Carpe Diem!

Ok, you're ready for a change. You're tired of feeling tired. You're sick of coping with your own funky moods or your appearance. Maybe you've just come from the doctor and your cholesterol, weight, and blood pressure are on the rise.

You're full of hope and anticipation about your new lifestyle changes.You clean out the pantry, stock up on all the right foods, download a killer workout for your Ipod and wham! You get sick, the boss calls a weeklong meeting, you're asked to be the driver for soccer practice every day for a month and health club goes up in flames.

The thing about life, as John Lennon observed, is that it happens when we're making other plans. And in order for your changes to work, you have to adopt the "Rule of Reverse Expectations." In other words, assume there will be obstacles in your path and seize the opportunity (carpe diem!) to use them as ways to sharpen your skills at keeping your self care on track. Don't get frustrated, get moving! Confucius said, "Consider the uses of adversity." When you embrace obstacles you stop dreading the challenge of self care. You stop talking about eating right and you just do it. Your expectations are realistic, and you know you'll have good days and bad ones.

A few years ago I worked with a personal trainer who had a strict no-whining policy. When I moaned about the fact that I couldn't find time to train because of my killer work schedule and the fact that I was a solo business owner and time was literally money to me because of all my responsibilities - on and on.

He just looked at me and said, "Robin, if you tell me you have just 5 minutes a day, I'll find a way for you to get the absolute maximum out of those 5 minutes. But one thing I can't do for you is get you the 5 minutes. You have to do that yourself."

You will do battle against yourself from time to time as old habits and self-destructive ways try to pull you back from your goals. But every time you "seize the day" you win. And that puts you much closer to that joyful, confident, energetic woman you know you are.

New 30 Day Audio Wellness Course for Women!

In my career as a professional organizer, life coach and fitness trainer, I’ve had the opportunity to help busy professional women take stock of what’s weighing them down and release the clutter in their spaces, schedules, minds, and bodies. By making small changes, one step at a time they become clearer and more confident.

My wellness vision grew from a desire to help you experience radiant good health and energy and bring balance back to your busy overcrowded life in a simple and positive way. Too many of us lie buried beneath mental and physical piles that sap our strength and drain our motivation to live life as God intended – joyfully and with purpose.

I wanted to make "getting the wellness edge" something that flowed naturally and easily. It seemed to me the solution for overwhelm shouldn’t be so complex that it adds another layer of stress to your already full plate.

After my divorce, my first years as a single parent and business owner seemed to pass by in a big blur. Most of the time I didn't know who I was, let alone what I liked. Then one day I decided to do something just for me. I thought of my high school days and things I’d enjoyed doing. I remembered how much I loved to write stories and journal. So I found an evening course in creative writing at the local community college. What a difference that simple class made to my life! It was a little thing – a baby step – but it radically changed my attitude and opened up space for other changes.

My new product is a a 30 lesson audio course with companion workbook - a series of baby steps to start you creating your vision of life balance. They are based on my personal philosophy – in a nutshell. . .

•Your body is a miracle – act accordingly!
•Your body, mind, and space are powerfully connected and must support each other if you want to be really healthy.
•You have a divine purpose and mission on this planet and keeping yourself healthy is your absolute responsibility so you can deliver it.
•YOU are the focal point of your life - priority number 1.
•Healthy living should be simple and flow into your life – not add more stress.
•You transform your life one small step at a time.

You’ve only got one body and one life - so live well! Do your part, however small. You may be sick or overwhelmed right now or depressed or overweight. But if you do what you can do, you’ll receive what you need to do what you can’t do.

To quote Goethe, “At the moment of commitment, the entire universe conspires to assure your success.”

Gluco What???

If you're trying to get more natural fiber into your diet, consider glucomannan - a water soluble fiber obtained from the konjac root.

Glucomannan has been used in Asia for centuries as traditional foods,such as noodles, tofu and heat stable gelled food products.

Konjac foods made by nature soluble fiber - glucomannan and water, are very low carb and very low glycemic foods which means they are good for keeping blood sugar stable.

What is soluble fiber?

Soluble fiber comes from the storage materials of the plant used to store water.
Soluble fiber dissolves and thickens in water, and can form a gel and include gums, pectins and mucilages.

A diet rich in soluble fiber has numerous health benefits such as its effectiveness in controlling obesity, stroke, diabetes, cancer and gastrointestinal disorders.

The US Food and Drug Administration has authorized the following claims that food manufacturers can place on their labels:

•Diets low in saturated fat and cholesterol and rich in fruits, vegetables and grain products that contain fiber, particularly SOLUBLE fiber, may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.
•Diets low in saturated fat and cholesterol that include 3g of soluble fiber from whole oats per day may reduce the risk of heart disease.
•A low-fat diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grain containing fiber (particularly SOLUBLE fiber) may lower blood cholesterol levels and reduce risk of heart diseases. This type of diet may also reduce the risk of some types of cancer.
•Diets low in saturated fat and cholesterol that include a daily intake of soluble fiber from whole oats or psyllium seed may reduce the risk of heart disease.

Glucomannan comes in gel and capsules and is available at health food stores and wherever quality supplements are sold. Nature's Way makes a capsule form that sells for $9.89 for a 30 day supply.

Get the Healthy Edge: 7 Natural Ways to Speed Up Your Metabolism

There’s something working nonstop inside your body to help you burn calories and fat. It’s your metabolism! Every time you eat enzymes in your body's cells break down the food and turn it into energy that keeps your heart beating, your mind thinking, and your body moving! The faster your metabolism, the more calories you burn. The more you burn, the easier it is to release weight. And get this—you can make your metabolism work harder 24 hours a day.

To some degree, metabolism is determined by gender and genetics, but there's still plenty of room to improve. These tips from nutrition experts are simple but very effective for kicking your metabolism into overdrive, and have done the trick for many of my clients!

1. Eat (a good) breakfast. If you don't, your body goes into starvation mode, so your metabolism slows to a crawl to conserve energy. And the heartier your first meal is the better. In one study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, volunteers who got 22 to 55 percent of their total calories at breakfast gained only 1.7 pounds on average over four years. Those who ate zero to 11 percent of their calories in the morning gained nearly three pounds. In another study published in the same journal, volunteers who reported regularly skipping breakfast had 4.5 times the risk of obesity as those who took the time to eat.

Eat food that is slow to digest and leaves you feeling fuller longer. Try a mix of lean protein with complex carbohydrates and healthy fats. For instance: an omelet made from one egg and two egg whites and a half cup of mixed peppers and onions, plus a half cup of cooked steel-cut oats mixed with a quarter cup of frozen berries and a teaspoon of omega-3-loaded fish oil.

2. An apple a day is still good advice. Apples are full of fiber and antioxidants which help keep digestion humming along and make you stronger. The type of fiber – pectin – found in apples actually helps lower LDL (bad) cholesterol in your liver and the flavonoids (a cousin to antioxidants) can prevent inflammation and overproduction of fat in your liver cells.


3. Pick protein for lunch. Consuming protein at every meal helps build and maintain lean muscle mass. Muscle burns more calories than fat does, even at rest. Aim for about 30 grams of protein—the equivalent of about one cup of low-fat cottage cheese or a four-ounce boneless chicken breast—at each meal.

4. Drink green tea. "It's the closest thing to a metabolism potion," says Tammy Lakatos Shames, R.D., author of Fire Up Your Metabolism: 9 Proven Principles for Burning Fat and Losing Weight Forever. The tea contains a plant compound called ECGC, which promotes fat burning. In one study, people who consumed the equivalent of three to five cups a day for 12 weeks decreased their body weight by 4.6 percent. For maximum effect, let your tea steep for three minutes and drink it while it's still hot.

5. Get more iron. Women lose iron during their period every month. That can throw a wrench into your metabolic machine, because iron helps carry oxygen to your muscles. If your levels run low, muscles don't get enough O2, your energy tanks, and your metabolism slows. Stock up on iron-¬fortified cereals, beans, and dark leafy greens like spinach, bok choy, and broccoli.

6. Go fish. Fatty fish like salmon, tuna, and sardines are loaded with appetite satiating omega-3 fatty acids. These healthy fats help trigger the rapid transfer of "I'm full" signals to your brain, according to the National Institute of Health. Bonus: A 3.5-ounce serving of salmon nets you 90 percent of your recommended daily value of vitamin D, which will help preserve your precious metabolism-stoking muscle tissue.

7. Hit the rack early. When you sleep less than you should, you throw off the amounts of leptin and ghrelin—hormones that help regulate energy use and appetite—that your body produces. Researchers at Stanford University found that people who slept fewer than 7.5 hours per night experienced an increase in their body mass index. So make sure you get at least eight hours of rest.