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2006 is here (can we believe it?) a new year, giving us a new start.
So this might be a great time for us to take a look at our perceptions
about how to accomplish our goals. I often find that our ability (and my
own of course) to change is hampered by our perceptions. And our
perceptions about food and exercise can definitely affect our health and
fitness among other things!
I consider "Health & Fitness" to
be a pretty broad category that covers our physical, mental and emotional
well- being. After all, can we really consider any of these components
separately as if they don't affect each other? Here are a few questions
I think we can ask ourselves about our perceptions from last
year which focus on how we viewed food, exercise, and the change process
in general.
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Did we use the "Anti-aging Magic of
Exercise"? Exercise is one of the biggest anti-aging tools
that we have. It contributes to our health, physical appearance,
functional ability, mental ability and emotional well being. And it's
natural! Did we increase our daily activity? Did we make exercise a priority
regardless of our fitness ability? Did we get up and move? If not, we can now.
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Did we use the "
Disease Fighting Power of Foods"? All year we looked
at Mother Nature's arsenal of drugs (yes I said drugs!) found in fruits,
vegetables, and grains known as vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. We also
discussed the many benefits of certain fats, the Omega's (yes, the good fats!).
Have we focused on this disease fighting aspect of food? Did we try to eat
more of these foods for our health more often (did we focus on eating
these foods for health, and disease prevention versus our weight?)?
If not, we can now.
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Did we use "Food as Energizing Fuel"
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How often did we consider how the meals and snacks we eat affect our energy?
How we function physically and mentally (food affects our mood) can be
greatly affected by our choice of foods. High junk sugar foods and drinks such
as soda can play havoc with our energy and mood versus the healthier
choices we know we should take the time to make. If not, we can now.
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Did we practice using "Healthy Coping
Tools" for stress management? Did we eat too much, drink too
much or smoke as a way of coping with stressful situations? When we use healthy
tools more often than not that don't have negative consequences short or long
term, we can feel better, cope better, feel better about our behavior and
be healthier. If not, we can now. All win-win!
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Did we have "Realistic Expectations
for Change"? Did we expect too much too soon from ourselves
when we tried to make or break habits, or did we act on the view of
"all or nothing"? Success starts with small changes. This is particularly true
for making "lifestyle changes".
Did we try to tackle too much too soon only to give up? If we did, we can be
more realistic now.
Our health & fitness goals are within our reach, we just
may need to change our perceptions!
Here's to our Health!
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As founder and director of The Nutrition at E.K.C. in New York City, June provides counseling in several specialized areas including Health & Fitness Assessments, weight loss, and sports nutrition for the active.
June's background includes her educational and practical experience which spans Exercise Science, Nutrition, and Behavioral Science. She is certified as a Lifestyle Counselor by the A
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