Ready for challenge thirteen? What is something that requires little to no effort and can be done practically everywhere?  Give up?  It’s stretching! Stretching can help with a number of things such as flexibility and range of motion, relieving stiff muscles, circulation and stress relief.  This weeks challenge is to incorporate a stretching routine into your day whether it’s in the morning, evening or a few times throughout the day.  The goal is to stretch for at least 10-15 min each and every day.  If you are already have a solid stretching routine that is great!  If you need a few tips to get started see below. You will be amazed at how quickly you will see changes in your flexibility with daily stretching and, more than likely overtime your pain levels will lesson too.  Before I share my tips I  have a bonus challenge for you this week.  When you are stretching use this time to either practice daily gratitude or say affirmations.  You can refer back to challenges one and three if you need help on how to do this. Stretching Tips Ensure your muscles are slightly warm.  You don’t have to do a huge workout.  Just march in place for a few minutes or take a short walk up and down the hall at your office or home before your start.  A slight warm up will help you to avoid a pulled muscle. Go slow!  Take your time to slowly get into the stretch and hold it for up to 30 seconds once you settle in. Make it pain free.  A stretch will feel a bit uncomfortable but should feel good.  It should not hurt.  If it hurts pull out of the stretch until you feel the stretch but without pain. Repeat it.  You can do certain stretches more than once if you feel you need to.  As you repeat, try to relax even further into the stretch. Stretch each side of your body.  You want to ensure you are doing the same stretch for each side to keep things balanced. Don’t forget to breath.  Breathing helps with everything!  Before stretching take a breath and as you move into the stretch exhale slowly.  It’s easy to hold your breath and restrict breathing when stretching especially if there is some discomfort.  Breathing will help your body relax which will make stretching more beneficial. Don’t know what stretches to…

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Ready for challenge eleven? Did you know your body is made up of 60% water?  That is more than half and why it is so critical to make sure you are drinking enough high quality water (spring is the best but filtered will do) each day.  The rule has always been 8 glasses a day but as with many other things a one size fits all approach is not always the way to go.  Starting with at least 8 glasses a day is a great place to begin especially if you are currently drinking less.  And then adding more as needed based on things like your activity level, if you are sick or simply if you feel thirsty.  Listening to your body and what it needs is the best way to make sure you are getting enough. This week’s challenge is to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day and more if you feel your body needs it.  The first thing you are going to do is track how much water you are currently consuming.  I have found that we may think we are doing something but then once we pay close attention we find that is not the case.  If you are 100% certain you are getting at least 8 glasses a day you can skip this step.  However, if you are not sure I highly recommend you take one day to track it.  Once you are aware of how much water you are consuming you can make the adjustments you need to hit your 8 or more glasses a day.  Below I am sharing 5 tips to help you get into the habit of drinking more water as well how to sneak more water into your day. 5 Tips To Help You Drink More Water Have a glass immediately upon rising and sip on it while you get ready for your day.  The minute I get up I go downstairs and fill a 32oz mason jar.  I drink the entire thing before going to work. Add natural flavor enhancers to your water like fresh squeezed fruit juice.  When I hear people say they don’t like the taste of water or that they get bored with water my first suggestion is to add a splash of fruit juice or fruit puree.  Fresh squeezed lemon, lime or clementine is my favorite. Try sparkling!  Sparkling water has a way…

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Ready for challenge ten? Sleep!  It is something we do each day and without it we would not survive.  However, have you ever really stopped to think about it and what you could be doing to improve it?  We innately know how to sleep but a few tweaks to our sleep routine can deliver big health improvements. The time we go to bed and get up in the morning is dependent on many things such as our job, family, or schedule.  Some of us may have no choice but to rise early while others may be able to crawl out of bed whenever they feel like it.  No matter what things we have going on each day its critical to get into a regular sleep routine which means going to bed at the same time each night and getting up at the same time each morning.  This means weekends too!  Setting your sleep schedule is the easy part.  Ensuring the hours, you sleep are as high of quality as possible is the hard part. This week’s challenge is about improving the quality of your sleep by incorporating at least 5 of the below tips to help you get a better night’s sleep.  Research is showing increasingly that the quality of sleep is more important than the quantity.  The recommendation has always been at least 8 hours but if the quality of your sleep is good then you may be able to get away with less hours.  We are all unique and I believe sleep is different for everyone. 10 Tips For Better Quality Sleep Meditate, pray, or listen to positive affirmations.  Filling your mind with positive things right before bed will ensure a more restful night sleep.  So many of us have the habit of looking at our phone or computer right before bed or watching the 10pm news.  If we are taking in negative things right before sleep our minds are going to be moving a mile a minute. On the topic of phones, pads, and computers.  Refrain from using them at least 1 hour before bed and longer if you can help it.  If you must be on a devise turn on the night setting to the warmest color it will go.  Or, if being on a device later in the evening is unavoidable on a regular basis invest in a pair of blue light blocking glasses to…

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Ready for challenge nine? Did you ever notice how much better you do something when you are prepared?  Being prepared is one of the best ways to guarantee healthy living.  When we have a plan all we need to do is stick to it and we are golden.  For this weeks challenge I want you to think about how you have been doing since the beginning of the year on both your nutrition and fitness goals.  Select one or the other, or both if you chose and do a few thing to help you prepare each day this week which will assist you in completing your goals.  Below I’m sharing 3 ideas for each to help you get started! 3 Ideas to Better Prepare For Healthy Eating All Week Long 1. Plan your meals and go to the store with a list of exactly what you need.  I have a love hate relationship with food planning because I am more of a wing it or use what is in the fridge type of cook.  However, when I write down exactly what I plan to have for my meals each day it makes all the difference.  I typically look at my week in two parts.  Part one is Mon-Fri or the work week.  I think through what I am going to make for all of my meals and if I am not going to make something for lunch I decide ahead of time where I am going to get something to eat and I stick too it.  That way I am not running somewhere that is a less healthy option.  Part 2 is the weekend or off days.  Typically weekend meals are a bit more fun as I may try a more labor intensive recipe or we may got out.  Just like during the week if we eat out we typically select a restaurant where we know there are healthy options.  If I am going somewhere I have never been I always look at the menu ahead of time and go with a plan for what I am going to get or how I might modify an item on the menu.  For example, sometimes I make my own salad dressing and bring it with me so that I know I am having a good quality oil. 2. Think about your week and what you have going on after work.  If you…

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Ready for challenge eight? Can you believe we are already on challenge eight?  For eight full weeks you have been challenging yourself, putting yourself out of your comfort zone and trying new things.  You should be proud of the work you have done and the progress you have made towards better health.  After all this hard work it is time to take a deep breath and thank yourself.  Much of the time we go through our day never once reflecting on ourselves and the amazing things that we can do. For this week’s challenge I want you to work on loving yourself and if you already have a strong self-worth I want you to love yourself even more.  Practicing self-love can look like many different things.  Below are 10 ideas tohelp you get started. Select at least one of these ideas to work on this week and then over the course of the next few weeks work your way through the list.  I know this is a one-week challenge but self-love is such a huge part of personal development, growth and healing that it is something we should give continued focus and effort.  The payoff is huge! Ideas to Help You Practice Self Love Nourish your body with healthy foods and habits.  Eat foods that you know will make you thrive and make your body and mind perform at their optimal level. Forgive yourself and others.  If there are things you are holding onto from the past let them go.  Forgiving does not make the wrong right.  What it does do is it releases sadness, anger and resentment which allows for us to start enjoying the present moment.  Sometimes we think holding onto our upset punishes whomever hurt us but the reality is it punishes us much more. Quite your inner critic.  When a negative thought about yourself pops in your head tell it to be quiet, refuse to believe it and change that negative thought into a positive one. Stop comparing yourself to others.  This can be hard due to the social media world we live in.  It is so hard not to look at others images and believe their life is as perfect as it appears on screen.  Know they are only showing you an edited version of their real life. Celebrate every single win.  Big and small!  Recognize your accomplishments. Embrace the things that make you unique.…

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Ready for challenge seven? This weeks challenge may or may not be a hard one for you depending on how big of a sweet tooth you have.  Did you guess it?  If you think challenge seven has something to do with sugar then you are right!  This weeks challenge is to kick refined sugar to the curb for a full 7 days! Don’t worry!  I am going to give you some tips to make this as easy as possible and I promise after just 7 days you are going to feel the difference.  And, if you currently struggle with sugar cravings they will start to fade away.  I promise! My first tip for kicking your sugar habit is to become a sugar detective and search it out in the foods you are eating frequently.  If you are eating anything out of a package I can almost guarantee there is added sugar.  What can be sneaky is the label may not clearly say sugar.  Its important to become familiar with the other names used for sugar.  Here is a list with 56 other names!  Once you are familiar with some of the other names for sugar take a look at the products in your cabinets, refrigerator and freezer focusing on the items you use everyday.  Check the ingredients to see if there is added sugar.  If there is, ditch that item for the next 7 days.  You also need to watch out for so called health foods.  So many have added sugar its unbelievable.  Common products with hidden sugars are protein powder, nut butter, salad dressing, tomato sauce, soup, frozen meals and protein bars. In addition to giving up sugar in packaged foods I also want to challenge you to not add it to anything.  So, for example if you add sugar to your coffee try to consume it black this week or with a little coconut milk.  If you can’t bare the thought of absolutely no sugar and need to take baby steps towards going sugar free my second tip is instead of using refined sugar like white cane sugar use organic maple syrup, raw honey or dates instead.  These are still sugars but because they are not processed and in their natural state you will get the benefit of added vitamins and minerals. Ok, now lets talk natural sugar like the sugar found in fruit, vegestables and whole foods.…

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Ready for challenge six? I am so excited to share this weeks challenge with you.  One of the greatest things my struggle with health has brought to my life is the opportunity to help others by sharing both my struggles and successes.  The more I share the more I heal and the better my life becomes.  When we share ourselves with others we actually gain more than we give. Sharing can be difficult because it puts us in a vulnerable place.  Extending ourselves outside of our comfort zone is scary but it’s where the magic happens.  I have found that when I share with others more often than not I find they are going through something similar and the words I share give them encouragement, motivation and hope. For Challenge Six I want you to think about all the previous challenges you have completed and which has had the greatest impact on your life.  Then, share that challenge or learning with someone else.  It can be a family member, a friend or even a post on social media.  When we share our story and what we have learned along the way with others we can make a huge impact. Ready, Set, Go…. Challenge Time The first step is to set up your free account on healthstorylines.com if you have not already. Challenge Six Instructions: 1. Think about the last 5 weeks and the challenges you have completed.  Think about the one that has had the greatest impact on your life and health.  The one that really resonated with you.  Think about what you loved, what you learned and how it made you feel. 2. Once you identify this challenge or your learnings share it with someone else. 3. For this challenge you won’t necessarily be doing something every single day but through your sharing be a constant support system for others.  In the journal section of the Health Storylines app record what you shared with others as well as what you learned by sharing with others and how it made you feel.  You can journal daily or as often as you want throughout the week. 4. If you feel comfortable and want to share your favorite challenge with your social media audience post the challenge with a link (all challenges can be found here) and hashtag #wholelovleylifesharing on your Instagram, Instagram Stories or Facebook so we can engage with each…

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Ready for challenge five? Let’s get ready to say goodbye to January and welcome February with open arms and endless possibilities.  I hope the last month of challenges have helped you to establish new healthy habits and encouragement to continue with at least one. The last four challenges have been focused on adding healthy foods into our diet as well as working on our mindset.  Challenge Five is going to focus on moving our bodies.  Whether you are an experienced fitness guru or you are just embarking on a fitness journey this challenge is for you! This week I am challenging you to move your body for at least 30 min for 5 days.  This can be anything.  It can be a walk over your lunch break at work, a dance session with your kids (I know from experience this really gets the heart rate up and it’s down right fun) or a HITT (high intensity interval training) session.  Focus on doing something you love and enjoy. If fitness is already a normal part of your day challenge yourself to try something new or take your routine to the next level.  For example, if you have been using the same machines at the gym or going to the same class for awhile shake it up and try something totally new.  Keeping your workout fresh and challenging is what keeps you coming back. If you are a beginner try a few different things this week to see what you like.  Walk, jog or try a class or video you have been interested in. Whether you are an expert or beginner I also encourage you to take a day or two to do something fun, something you really love.  Exercise becomes a natural part of our lives when we look forward to it! Here are 3 tips to get you started and to help you accomplish this weeks challenge: Focus on what you love and what brings you joy!  Exercise does not have to be at a gym.  A workout can be anything that moves your body and elevates your heart rate. Don’t look at exercise as a chore or something you have to do.  Look at it as a way to honor your amazing body.  On day’s when I don’t want to exercise I remind myself that it is a privilege that I can.  When my Ankylosing Spondylitis and Iritis were at…

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