My New Year's Resolutions for 2010

Well most of us are looking to lose or maintain a healthy weight, get in shape or stay in shape, eat healthier, take control of our health, have better skin and hair…in general feel better: more energy, better mood, more confidence in our appearance.
Among other top resolutions:
  • Get finances in order
  • Be more organized
  • Be more “green”, reduce energy bills, use less plastic, and buy more local and organic products
  • Volunteer more time towards a worthy cause, become an advocate for something
  • Work and education: Almost everyone I have spoken to would like to learn a new skill or competency in order to improve their opportunities at work or in order to get a job.
I too am among those with this type of list:
  • Continue to lose weight and eat a healthy diet.
  • Keep my children on a healthy diet and staying healthy.
  • Get to the gym 2 more days per week for cardio exercise.
  • Organize my finances and keep better records and files.
  • Take a look at waste around the house and start reducing it.
  • Learn Spanish
So how am I going to do this?
I have been having luck with my weight lose program by just removing refined sugar and wheat from my diet and adding some supplements to improve the health of my adrenal system and metabolism, which were both in bad shape as a result of many years of yo-yo dieting, and high stress and pain. Getting control of my stress, reducing pain and inflammation naturally and stop dieting started me on the right path. Adding a comprehensive multi vitamin-mineral supplement, high dose of Omega-3/Fish Oil, probiotics, CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid) and Ashwagandha (herbal supplement that helps with adrenal support and stress management) helped me lose a lot of inflammation and I have even noticed that stubborn belly fat starting to melt away. My skin looks better, my joints don’t hurt as much and I am down nearly two jean sizes with little effort.  My brand of choice is Isotonix and Transitions, both available through Market America.
During my year of studying Holistic Nutrition one of the most profound points of information I took away from the weight loss segment is that you need to be healthy to lose weight. If you are struggling with pain, stress, food allergies or are in poor health, your body is not going to want to cooperate with you on your weight loss program. So my advice to all of those that are still struggling with weight loss is to stop – look – listen. Stop and think about what, how and why your are eating or not eating certain foods at certain times. Take a good look at your daily routine and set attainable goals that fit into your life’s demands. Listen to your body, if eating more green leafy vegetables and less wheat make your joints feel better or your skin look better, then do it. If working out ½ hour four times per week feels better than 1 hour six times per week, then do it and stick to it. My next piece of advice is, remove refined sugar and sodas of any kind from your diet. I am not and never have been a soda drinker, so that was easy for me; however I am a wine drinker and would enjoy a glass or two every night with dinner. I realized this was my diet’s biggest source of refined sugar and my stubborn belly fat was a direct result of it. So, I still enjoy a glass of two of wine about 1 or 2 times per week, but not every night. The result is I sleep better; I am losing weight and am more hydrated as a result of drinking more water in lieu of wine. PS: Sleep is another key factor, better sleep = better metabolism during the day.

As for getting into better shape… I do Pilates once per week with a trainer, it is mandatory for me due to a neck and spine issue, and I love it. I also try to get on the treadmill or elliptical machine 2 -3 times per week, but I have to confess that has not been happening much lately. I do spend all day on Friday in the school garden teaching, planting, weeding so that is pretty physical. This year I will get to that walk on the treadmill or 30 minutes on the elliptical for improved heart health. I like to do a method called High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). You get a great work out in 20- 30 minutes and put less stress on joints and adrenal system. You start out warming up for about 5 – 7 minutes, then push yourself as hard as you can for one minute, slow down to a moderate effort for 1 – 2 minutes until your breathing is comfortable, but you are still working; then repeat 4 to 8 more times, then cool down for 5 – 10 minutes. You modify and adjust as your strength and endurance improve. You can do this on a treadmill, stair master, elliptical machine, rowing machine, bike, or just walking and running on the street or riding your bicycle, even a flight of stairs in an office or apartment building.

Now the children; knock on wood, they have not even had a cold in over a year. I have them on a healthy protocol of 7-9 servings of fruits and veggies, lean meats, healthy fats and plenty of water. I keep refined sugar to a minimum, as excessive sugar has been proven to lower the immune system. I supplement my children’s diet with a comprehensive multi-vitamin and mineral compound with phyto-nutrients and probiotics. I also give them an omega 3 capsule every day.

Again, my choice for vitamins is the brand Isotonix.  I give the kids the Might-a-Mins and the Calcium Plus  Both are available from my Market America site. I cant' say enough good things about these products.

As for the rest of my list: Organizing my finances, I am looking to my accountant and other experts for advice and need to just knuckle down and do it. I volunteer a lot of my time in my community as it is, and just accepted an invitation to be the head coach of my oldest daughter’s lacrosse team. I am looking to my friends at EcoBags for advice on being more green this year, and lastly, learn Spanish. I got an immersion program for Christmas. With the amount of time I spend in the car, I figure if I use it every day, I will be fluent by this time next year; maybe the kids will be too. Adios for now.

What is your resolution list, and how are planning on tackling it?  Join the disscussion in our iLunchBox community.