals.” – Locke, E. A., & Latham, G. P. (1990). A theory of goal setting & task performance.

VAGUE, SPECIFIC AND MEASURABLE GOALS

When you set your goals, they need to be specific. Vague goals won’t get you anywhere. Here are a few examples of vague versus specific goals.

- Vague: My goal is to lose weight.
- Specific: My goal is to lose 30 pounds in the next 5 months.
- Vague: My goal is to be a vegan.
- Specific: My goal is to omit cheese this week and omit milk next week. By the end of the month I want to be completely dairy-free.
- Vague: My goal is to exercise more.
- Specific: My goal is to start power walking 3 days a week, and run 1 day a week, with 10 minute warm ups and cool downs, and I want to do this for 1 month, then set new fitness goals.

When you set your goals, set them with Ed Mylett-style ( #Maxout ) intent. Don’t set out to do-your-best. This just leaves too much room for excuses.

You will be more motivated if you have specific goals.

When you have specific goals, you can modify things as you go if you realize part way in that, say, you need more than 3 months to loose a specific amount of weight.

Instead of quitting, reassess, 
modify and carry on!

When losing weight, for example, maybe you didn’t count the plateau in your weight-loss process. Your body will reach a plateau and you will reach a point where you won’t lose weight for a little while. This is part of the process that many people don’t account for when setting specific goals.

It could also be something like setting goals to gain. It is possible that you forgot you were going on vacation for a week . If the only gym you have available only has a treadmill, your goals may take longer to reach.

If you set out to gain an inch in your biceps in a specific amount of time, but have to be away from the gym and modify your weight training, this is when reassessing your goals and being adaptable is necessary to still continue on your journey to achieving your ultimate goal.

This way, you can are still making progress, and still reaching your goal.

THE CHALLENGING BALANCING ACT

Setting realistic goals is a must for success. Period.

Goals that are too easy won’t challenge you enough to keep you focused on the end goal.

For me, when I set out to do a lot and achieve something difficult, I tend to stick to the plan verbatim. It keeps me on track, because I know that if I don’t stay on course, there will be no way that I can achieve what I set out to do.

When my goals are easy, I get too chill and start slacking. At this point, I know for a fact that I am not putting forth maximum effort to attain my desired goals.

On the flip side, if you set goals that are too difficult for yourself, you will quickly lose motivation, get frustrated, and probably quit.

You need to make sure that you’re setting goals at a pace that best suits you.

HOW DO YOU MAKE IT CHALLENGING BUT NOT TOO CHALLENGING?

The best thing to do is to be real with yourself. Set out and begin with focusing on your process goals.

Once you get into the process of reaching your goal and focusing on the how, the how can, and often times will, change. And this is okay.

Make sure that you reassess yourself, your goals, and keep a close eye on what you are capable of. Be real. Don’t allow yourself to use excuses.

Check yourself. Watch your ego, don’t hurt yourself. Watch your schedule, don’t overload yourself. And watch your achievement level. If you’re moving faster than you had set out to move, move your “bar” higher.

THE LONG AND SHORT OF IT

Any goal you set needs to be also have a timeframe that you want it accomplished by.

I love making vision boards, and vision boards are great in this instance. Vision boards can keep you focused on a specific timeframe. Without this, you can drag your goals on and talk the talk and not walk the walk, always saying you’re, “working on it”.

Don’t do this. It will take away your motivation.

Set a time limit and get ‘er done.

Long-term goals give you direction and set the stage for what you are trying to accomplish.

Just remember that having your eye on your long-term goal doesn’t always improve the journey. Your destination may seem too far away and daunting, and you may quit.

Make sure you keep your process goals 
in your immediate sights.

Short-term goals help you stay focused on the small successes you’ve made. They also give you constant motivation to stay on course to your long-term goal.

This is how you take baby steps to your long-term goal. Doing this makes your ultimate goal possible.

This is also a way to allow for minor adjustments along the way so that you can stay motivated to keep moving forward.

ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNERS AND FRIENDS

Sorry to break it to you, but goals don’t work by themselves.Goals require commitment. Without commitment, you are most likely not going to put forth the effort and persistence it takes to achieve your goals.

Having a friend or accountability partner helps with this. When your friend is aware of your goals and what you’re doing, this helps with the motivation and stick-to-it-iv-niss.

If you don’t have someone to be accountable to, clone yourself and be accountable to you. JK – but seriously, find a way to keep yourself accountable. It will make the process a huge success!

A positive-minded accountability partner is where it’s at, but make sure they’re also someone who isn’t afraid to tell it to you straight. We all need positive vibes and reinforcement in order to stay motivated. This helps us stay determined as well.

You got this!

REEVALUATE YOUR GOALS

As you go on this goal-setting journey, make sure your goals continue to be practical and suitable as you go.

Have a planner or a reminder set in your phone, or some sort of monthly check in (with yourself). This is when you need to measure, reassess, weigh, check in with your accountability friend/partner, check your vision board, or whatever it is that you’ve decided is appropriate for motivation and for your progress report.

Check in with yourself monthly. 
Review and reevaluate.

There may be some areas where you are meeting your process goals and even acceding them. It could also be that you’re falling short on something else. Tighten up on the parts that are falling short and set the bar higher for the parts that you’re accelerating in.

DON’T COMPARE. BE YOU.

You may prefer slightly difficult goals. You may prefer very difficult goals. Be you and set your goals accordingly. Don’t compare yourself to the person next door.

If you’re a gal or guy that is highly self-motivation, you probably will do fantabulous with extremely difficult goals.

But, if you’re not a highly self-motivated person and tend to have low levels of self-motivation, super difficult goals will decrease your performance and discourage you, so don’t sabotage yourself by comparing yourself to your neighbor.

You do you. Always. 
This is how you will be most successful.

WRITE STUFF ON STICKY NOTES

Or wherever.

Writing things down and posting things where you see it often makes it hard to ignore.

Bathroom mirror anyone?

More about how to organize with sticky notes here.

STAY ON TOP OF YOURSELF AND REWARD YOURSELF

You have to recognize when you need to make a change. This is done by self monitoring yourself during your goal setting process.

Reward yourself when you reach specific goals.

Have fun. You’ve got this!

MORE RESOURCES

How To Set Goals Goals That Last and 6 Steps To Setting Goals That Last!

October 7, 2020October 5, 2020

A Detox for Your Mind, Body and Soul

Happy (early) green drink Sunday! Yup – I’m already ahead of the week and almost through my weekend making that statement. Are you ready for a detox for your mind, body and soul? You don’t have to wait for Sunday.

I have a loose tradition of making green drinks every Sunday morning for the whole family. (I say loose because I don’t do it every week but I do it more often than I don’t). Sometimes I make smoothies, sometimes I juice.

I don’t do it with the intent of detoxing. I do it simply to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

If you’ve never known differently, I would imagine that the idea of a detox for your mind, body and soul sounds like a great idea!

It is. However, why would you ever need to detox? It is popular, so therefore it should be done?

I live in a great city that offers so many healthy options for restaurants and grocery shopping. Also, as a result there are several small businesses that advertise detox bowls, detox smoothies, detox juices, detox this and detox that, but have you ever just thought about why?

WHAT DOES DETOX MEAN?

Detox defined means: a process or period of time in which one abstains from or rids the body of toxic or unhealthy substances.

Detoxing also goes so far as to reference ” . . . a period of medical treatment, usually including counseling, during which a person is helped to overcome physical and psychological dependence on alcohol or drugs. . .”

So detoxing can be quite a process, it isn’t always just as simple as a Sunday green drink tradition.

Our bodies are always dealing with toxic substances, so are our minds. Even our spirit, our soul.

Toxins just permeate the air, our foods, the clothes we wear, the homes we live in and the beds we sleep in. Toxic information infiltrates our social media, our conversations and our thoughts.

You would think that we’d need to detox regularly!

Detox for your mind, body and soul — Photo by Truong Dat

Humans ingest about 5 grams of plastic per week. They drink an average of 9.5 alcoholic drinks per week. Over 80% of Americans eat fast food daily, and fast foods comes with a lot of toxic ingredients.

We also are exposed to toxins in perfumes, plastic bottles and containers, cleaning products, air fresheners, furniture, makeup, fabric softeners, non-stick cookware, bug sprays, canned foods, TV and game consoles . . . and guys, the list just keeps going!

TAKE CARE OF YOUR BODY AND IT TAKES CARE OF YOU

The good news is, we have awesome bodies designed to get rid of these awful things that hurt us, and they’re designed to do this naturally!

Our lungs, kidneys, liver, and large intestines are our bodies natural way of getting rid of toxins.

Here’s the kicker guys! If you live a balanced lifestyle that includes a good night of sleep, sunshine, fresh air, water, proper nutrition, exercise, meditation and moderation in all things . . .

Guess what?

. . . You’re helping your body do what it is meant to do on a regular basis on it’s own!

This is how you live a lifestyle of detoxification, or prevention from toxic build up. This is balance8life.

SO . . . IS DETOXING BAD THEN?

There are a lot of intense detox methods that can actually be harmful for our bodies.

Some things that are marketed as liver and kidney cleansers can actually strain the organs they are intended to help.

“If you’re thinking about a detox, think instead about the underlying problem,” Dr. Nancy Reau MD advises. “If you just want to be more healthy, good diet choices and exercise are best. And some symptoms, such as weight gain or fatigue, should be evaluated for causes that can be addressed.” ~ The Truth About Toxins.

Staying healthy is a very important part of a balanced lifestyle, and doing things that help our bodies stay healthy is essential. As I mentioned above, balancing all 8 methods of health is how you keep from ever needing to do some drastic detox to your body.

A detox for your mind, body and soul doesn’t have to be thought of as a yearly New Years resolution.

Your body can actually remain in a detoxed state of being when you take care of it properly.

A legitimately needed detox should be determined by a doctor and that is out of my expertise.

However, eating (or drinking) healthy foods that are labeled as a “detox” is safe and good for you.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DETOX AND DAILY HEALTH

I met a woman who was asking me for advice for her toddler who had a lot of trouble having consistent bowl movements.

As I began asking her what she was feeding him, it quickly became apparent to me that there was no fiber in his diet.

I suggested she add fruit to her sons diet. Her mouth dropped and she stared at me and said, “bad idea! fruit gives him diarrhea. He simply cannot handle fruit.”

Fruit became a detox for this child not because fruit is a detox, but because he was unhealthy. His body wasn’t used to a healthy, balanced diet that included things his little body needed to function at peak performance.

This is the same with adults who eat poorly, and then one day decide to have a green drink, or go through a juice cleanse. They may be in the bathroom more than usual.

This reaction is because the diet is imbalanced and the body is missing vital nutrients to function properly, and is reacting to the sudden change in nutrients.

This does not necessarily mean bad (or good) things are happening. This just means there is a lack of proper nutrition and the body has to go through a process of balancing out before it can regulate again.

If you take care of your body, there is no need to do a classic “detox” where you go to drastic measures to rid your body of toxins.

Instead, feed it healthy and treat it well. All the time.

DETOX SIDE EFFECTS

The side effects of detoxing are headaches, cravings, digestive problems, fatigue, nausea, etc.

Detoxing is a big deal to a lot of people, and for a lot of people it truly is very important.

Let me just remind you once more:

You don’t have to regularly detox your mind, body and soul if you live a healthy lifestyle and eat a healthy, balanced diet.

Instead of a yearly green juice cleanse, incorporate something like I have done, a green drink Sunday. Do this regularly as part of a healthy diet and your body will thank you.

You won't have side effects 

if you're already maintaining a balanced,

healthy lifestyle.

ACCIDENTAL MIND DETOX

Monday morning I went to make an Instagram post and realized I had started to make a Green Drink Sunday post and literally forgot, midway through.

I set my phone down and didn’t even look at it for hours! It was great!

a detox for Your Mind body and soul — Photo by Zoo Monkey

Green juice detox is a fantastic way to turbo boost your body with an assortment of essential vitamins and minerals. But have you thought about putting any time into detoxing your mind?

Our bodies are naturally made to detox on their own when we take care of them properly, but our minds are a whole different ballgame.

We can’t just eat right for our minds to function properly. We also have to make sure we’re feeding our mind with good information.

For the average person, phones have become permanent extensions of our bodies.

Phones hold all our private information, the good, the bad, the ugly. And without them, most people have serious separation anxiety.

A mind detox has side effects, too.

If I try to set my phone down for an hour during the week when the kids are gone at school, or my boyfriend is at work, I struggle.

At first, my mind goes into a scramble mode of not being able to focus on any one particular thing – almost as if it’s got a peculiar case of personal ADD.

We’re all so used to instant information, we don’t know how to slow our minds down.

I have children who struggle with ADD and when I started learning about how to help them deal with ADD naturally, I found that anything electronic (TV, gaming, computers, phones, etc.) should never be a part of their day. Period.

Well that is a complicated situation in todays society. No electronics equals being left behind.

So how do we detox our minds, set our anxiety at ease and truly allow our minds to slow down and detox from the constant need to always have instant information?

LET YOUR MIND BREATHE

Detoxing your mind from the constant information overload take conscious effort (sometimes).

Sometimes it’s almost like telling yourself to breathe, intentionally. You have to remind yourself that people survived without a permanent metal attachment decades. You can still survive without it today.

When the quiet sets, and I allow myself to be okay with the disconnect, my imagination kicks in and that’s when art happens.

That is also when my mind is given time to process my self. A lot of introspection and self evaluation time kicks in and things get a little better; clarity brings new perspectives to life.

A detox for your mind, body and soul includes introspective evaluation.

Evaluating your self is not selfish. Or – it shouldn’t be. It’s a time to think about all of the things you’re giving to others. Or all of the things you should be giving to others.

We all give off vibes that communicate many things to those around us.

How are you silently communicating to those around you? Have you ever thought about it? It can simply be a look. Body language. The lack of, or the presence of, a smile.

If you’re constantly on social media, checking emails or taking in other info that is flooding into your mind at 100mph, your personal evaluation time gets toxic and effects your vibes, your attitude, and effects how you treat those around you.

We give gifts of kindness as well as uncaring, impatient gifts when we don’t care for anybody but our own self.

This happens when our internal evaluations become toxic and self centered vs. self evaluative and introspective in a way that looks to bless others.

Become aware of who you are and what you communicate to everybody in your vibe frequency.

Take some time to detox your mind and your body this week. Set a goal to lower your screen time. Hand write something and memorize it; a saying, a prayer, a Bible verse, a mantra . . . anything positive and up lifting. Something to remind yourself that you are amazing and there’s no reason not to share your amazing self to someone who needs a smile.

WAYS YOU CAN DETOX YOUR BODY

Green drinks, as I mentioned, are an amazing way to give your body an immune boost, as well as help to rid your body of other toxic waste that might be hanging out.

Juicing is my favorite way to feel vitamin and mineral charged on a Sunday morning. If you do not have a juicer, green smoothies work, too.

Juicing is also a way to energize and minimize fatigue naturally.

There are an abundant amount of vitamins and minerals that are hidden within dark, leafy green vegetables.

When you make a juice or drink with these foods, you’re getting chlorophyll, which helps control inflammation, increases red blood cells, and more.

You’re also getting vitamins A, C, E, K, antioxidants, and calcium. Plus, your heart, will thank you.

One drawback is you are taking out all of the fiber (if your juicing). So be sure that you’re also eating your veggies, too.

Other ways to detox your body is exercising as well as drinking plenty of water, getting plenty of rest, getting out in the sun, fresh air, and staying on top of a healthy diet for continued, balanced nutrition.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT. LITERALLY.

Believe it or not, our brains need proper foods to work at peak performance, too.

A detox for your mind, body and soul is only effective if you eat to live, not to live to eat.

When you eat to live, your focus is on eating the foods that keep your bodily functions working at peak performance.

When you eat to live it also keeps your mind, your emotions, and your self-control in check. As a result, you can better control bad emotional eating habits and avoid late night cravings.

“Food as medicine should become a mantra of living.” Detox Your Brain by Center for Healing Neurology

Here’s a couple (non-scientific) basic examples.

Take someone you know that has been out partying all night long, most likely made bad food choices and had little to no sleep. In the morning, how likely are they to be bright eyed and bushy tailed? Are they going to be kind? Happy? Patient?

Not likely.

Let’s create another scenario. Your aunt, who’s had a full night of sleep, woke up and went running. She had a great breakfast before 9am. She will probably be full of energy, have a big smile on her face, and be a lot more patient.

The point is, what we put into our bodies and how we treat them also makes a huge impact on our brains. In turn, this effects how we act.

KEEP TOXIC INFO OUT FOR THE ULTIMATE MIND DETOX

I know that you know that we all know, that this is a thing. The social media onslaught of toxic information.

A detox for your mind, body and soul means giving the mind just as much attention as our body and spirit.

Did you know that there is such a thing as internet addiction disorder? And a legit gaming disorder?

“Problematic social media use, also known as social media addiction or social media overuse, is a proposed form of psychological or behavioral dependence on social media platforms, also known as Internet addiction disorder, and other forms of digital media overuse.”

“Video game addiction, also known as gaming disorder or internet gaming disorder, . . . results in significant impairment to an individual’s ability to function in various life domains over a prolonged period of time.

“Such disorders can be diagnosed when an individual engages in gaming activities at the cost of fulfilling daily responsibilities or pursuing other interests without regard for the negative consequences.” – Internet Addiction Disorder

Not only are there actual acronyms for legitimate social media, internet and gaming disorders, but now we have a problem that we didn’t have before the mid 2000’s.

The (easy?) solution is to put down the phone, computer, gaming consul, iPad, iPod, (wow, there’s a lot of devices).

It just isn’t easy. Let’s be real. It ain’t easy.

I get anxiety when I put my phone down sometimes. I have asked myself why several times. My first thought is, someone special to me might need help and I may not be able to get to them in time and I’ll feel so guilty . . .

Funny thing is, I survived in the 80’s and 90’s and early 2000’s without a phone.

Experiment and test yourself. Give yourself a timer and turn your phone off for a set amount of time. Allow your mind to imagine and think without social media and the constant scrolling feeding your brain junk.

By setting your phone down for 1-2 days a week, it can result in a lower, total weekly screen time.

I choose to set my phone down on Saturdays and Sundays. Those are my creative days and I do much better not having my phone on me.

Try it.

Can you survive without it for a few hours in your day or a couple days a week? Let me know in the comments below, how you are managing the world of social media and internet addiction.

A DETOX FOR YOUR SOUL

The soul. Last but definitely not least.

A detox for your mind, body and soul cannot be complete without giving the soul equal attention.

Give your spirit a rest by getting away from it all and take some quiet time out in nature.

This is not just taking a break from social media and other media sources. This includes other people, and all other artificial stimuli.

Get out in nature and breathe.

Meditate on the goodness in your life, the things you’re thankful for, the people you are thankful for, and the life that you have.

I’m not talking about focusing on the things you hate about your life. I mean simply focusing on the fact that you have life!

There are a lot more things to be grateful and thankful for in our lives than we give credit to.

Somehow, the negative things always seem to sneak up into the center of our focus points and we forget that our focus has the ability to go in other directions.

Train your mind to focus elsewhere.

Give your spirit and your soul a detox by remembering to be grateful.

LETS CONNECT

So, now that we’re done talking about detoxing from social media, please follow me on my social media pages! Hahaha

I am on Facebook, Instagram, E-mail, Twitter, Pinterest and balance8life.

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September 23, 2020October 14, 2020

How to Overcome Late Night Cravings

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclaimer for more info.

How to overcome late night cravings, the topic of the day. For days.

But, ohhh the cravings though! The need for a yummy snack at ten PM and then . . . the disappointment the next morning when you step on the scale.

And the vow that last night was the last night.

Again.

How to overcome late night cravings — Photo by Edward Franklin

Why on earth do you keep going around and around, and around . . . ?

Because, emotional eating and stress eating are all about weakness, not logic or strength.

So let’s figure out how to build the foundation to a strong fortress of saying no.

I CAN TELL YOU HOW TO OVERCOME LATE NIGHT CRAVINGS BUT YOU HAVE TO DO IT YOURSELF.

RECOGNIZE YOUR EMOTIONS

Once you understand that late night cravings really are just emotions nagging at you, not true hunger, recognizing this is step one.

Emotional eating is using food to make yourself feel better. You are eating to placate emotional needs rather than to satisfy actual real hunger.

Emotional hunger can’t be filled with food. It feels good to eat in the moment, but the feelings that triggered your need to feed your face are still there. The worst part is, you make yourself feel even worse later, because you now feel guilty. It’s a vicious, vicious cycle that only you can stop.

There is a difference in using food occasionally as a reward, or to celebrate. That isn’t bad. When my kids get good grades, sometimes I take them out for vegan ice cream or a rare treat as a reward.

When eating becomes an emotional coping mechanism this is when it is a problem.

Once you recognize that you are eating simply to cope with stress, you can then take step two.

I recommend talking with your doctor and finding a good counselor to help sort out your emotions, if you are unable to do it alone.

DIG DEEP AND DEAL WITH IT

Journaling is somewhat of an old fashioned hobby I suppose. I used to keep a diary when I was younger. Now, with voice text and even with typing, slowing down with a pen and paper gets a little annoying. Buuuutttt . . .

When you slow down, it forces you to process what you are thinking, and in the process of slowing down, you can really start to assess your feelings and figure out the why behind what you are doing.

It also takes up time you would otherwise be eating.

Face your emotions, sort them out, decide what you want to do with them, and confront them.

Once you have done this, you can go about doing other things to fill the void.

A nutrition coach can also help. A nutrition coach is someone that can hold you accountable, as well as help you start new, healthy habits.

MAYBE IT’S NOT EMOTIONS

There are also cravings that can be linked to bad food choices, food sensitivities and lifestyle habits.

“Some foods promote indefinite cravings. Unfulfilled longings or unrest cause cravings.” Agatha M. Thrash, M.D. Preventive Medicine

Doctor Agatha M. Thrash also goes on to say that, “Many individuals who are sensitive to various foods taken even in small quantities get their cravings aroused.

“Sugar is a very common offender in this regard. One innocent appearing teaspoonful can do much damage in the sensitive person.

“Milk and all dairy products represent a common source of cravings.

“Salty foods irritate the stomach lining and produce thirst. Much of the mechanism of cravings is related to unrecognized thirst, causing the individual to try to satisfy his thirst by indulging his craving. If the thirst is eliminated, the craving can be handled with much greater ease.”

Full article here.

OVERCOME LATE NIGHT CRAVINGS WITH TEA

Now, I realize this sounds a bit trite and boring.

At night when I want something to snack on, and when I am trying to break a habit of grabbing something to nibble on during a show or while doing something before bed, I make tea.

When you fill the void with something it makes it easier to overcome the craving.

The options for flavors are endless when it comes to tea. Which makes it so fun!

Just be sure your tea is white or red, not black or green. Black and green tea have caffeine in them and aren’t good for late nights.

Rooibos is a South African red tea, and it is full of antioxidants and naturally a bit sweet.

Chamomile tea is also a bit sweet and floral, and a great calming, night time tea.

Sleepytime tea is another great evening tea!

Explore herbal, white and red teas and share with me in the comments below. Tell me what your fave herbal tea is!

When you’re making tea at night, leave out the sugar and milk. Learn to appreciate the pure flavor of the herb. Your waist will thank you later and your guilt will be set free.

For other options, read my article “Five Ways to Yummy-Up Your Water”.

WHAT BETTER WAY TO OVERCOME LATE NIGHT CRAVINGS THAN TO READ A GOOD BOOK!

Nope. Snacking during reading can’t be a thing anymore . . . but make you some tea and find a book that draws you in sooo deeply that you can’t even think about food.

Escape from your stress, drown your emotions in far, far away, and allow yourself to fall asleep dreaming in another world.

I would recommend a list of books here, but I write more than read, so I am going to let you list a few for me below in the comments! 🙂

If you prefer to write, like I do, it keeps your hands too busy to eat, and it works as well as reading for those who love to write.

OVERCOME LATE NIGHT CRAVINGS WITH CHORES

I doubt there is a person in the world who does not have a tub that could use a scrub, a carpet that couldn’t use a vacuum or some laundry that needs to be folded or ironed.

Evenings are great times to get some small house chores done and curb the appetite at the same time.

Plus, you’re getting yourself off the couch, burning a few calories, and let’s face it, you can get your heart rate up if you’re vacuuming stairs, and also, who doesn’t love a clean house when you go to fix a bowl of granola at breakfast time? Clean dishes anyone?

OVERCOME LATE NIGHT CRAVINGS WITH BREAKFAST

If you’re truly in it for the long haul, ready to lose weight, gain self control, eat healthy and feel amazing. . .

Begin with breakfast.

With the right foods, you will notice less cravings.

Typical breakfast foods aren’t actually good for you. (Bacon, grits, white biscuits, donuts, pastries, etc.)

Breakfast needs to be filled with unrefined foods and should equal to a third to a half of your food and take for the entire day.

This results in a sense of well being, which will help with emotional eating!

A good breakfast filled with unrefined, low to no added sugar, and complex carbs, also equals better work performance. This “feeds” your emotions positively by fulfilling the need to feel accomplished.

When I say no added sugar I mean it literally. For example, grapefruit, don’t add sugar to it! Cereal, don’t add honey, sugar or any other sweetener. Add banana or fruit if you want more sweetener. Dried fruit is another way to add sweetness without adding extra sugar.

When your morning starts with a fantastic breakfast, you have less desire to over eat later on in the day and less need to eat between your meals. Which of course leads to better weight control, which results in less emotional eating as well.

OVERCOME LATE NIGHT CRAVINGS WITH SLEEP

It’s evening or night time. Go to bed.

As I have mentioned before when talking about weight management and losing weight/belly fat, eating at night adds fuel to your “car” just as you’re about to “park it in the garage.”

These are bad habits that put weight on fast.

I’ve used this scenario before, and I’ll use it again. When you’re about to go on vacation, you pull the car out of the garage and before you leave, what do you do?

You take it to the gas station and fill it up! ALL the way to the top.

Why? Because you don’t want to have to stop any time soon! It is a waste of time. You don’t drive it to the gas station, put $5.00 of gas in, then carry on down the road and do this your entire trip.

Imagine doing this, then arrive at your destination, purely exhausted. Then filing up and parking your car at the hotel.

What kind of logic is this!?

This is what most people do to their bodies. They start off in a hurry, grab a cup of coffee and maybe a pastry or a granola bar and go to work. An hour later, you’re starving but it’s not lunch time. So what do you do? You eat a snack.

This happens all day long until dinner. Then you consume the majority of your calories (or over half of what you should have your entire day) right before bed.

On top of consuming a too big dinner, an hour or two later, late night cravings set in.

This is a very bad habit that adds so much weight to your waist for no good reason.

No matter how much you want to just sit and snack, if it is too tempting, and you know that you’re tired, just go to bed. A good night of sleep on an empty stomach is the best night of sleep you’ll ever have.

MORE RESEROUCES

A healthy lifestyle is all about balance.

Balance8life in motion is simply that.

Balance8life is actively engaging 8 expressions of health to our daily routines for true completion. It will always be in motion, and you will never stay in one place for too long, or the balance will slip away. So don’t get discouraged when you can’t maintain for one day. It is the overall daily routine that makes the balancing act go ’round!

The trick is to learn how to set goals that last. There are steps to setting goals that last, that make all the difference in the world when you are beginning your health journey!

For more on where to start begin your health journey, visit my blog!

And that’s it friends! I love it when the balance8 community shares and invites! Join me on my social media platforms, share my articles and tag me! I am on Facebook, Instagram, E-mail, Twitter, Pinterest and balance8life.

July 8, 2020August 31, 2020

How to Maintain Healthy Weight After Dieting

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclaimer for more info.

How to maintain weight after you’ve reached your goal weight is a bit of a conundrum for some. It can be tricky, but it is not necessarily hard.

Maintaining your targeted weight after spending hundreds of dollars on a program or product is a big deal. You’ve reached the desired weight, but now your program has ended. Your diet can’t be maintained. It helped you lose weight, but now what?

It really shouldn’t be so difficult to stay at your desired weight. But for so many people, the weight creeps back up. Why? Because the program didn’t teach you how to live a healthy lifestyle. They didn’t tell you what to do to maintain your weight after the product ran out. And you’re stuck with no more program, no more product, and no direction.

There is a way to maintain your weight, set new goals and stay where you need to be without products. It’s called Balance8life. Learn to use self control to balance your nutrition, rest, exercise and more, for a balanced lifestyle that keeps you where you need to be, forever.

HOW TO MAINTAIN WEIGHT WITH PROPER NUTRITION

The first thing to pay attention to is your nutrition. It was your old diet and eating habits that put the weight on. So going back to your old eating and nutritional habits won’t magically work any differently than before.

When you find yourself at the end of a “diet”, it is easy to feel lost. Most diets are just that, a diet. Meaning, they are only there for a specific purpose, to help you lose weight. They aren’t healthy, and definitely not sustainable. But their purpose is to get you where you want to be, and fast.

At the end of it, you’re left with your after picture, and a “what next?” because dieting isn’t a lifestyle.

Or is it?

Through Balance8life, I promote a very balanced, nutrition-packed lifestyle of eating healthfully. Not counting calories or measuring portions (though portion control is definitely important). It is all about balance. A balance of fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, whole grains, seeds and legumes.

Maintaining healthy weight means maintaining healthy habits.

This isn’t a diet, it is a balanced, nutritional lifestyle.

The best way to keep the weight off is the vegan, plant-based diet. It is sustainable, healthy, balanced, and complete.

VEGAN QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS – RESOURCES:

Though I say being a vegan is the best diet to follow, it is easy for me to say because I am a vegan and have been for years. But for most people, it is new, and foreign. But don’t worry, many have gone before you into the plant-based world! Here is some help for you though, in case you aren’t sure where to begin.

What is a vegan? Why is a Vegan Diet one of the Best Diets? Some common misconceptions about veganism. Where do you get your protein if you’re a vegan? Should you go gluten free? You’ll find a link to part 2 in the first article. And, can you actually bulk and gain muscle on a vegan diet?

MAINTAINING WEIGHT WITH EXERCISE

If you did an exercise program to lose the weight, you can’t stop exercising after you’ve lost the weight. Trust me, if you quit, those pounds will catch back up. You may need a new or different program, somebody else to coach you, or a little self-help on YouTube and Google. Quitting is not an option.

You have to look at exercise as a healthy habit. It is a daily must-have like showering and eating. Weight gain is not just from loving food. It is also from loving a sedentary lifestyle. We were made to move. So move daily and often.

Forming habits, good habits, keeps you on your forward journey to a successful healthy lifestyle.

MAINTAINING WEIGHT WITH HYDRATION

Water. Your new fave drink. Even if it isn’t your new favorite drink, tell yourself it is. Here’s some help to make it tastier if you really can’t stand it.

Your tea, soda and other sugary drinks cannot return to your refrigerator. You’ve got to keep them out of your grocery cart, out of reach, and not in your house at all. Water should remain your number one go-to for hydration. Always.

Be careful with “zero cal” drinks and “no sugar” drinks. A lot of these drinks are still loaded with artificial flavorings and colors and have very little water which makes them even worse than a natural drink that contains sugar and calories.

HOW TO MAINTAIN WEIGHT WITH SLEEP

Your body needs a break. A full 7-8+ hours of good sleep is a must to keep weight off. No midnight snacking. In order to rest well, you need to be sure you do not eat before hitting the hay.

Your last meal should end at least 5 hours before you go to bed. Your stomach needs to be empty and you literally need to give your digestive system a break. It’s called fasting to some, and to others its just simply sleeping.

If you struggle with sleeping, there are also a few great things that can work, and they work naturally.

Here are 8 Steps to Improve Your Quality of Sleep. Also, check out my favorite supplement, Nrf2! This supplement is 100% natural and plant-based. It isn’t exactly made directly for sleeping, but as a result of the age-reversing process of ridding free-radicals, I went from not sleeping for over 4 years, to sleeping like a baby every night. (It took being consistent for 3 months before I did finally sleep that well. I first experienced enhanced mood, zero fatigue and over-all great energy).

MAINTAINING WEIGHT MEANS NO SNACKING

Not even celery sticks or apples.

Yes these things are healthy. No, they are not making you healthy when eaten between your meals.

Don’t do it. Ever. 
Period.

More on why fasting and no snacking is best below.

CURB YOUR APPETITE WITH SUNSHINE

Sunshine benefits you more than you would think. Sunshine is actually a natural appetite suppressant. Have you ever experienced a day out at the beach and realized you hadn’t eaten anything all day? Sunlight is also a mood
enhancer. Often people eat, not because they’re hungry, but because they’re sad and lonely, or just bored. Go find something to do outside instead of eating, and you might find you aren’t really hungry.

MAINTAINING WEIGHT WITH A SET MEAL TIME

Make meal times regular. When you do this your body settles into knowing what to expect, and therefore doesn’t get as hungry between meal times. (Providing that you are eating foods that have dense, complex carbs and healthy fats, that is.)

It is easier to wait to eat when you’re used to eating at a certain time every day.

There is a common misconception that eating 6 small meals a day is better because it helps keep your metabolism buzzing.

(INSERT “WRONG” ALARM HERE)

“A lot of times people think they’re going into starvation mode when they skip a meal or fast for a day, and that’s truly not the case. Unless someone has a prolonged, dire lack of access to food or an eating disorder like anorexia, it’s very hard to go into complete clinical starvation mode.” Dr. Joy Dubost RD, CSSD Registered Dietitian, Board Certified in Sports Nutrition, Food Scientist.

“Fasting is an excellent way to treat disease. A day or two of fasting each week would do most people more good than any amount of medical advice or treatment.” – Agatha M. Thrash, M.D. Preventive Medicine (Full article here)

Fasting allows the body’s enzyme system to focus on detoxifying. If you’re constantly eating, you’re not giving your body the proper time it needs to eliminate toxins, and therefore your body is more susceptible to disease.

MEASUREMENTS OVER SCALES

Don’t weigh yourself every day. When you’ve finished your program or diet, measure and weigh yourself, write it down, then put it aside.

If you are exercising or changing your diet, keep track in 4-6 week intervals. Measure and/or weigh, but don’t worry so much about your weight as much as your measurements.

If you’re measuring good in all the right spots, understand that muscle weighs more than fat, and could potentially throw off your “healthy weight expectation.”

GUT FEELINGS AND GUT HEALTH

When your gut is healthy, you’re going to be feeling a lot better about life. When you feel good, it is easier to stay on the journey to better health. Having a healthy gut is core to healthy success. A healthy gut also helps keep you from being sick.

The bacteria in our gut not only play an important role in digestion but it can also play a major role in your ability to maintain a healthy weight.

Maintain a healthy weight by maintaining healthy habits. You’ve got this!

If you would like some face-to-face coaching with Sabra, email me and let’s talk. 😉

Please feel free to comment below, contact me on social media and follow me here! I love hearing from my readers. 🙂 I am on Facebook, Instagram, E-mail, Twitter, Pinterest and balance8life.

October 23, 2019October 23, 2019

Balance8life in Motion

Balance8life In Motion

Balance8life in motion is simply that. It is always changing, evolving, moving, shifting, and never is one position of balance maintained for a long period of time before another one comes in to take its place.

Balance8life is actively engaging 8 expressions of health to our daily routines for true completion. It’s a dance. It’s a touch and go. It will always be in motion, and you will never stay in one place for too long, or the balance will slip away.

Balance8life is an orbiting cycle of balance and harmony within our minds, our souls, and our bodies as well as our emotions.

REST

It doesn’t seem that important, especially to teenagers, who, ironically, need more sleep than adults. There are so many things that distract all of us from getting the recommended 6-8 hours of sleep.

To name a few: caffeine, alcohol, eating too heavy of a meal too late into the evening. A new relationship, sports, TV, partying, school, worry, anxiety, health issues, snoring, poor air quality, light, noise, or lack of, etc.

Read this article for tips on how to have better quality sleep.

Once you’ve truly had a good night of sleep, the next thing to do, the first thing in the morning, is . . .

WATER

Start on your first 32 ounces of water as soon as you get up. You’ll be surprised how quickly you can get through that much water in the morning.

EXERCISE

Some people have a very difficult time hitting the gym first thing in the morning, so this is only an example schedule, but not the only way to work this.

My boyfriend and I head to the gym before the sun is up, and really enjoy it as an energizing start to our day. When you hit the gym in the morning, you don’t need coffee!

NUTRITION

When I get home from the gym, I eat. And breakfast is supposed to be the biggest meal of the day. I admit, I don’t always make it the biggest, but I do always have a nutritious meal. It’s simple and definitely not overly complicated.

I typically have granola with soy or almond milk, topped with berries or other fruit. I make my own granola and load it up with nuts and seeds. Oats are great for lowering cholesterol and for keeping it in check.

My typical breakfasts look a little like this: granola with soy milk and fruit, and maybe a bagel or toast. Scrambled tofu (vegan egg substitute), homemade muffins, pancakes or biscuits and gravy. All whole wheat, all low in sugar and very high in protein, fiber, and carbs for energy. (You gotta have carbs y’all, it’s a total must!)

MEDITATION

This is my weakness and simultaneously one of my favorite things to do. The reason is, I have a difficult time just being still. I feel like if I’m not doing something productive, then I am being lazy. So I probably need this the most out of all of these. The others, for some reason, just aren’t that difficult for me to do on the daily.

The thing I have to keep in mind, is meditation is being productive. It is being productive in the way of strengthening and rejuvenating the spirit and emotions.

**Meditation centers our self in a way that protects our thoughts, our emotions, and our positive vibes!**

I don’t know about you, but I really need this a lot. When I do meditate, my day always goes so much better, uplifting, and all around I tend to be more focused on the good in others rather than the negative.

Something else that I love about meditation, is that it doesn’t take long, and you can do it along with the the next two components of health: sun and fresh air

SUNSHINE

We need our vitamins, and we get these in our veggies and fruits, but vitamin D comes from the sun! And vitamin D is what enables our bones to absorb calcium. We kinda need that; I like the idea of being up in the gym still well into my 70’s and beyond without broken hips and such.

So while you’re meditating, all you need is 10 minutes in the sun to get all the Vitamin D you need in your day. That’s it!

For more about the benefits of sunshine, read my article What is the 8 in Balance8Life? And, The Bright Side of Sunshine.

FRESH AIR

Fresh air is calming, it cleanses our minds and gives us perspective, plus it cleans out our lungs and our homes. Fresh air is the perfect setting for elevated meditation. Combine meditation in the sunshine and fresh air, and you’re accomplishing 3 things at once without much effort at all.

MODERATION

At the end of my day or week, or both, I like to do something for me. This is when I do lazy, or indulge in a cheat day, activity or food. Or whatever it is that I normally wouldn’t do.

Moderation has to be applied to everything in our day, all day long. Work, (ehem… talking to me here) the amount of food we eat, the treats we indulge in (and when we indulge), the people we are around, the thoughts we have, the amount of time we sleep, and how much we play. Without moderation, we simply can’t have a balanced lifestyle.

And this, my friends, is balance8life in motion.

It doesn’t matter how you go about fitting these things in your day. You can exercise in the sun and fresh air, you can sit and work in the sun and fresh air, you can exercise in the later part of your day, the point is, all 8 elements need to be incorporated daily for the ultimate balance experience.

And keep in mind, it is a dance; a touch and go experience. You will have perfect balance in a moment, and your next moment could be complete chaos. But the more you incorporate these 8 methods into your day, the more you will find yourself in moments of balance, and the moments will last longer, the more you bring them back around.

Have fun, don’t stress. Stress will break the momentum. Just do it.

I’d love to hear how you make this work for you! I’m a real person and I like real people, too! So hit me up on any of the social media platforms you enjoy the most. I’m on (almost) all of them. . . Facebook, Instagram, E-mail, Twitter, Pinterest and balance8life.

October 16, 2019October 14, 2020

How to Be Real (Positive)

**Today I am trying real hard to be real (positive)! But it is a real struggle!**

The thought crossed my mind . . . “How does positive equal negative?”

Let me re-word that.

How is it possible for "positive" things to turn 
your in-ward thoughts negative?

This was a thought I had (and processed for some time) when I was laying lazily on my bed thinking negatively about my day. (I was on Instagram, just FYI). I thought that all I had focused on was (mostly) positive, so I was puzzled as to why I was feeling so negative!

**As I pondered this weird thought, I realized that I had attached the word “positive” onto things that weren’t. . . real.**

For example:

A girl with an airbrushed face, (or filter) in a professionally taken photo at just the right angle, wearing the perfect outfit, with a huge smile on her (perfect) face, writing, “positive vibes” in the sand. . . and I feel. . . inadequate!

Why? Because I suddenly feel like I need that face, that body, that outfit and that sand, to feel positive vibes! *You can fake gasp here*.

Sometimes when I read all these “positive” quotes, see pictures of perfect bodies, see other people’s positive encouragement on instagram, and read blogs about how positive of a life the blogger has, I start to wonder if it’s real and, “what’s wrong with me?”

But this is where positive and fake are friends but shouldn’t be. (Didn’t anybody teach positive how to choose friends wisely!?)

Positive thinking equals positive feelings and vibes and people dig that st**f! But. . .

. . .  positive has to stay real!

Your body and actions follow your mind and thoughts. Everything we truly ponder and think about somehow shows itself in our actions – on our face. There is a reason why they say that if you think it, it will be so.

If you say you can’t, you won’t. If you set your mind to something, you will find a way to do it. Say “I can do”, whatever it is you’re wanting to do, but how real were you about that “can do”? And when you “couldn’t”, did you stop? Or did you figure out another way to accomplish the “can do“?

I see this all the time with my kids. “I can’t get good grades”, and they don’t. Why? Because they don’t care, and don’t put forth the effort to study. It has nothing to do with what they can or can’t do. I took away some pretty important privileges and we’ll see how those grades change soon. (I’ll have to report back later, this is still happening as I write.) But it’s not about can or can’t here, it’s about where the mind is focused.

Here are a few tips on how to stay focused on the positive and keep it real!

1. BE REAL (POSITIVE)

Positive thinking has to be realistic. You can’t tell yourself you’re going to lose 50 pounds in three months when it took you 3 years to put it on. “I can lose 50lbs!” Is real positive! “I can lose 50lbs in 2 months!” is turning a positive thought and attitude into a quick negative when it doesn’t happen.

Be real with yourself when you see or read positive vibes in a perfect world. There’s no such thing as a perfect world, but there is such thing as positive thinking in an imperfect world! It really makes it a lot easier to deal with, trust me! It isn’t easy, but it is possible! (Tell yourself you can do this! *wink*)

2. ACT IT OUT

Positive thinking has to bleed into your actions. You have to act it, feel it, fake it till you make it. Allow your thoughts to seep into everything you do, and you will eventually feel it even when you didn’t to begin with.

3. TAP INTO YOUR P0WERS

Humans are power packed beings filled to the brim with strength. Mental, physical and spiritual strength. But, just like muscles, strength grows with practice, repetitive behavior, endurance and consistency.

Tap into your powers, the mind strength, and override old, negative habits of thinking you can’t! Then, once you say you can do, believe you can, then you start going on a scavenger hunt within the labyrinth of your mind to find the open doors and windows, channels and alleys, that are the “can do” freeways.

You are stronger than you think you are. We are all stronger than we give ourselves credit for.

It’s all about the focus and belief. You can’t half way do this.

4. FIND THE FIRE

If you can’t get motivated, find out what it is that will put fire under your donkey. It’ll buck and get mad, but it’ll move! Go with it!

5. SHARE

When I am having a bad day and I walk into Walmart (that’s enough to put anybody in a worser bad day) and some stranger smiles. . . I don’t mean one of those fake things. I mean one of those big, genuine, real deal smiles, it kinda does something to me! What about you?

Share a smile, give positive vibes even if you’re not feeling it in the moment, and watch out. Positive vibes actually start to be real!

If you have any positive vibes to share, I’m so down! Please send them my way anytime! I am on Facebook, Instagram, E-mail, Twitter, Pinterest and balance8life.

October 2, 2019October 23, 2019

8 Steps to Improve Your Quality of Sleep

Whether you’re going to catch some Z’s, crash, hit the hay, get some shut-eye, hit the sack, go nod off for a spell, snooze a bit, turn in, or . . . just catch forty winks, all you want, is just to sleep!

Whatever it is that you like to say when you are about to go to bed, it all means the same thing, and that thing often doesn’t happen for a lot of people, at least not in the way they want it to!

There are a lot of reasons some of us can’t fall asleep, or wake up in the middle of the night, unable to fall back to sleep. It can be a busy mind, medication, work, kids, stress, health, etc. But I’m going to give you just a few tips that I hope can help you improve your quality of sleep!

REGULARITY

As annoying or uncool as it may seem, our bodies are actually extremely responsive to habits and regularity. When these get all messed up, it throws off our circadian rhythm.

when we follow a regular schedule, our bodies become accustom to it and our quality of sleep tends to be much better.

In a Neuroscience and Biobehavioral review done by Zelinski El, he says, “Health problems can result from a disturbance to the circadian rhythm.”

The circadian rhythm is a natural, internal process that regulates the sleep-wake cycle and repeats roughly every 24 hours.

Although the circadian rhythm is built-in, it is adjusted to the local environment by external cues, which include light, temperature and redox (chemical reaction) cycles. This is why we are able to adjust when we start staying up later, working nights, travel, etc.

Symptoms of depression, high blood pressure, migraines, and other health issues and diseases, worsen, when our sleep cycle is interrupted. Even one night of missed sleep can create a prediabetic state in an otherwise healthy person.

CAFFEINE

It takes 4-6 hours for the body to metabolize caffeine, which is a stimulant that can disturb a good nights rest. Just 1 cup of coffee (even early in the day) can still effect quality sleep.

If you’ve decided to quit drinking caffeine altogether, it can take 2 weeks and up to 2 months of being off of caffeine, before the detox process is complete. During this phase, you may find it very difficult to sleep, even though you’re not consuming caffeine at all.

ALCOHOL

Initially, a drink helps most people fall right to sleep. But did you know that, even though you fall asleep quicker and sleep sounder right away, it actually reduces rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. And the more you drink before bed, the more pronounced these effects. REM sleep happens about 90 minutes after we fall asleep. REM sleep is when you dream. It is also the part of your sleep that strengthens your immune system. Deep sleep is “for your body” and REM sleep is “for your brain”.

Because alcohol messes up the natural sleep patterns in our bodies, the quality of sleep is compromised.

WATER

Dehydration causes your mouth and nasal passages to become dry, setting you up for sleep-disruptive snoring and a dry throat. A lack of water can also lead to night time leg cramps that can keep you awake.

On the flip side, drinking water too close to going to bed can keep you up at night visiting the bathroom. So be sure to get those 96oz out of the way, starting when you wake up, tapering off later on in the day so that you’re not super thirsty right before bedtime!

DIET

An investigation showed that a diet containing fresh fruits and vegetables, low saturated fat, and whole grains may be optimal for people wanting to improve sleep quality.

EXERCISE

Physical activity improves sleep quality and increases sleep duration. Exercise also reduces stress and tires you out, making sleep sweeter.

FRESH AIR

Fresh air can actually increase your immunity levels, preventing from a lot of common sicknesses, and of course if you’re well, you’re going to sleep much better. It can also reduces stress, and I don’t know about you, but stress makes my nights awful!

BE THANKFUL

A positive thought pattern promotes better sleep because your mind is more accustom to peace and gratitude. When we worry and focus on the negative things in life, sleep becomes harder to achieve because the mind is too busy worrying. Practice positive thinking and gratefulness before bedtime to put your mind in a worry-free state.

If you have any thoughts or questions, I’d love to hear them! Please reach out to me anytime! I am on Facebook, Instagram, E-mail, Twitter, Pinterest and balance8life.

May 8, 2019July 6, 2020

What is the 8 in Balance8Life?

I love being healthy. I want you to be healthy, too! But I understand that you might not know exactly how to get there, what it looks like, what it means, and what to do about it. So, again, I want to help you.

There are a lot of ideas and theories on how to go about being healthy, but this is what works for me, and this is what BALANCE8LIFE is all about. It’s about balancing these 8 wonderful things to obtain (and maintain) good health.

1 GOOD NUTRITION

This in itself can be so complicated with today’s diets. I mean, what the heck is an airatarian? “Those who only consume air and water in an effort to stop the slaughter of innocent plants and animals.” Yup, it’s really a thing. (I wouldn’t suggest it).

Balance is key in nutrition. It’s not about dieting, counting calories or making drastic, quick changes. Dieting is a means to an end that usually comes quick, with nothing to fall back on to continue a healthy lifestyle, and before you know it, you’re right back to where you were before: unhealthy. So let’s do something better. Let’s change our lifestyle.

A balance of fruits (yes, fruit is good for you), veggies, nuts, seeds, legumes (beans), whole grains, (yes, gluten and carbs are good, too) and if you must eat meat, white, lean meats, but believe it or not, meat is not necessary for good health. Quite the contrary, but… we’ll talk about that another time.

Annnnd…..That is where you start. ( I’ll help you with what good nutrition really looks like in other blog posts as we go).

2 EXERCISE

Exercise is not all about the gym. The gym is only a fraction of it. Exercise is simply doing something active for an extended period of time. You can do yard work, go swimming, ride a bike, climb a mountain, kayak, pole dance, etc., etc. So for those of you who hate the gym, or the people at the gym, there are always other options. Walking is simple, it’s a great place to start, it’s good for all ages, easy on the joints, good for people who’ve had injuries, and walking burns the same exact amount of calories per mile as running. Keep it real folks. Thirty minutes of sustained, increased, heart rate, 4-5 days a week will make a bigger difference than you think. Try it!

3 WATER

Drink your Water, my friends! Juice, tea, coffee, Gatorade, flavored water, alcoholic beverages, etc., etc., all of these drinks don’t count. Pure water is essential to our health. Our bodies are approximately 65% water. If we don’t drink it, our bodies suffer in ways you probably don’t even know. While you’re in your car, out to eat, relaxing at home… water! Drink it.

“Lack of adequate water intake is a burden to our body. As a result, the body reacts by keeping extra sodium in the blood to keep up the water level as much as possible. If this continues for too long, the body’s fluid and electrolytes (e.g. sodium, potassium, calcium, etc.) can become very imbalanced, with resulting severe health problems.” Agatha M. Thrash, M.D. Preventive Medicine

4 SUNSHINE

Hello, beautiful! I’m a beach bum (when I’m not in my apartment 5 hours from the beach). Sunlight, (in moderation), increases circulation, and cardiac output is increased. Sunlight also increases the number and efficiency of blood vessels in the skin, it decreases blood pressure, and just 10 minutes in your day provides 100% of your daily dose of vitamin D needs, plus several other awesome things… bring it!

Check out The Bright Side of Sunshine here!

5 MODERATION

How many of you have gained weight after your babies and decided to make a New Years resolution, and went running 3 miles after not doing any physical activity for years, threw up afterward and did it again the next day, then was so sore and frustrated you quit? How about changing your diet? Have you ever cut out all carbs and gluten and drank only water for a day or two then quit because it was too hard? What about only eating rice with zero salt and eating that three times a day? This isn’t moderate. When we make all-or-none changes fast and-furious-like, we’re setting ourselves up for failure. Our minds and bodies can’t handle that much that quick, and without moderation in all things, we become imbalanced and end up very unhappy.

Moderation is needed in all things: family time, alone time, work, diet, exercise, electronics and TV, the list goes on. Little baby steps and balance is key to a successful lifestyle change for the better. Drastic overload in any area of life can end fast and hard with the end result being disappointment, injury, bad health, depression, or other negativities that can be avoided with moderation.

6 FRESH AIR

It seems like common sense, but air is the most essential element of life. We can live only minutes without air.

We also need fresh air for perspective. It helps to clear the mind and calm down our thoughts, and our ‘tudes.

Buddha had a lot of super awesome things to say about air, as well. One of my fave quotes is: “If the ocean can calm itself, so can you. We are both salt water mixed with air.”

Check out my blog post, Amazing Free Mood Enhancement to see what getting a little fresh air did for my day.

7 REST

Without it, how on earth can we function? Well, let’s take a look. We function with extra caffeine, which can ruin our sleep, so we take melatonin, on a mild scale and prescription sleep aids if that doesn’t work. And when you awake, you still feel tired, so you drink coffee. It is a vicious cycle.

But the good news is, it CAN be broken!

I’m not just talking about sleep, though. Rest in general; that peace of mind, the nerves and muscles relaxing, a day (or two, or more) off of work, all of this equals rest. Our bodies need rest in order to be healthy.

Just as high intensity exercise increases inflammation in the body and weakens the immune system, so does a highly intense lifestyle of stress weaken our brainpower and our ability to perform at our best. We cannot run marathons without rest, and neither should we run the marathon of non-stop hectic life without a break.

Everybody needs good quality rest, it’s time to get The Rest in Your Story!

8 MEDITATION

I realize that not every one of my readers is going to be in the same boat when it comes to meditation. I do challenge you though, to seriously think about why you may not like it (if you don’t) and try it out. Take your mind away from your self and meditate on the goodness that is around you.

Since nine-tenths of all illness start in the mind, it is important that we clear it of negativity. A cheerful attitude is good medicine; a broken spirit (guilt, evil thoughts, regret, revenge, etc.) saps our strength.

The body produces endorphins when we are happy. These help restore our physical health. The body also produces negative hormones when our thoughts are focused on our self and negative thoughts. Choose health by choosing carefully what you allow your mind to dwell on.

As we go on this journey to bettering our health I’ll be showing you how it’s done, so don’t worry if it seems too hard now. It really isn’t.

“Balance is not something you find; it’s something you create.”