“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit.” Aristotle

“Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”  World Health Organization, 1948

Simple strategies for improving overall health

Most diets focus is on weight loss and, in order to feel like the diet has been successful, the weight loss has to be rapid and extreme (think 10 pounds in one month). The main reason diets fail is because the change is too drastic and is not sustainable. And most diets aren’t focused on overall health. Instead of making a radical lifestyle change, make simple, sustainable choices in your everyday life to improve your overall health. This is a lifestyle choice, not a fad diet. As you feel healthier you will have more energy and be more inclined to be more physically active. In turn, you may even lose weight.

Food & mood

I have done a lot of research on the impact of food on mood. A few people close to me suffer from clinical depression and want to manage it without the intervention of prescription drugs, and I have several clients who are concerned with the impact of food on their moods as well.

While food alone should never be the sole ingredient in one’s recipe for successful mood management, there are some foods that are recommended…and a few to stay away from as well.

Vitamin D

While this isn’t a food, Vitamin D is thought to be incredibly important in many ways. First of all, most Americans do not get enough Vitamin D on a regular basis. Vitamin D is important in cell regeneration, it promotes the absorption of calcium and it’s an essential component of a healthy immune system. Vitamin D is also thought to increase the levels of serotonin produced by our bodies. Serotonin, as you may know, is one of the main neurotransmitters that dictate our mood.

Vitamin D is best absorbed through sunlight (please use sunscreen!) but can and should be consumed via through food as well. Some of the foods high in Vitamin D include:

• Fish, particularly salmon
• Fortified milk products
• Fortified breakfast cereals

I take Thorne D-1000 90 every day as part of my plan for introducing more Vitamin D into my diet.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 fatty acids are needed for the proper function of brain cells, including the neurotransmitters that influence our mood. Some wonderful “brain foods” to add to a healthy diet plan include:

• Canola or extra virgin olive oil (but not when used in frying)
• Walnuts or walnut oil
• Fish, particularly salmon (again!) – broiled
• Sardines
• Eggs fortified with Omega-3s
• Flax seeds or flax seed oil
• Soybeans, navy beans and kidney beans

Tea

While it’s important to watch one’s caffeine intake, there are many health benefits to drinking tea. Non-caffeinated teas that have many health benefits and that are great mood enhancers are decaf green tea and any rooibos tea.

Chocolate

Ah, one of my favorites! In moderation, chocolate with a high percentage of dark cocoa (60% or more) is not only a great mood booster (it releases some great endorphins) but it also has some benefits when it comes to heart health because it’s packed with antioxidants. Just remember the “in moderation” part and try not to eat chocolate too close to bedtime.

Foods to avoid, or to eat in extreme moderation

It’s no coincidence that the foods that are not good for us are also on the list of many foods that can work against a good mood. In many cases these foods have as much of a psychological impact on our moods as a physical impact. But they should be avoided, or moderated heavily.

• Heavily processed foods such as most frozen or ready-made meals, meals served at fast food establishments and ingredients like white sugar and white flour
• Deep-fried foods – yes, even if they are fried in canola or extra virgin olive oil
• Meat products with a high fat content such as prime cuts of beef
• More than eight ounces of caffeine per day

Which foods impact your mood – for better or worse – and why?

Financial Wellness – The Foundation for Overall Health

Often, clients tell us that their #1 stressor is money. Making money, saving money, and making sure they have enough money to cover their expenses. In recent years money became even more of a stressor because there has been less to go around and more bills to pay.

While we at mydietribe.com are in the business of physical health and wellness, a large portion of our focus is on overall health and wellness. That’s because we humans cannot be truly physically healthy if our spiritual, emotional, or financial health is at a deficit. Humans are holistic beings, and wellness needs to be addressed holistically. That means we need to address financial wellness as part of our practice.

Interestingly, many of the best practices applied to financial health are excellent metaphors for health in all other areas of our lives. So instead of talking just about finances – which can be stressful and overwhelming – let’s talk a bit about creating a foundation for overall health that can be applied in all areas, including financial wellness.

Pay yourself first. Think about the pre-flight announcements made by flight attendants as you buckle into your seat on an airplane. They always tell you that, in the event that oxygen masks should fall and you are traveling with a child,  you should put your own oxygen mask on before helping the child put his or hers on. Why? They do this because they know that you are no good to that child if you have passed out. In other words, you are no good to yourself or anyone around you if you don’t take care of yourself first.

In financial terms that means saving money before spending it on nice-to-haves. In physical terms that means things such as getting enough rest, water, nutrition and exercise to keep yourself healthy, first and foremost. In emotional and spiritual terms that means quieting your mind, praying or otherwise doing positive things that keep you focused and serene. Everyone benefits when you pay yourself first.

Hope for the best but plan for the worst. The odds of dying by being hit by a train are something like 1,920,351,519 to one. But you don’t drive onto a train track when a train is coming, do you? Of course not because, even though you probably hope for the best you are planning for the worst. Okay, weird metaphor, but I think you know what I mean.

The point is that your health, from all perspectives, should be given the same type of consideration. Do the little things every day to plan for the worst. Or, said another way, to prevent financial, emotional, spiritual or physical illness. Use coupons (hey, they’re all the rage again), contribute to an IRA or 401k, put down that Snickers bar, take the stairs, meditate for 10 minutes, drink some water instead of a soda. And suddenly, and with very little effort, you will have a stockpile of money, energy, health and patience to navigate through the days that aren’t as easy to deal with.

Do what you love, love what you do. When I was a little girl I used to ask my mother what she wanted me to be when I grew up. And her pat answer was, “I want you to be happy and healthy.” (Thanks, Mom.) And my mama was right, as always. There is nothing better for our souls, our health and our pocketbooks than loving the work we do. If you hate your job, going to work is a drudgery and a stressor, and it creates resentments like “I work my tail off and they can’t even pay me a decent wage.”

If you love your job, you are more motivated to excel at what you do, you feel empowered and happy, the struggles aren’t as stressful because you feel invested in success, and the money you earn feels equitable.

I love my “day job” and I’m good at it; but what I really love is this work of helping others to find their highest self and reach their wellness goals. So I am blessed, and you can be too. And the money will follow.

Ask for help, and ask for help from people who have what you want. No one person is an expert on everything, and who would want to be? I am certainly no expert on financial planning myself. But I have asked for the help of trusted advisors to do everything from set up the legal side of my affairs to helping me sort through the financial options that are best for me and my family. In every case I have found someone who was not only good at their job, but also someone who has what I want. Our accountant, for instance, has a stable financial life of his own (yes, I asked).

Don’t feel like you have to be a financial genius, a health guru, the master carpooler, the best spouse/parent/chef in the world…ask for help when you need it (or want it) and use that found energy to be the best “You” possible.

What helpful advice do you have for the tribe about financial wellness?

Cleanses

I’m a big fan of cleansing my body of toxins; it’s something I do once every three months or so. Cleanses can not only relieve your body of some of the things that are making your system “sluggish”, but they can also give your overall health and energy a nice kick-start.

Before going through a cleanse, do your research so you can find the cleanse that’s best for you. We here at mydietribe.com can certainly offer you some tips for selecting the right cleanse, and for preparing for a cleanse, but you should always talk to your trusted medical professional as well.

The cleanse I like the best, and that I often suggest to others for its low-commitment and high imapct, is the Renew Life Total Body Rapid 7-Day Cleanse.

Reminder: The information contained on this site is comprised of suggestions, ideas and opinions based the personal experiences of and on research conducted by the respective authors. The needs of your body may vary, so please consult a qualified nutrition or medical professional before making any changes to your diet or lifestyle.