Diet Information

I was always nervous in the past about “taking time off”. Would it diminish the value of my work in people’s minds? Would people believe I wasn’t good at what I do? Would the time away affect my productivity results? I didn’t want any of my clients or colleagues to think I wasn’t available to them, never around.

But about four years ago (when I was still teaching high school students) something
told me to try it…just once. Nothing could go wrong; it was just an experiment. So
one day I took a “Well Day.” This was one of the best gifts I have ever given myself.

I now listen to my body and take a Well Dayor sometimes a Few Well Hours.
I have become so good at this one move it has resulted in no colds, flues, you name
it, for the last 2 years.

I still feel those “sick signs”

But here’s the kicker

When I feel something “coming on” I put many of the preventive tactics I’ve learned
in place (including saying no, the toughest one I am still working on). That is how I
ended up at the day spa this past Friday where I came up with a few more
techniques anyone can put in place right from home-sweet-home.

So here are three lessons I learned from this whole spa-for-a-few-hours
experience:

Don’t be afraid to take time off. I don’t just mean from being AT work, but
just from being in work mode. Take one day where you don’t answer your cell
phone, don’t check your email, don’t go on-line and don’t watch TV. You will be
giving your body and your brain such a break you’ll feel like you have been away
forever. If you get bored, stay with it; read a magazine, a book, look at art, go
outdoors and take a long, long walk. That’s what people do at spas.

Don’t be afraid to spend time by yourself. A client recently shared with me
that her children had a sleep-over with a friend of hers. My client took the first
candle lit bath she had taken in months and then crawled right into bed to read and
go to sleep before 9PM. She woke feeling refreshed and her kids had a great time
spending time with their favorite “aunty.” If you don’t have children, just put
yourself in bed before 9PM after following Tip #1. (Getting a proper night’s sleep
boosts the metabolism and assists with weight loss. THAT is worth missing a TV
show once in awhile, yes?)

Start your day with a morning massage. When you wake up in the morning
take a moment to lie on your back and breathe. Take a deep breath in through
your nose. Feel your chest rise and fall. Then, stretch your arms over your head.
Pretend someone has grabbed your hands and feet and is pulling in opposite
directions. Stretch your hands up as far as you can and extend your torso. Feel your
body lengthening. Keep your arms over your head and sit up slowly. Bend forward at
the waist and try to grab your toes. Hold this forward bend for twenty seconds.
Slowly lift up and lie on your back again. Bring your knees to your chest and wrap
your arms around your knees, grabbing opposite forearms, or elbows if you can. Put
your chin to your chest. Hold for twenty seconds. You’ve just given yourself a
morning massagefor your muscles and your organs. NOWit is time to get up.

Many of my past “jobs” told me not to take Sick Days; if I did, I obviously wasn’t
dedicated. I guess they were right about the Sick Days, but I’ll always take Well Days
isn’t that what living is about?

Now, go plan your next Well Day!

Energy~Nutrition Specialist Heather M. Dominick, “The Energy Expert,” is
author of the information packed ‘EnergyRICH Lifestyle’ weekly ezine. If you’re
ready to jump- start your energy, make effective changes, and have more fun
in your life, get your FREE subscription and more EnergyRICH Tips at
http://www.individual-health.net

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As most Americans know, losing that excess bodyfat for good will bring us a LONG list of benefits. Lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, decreased risk of some cancers, and so on. Besides just helping us look and feel better, achieving true fitness also prevents bone loss, improves memory, eases the symptoms of menopause, and more! In short, regular exercise and bodyfat reduction will all years to our lives by minimizing so many life-threatening conditions.

Now, thanks to new research from Britain, we can actually say how many years we might gain by losing that excess weight once and for all! Researcher Tim Spector of St. Thomas’ Hospital (U.K.) is part of the team that studied 1,100+ British women between 18 and 76 years of age.

“Telomeres cap the ends of chromosomes in cells and protect them from damage. However, each time a cell divides — and as people age — these caps get shorter, so decreases in telomere length have long been associated with the aging process.

Reporting June 14 in the early online edition of The Lancet, the British researchers found that telomeres of obese women…..were much shorter than those of lean women…… In contrast, lean women had much longer telomeres than moderately overweight women who, in turn, had longer telomeres than obese women.” (Source: HealthDay News)

The researchers found that obese women aged an additional 8.8 years more than lean women (based on telomere length). Wow, 8.8 years!

By the way, this study also focused on smoking and how that impacted aging in women. Perhaps surprisingly, this study found that women who do (or have) smoked aged an additional 4.6 years. What’s surprising about this finding is that obesity appears to cause more ‘aging damage’ than smoking, at least in some women.

There you have it, yet another reputable study proving that regular exercise can add years to our life (and life to our years!). The evidence is absolutely OVERWHELMING: maintaining a fit body through regular exercise will help us live longer!

Besides, we want to look good in a bathing suit this summer!

* Copyright 2005 Pick Up The Pace. Permission is not required for the distribution of Pick Up The Pace articles as long as they are used in their entirety, are properly credited to Pick Up The Pace, and are accompanied by our website link: www.letspickupthepace.com.

* The information in this article and on this site is for general reference purposes only and not intended to address specific medical conditions. This information is not a substitute for professional medical advice or a medical exam. Prior to participating in any exercise program or activity, you should seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health professional. No information in this article or on www.letspickupthepace.com should be used to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any medical condition.

Tracie Johanson is the founder of Pick Up The Pace, a 30-minute exercise studio for women, focusing on fitness, health and nutrition for maximum weight loss. Please visit http://www.letspickupthepace.com for more information.

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