On the morning news I heard a broadcaster say that he considered every day over 80 as borrowed time. He was making this remark in regard to Joe Paterno’s death at the age of 85. As a wellness coach and Baby Boomer about to turn 50, I found this remark to be completely inaccurate.

If we go through life thinking we’re on “borrowed” time, what kind of energy are we creating within our bodies and our world? To me “borrowed” is a type of scarcity. Living in scarcity is common to many. Examples of this type of thinking are “it’s never enough,” “it’s always a struggle,” and “everything has a price.” When it comes to our overall health, this type of attitude creates a tremendous amount of stress and stress can kill us.

Instead of being on “borrowed time,” what if every day (not just those after 80) was considered a “gift?” Envision that “it is enough” and you are grateful for what you have. What if instead of scarcity you had abundance? As Wayne Dyer once said, “Abundance is not something we acquire. It is something we tune into.” Imagine the effect on your health and wellbeing if you simply “tuned-in” to the gifts your life has to offer. Sound good?

It is easy to “tune into” the abundance of your life. All you have to do is choose it. That’s right. Simply shift your thoughts on how you view your life from the negative to the positive and notice how rich and well your life becomes.

Be Present, Be Purposeful, Be Well.

To your wellness!

When we talk about nutrition, most of us assume we’re talking about the food we put in our mouths. Have you ever considered lifestyle as part of your nutrition? In an integrative approach to nutrition, lifestyle is considered “primary” food while what you eat is considered “secondary” food. What constitutes primary food?

• Relationships – are they nurturing or do they cause you duress and/or leave you isolated?
• Physical activity – your body needs to move.  Do you exercise adequately for your health?
• Career – are you passionate about what you do and find joy in your daily work or are you in a stressful, toxic environment?
• Spirituality – most people do not have a regular spiritual practice which studies show promotes wellness. Do you have a regular spiritual practice?

Have you ever craved a certain food so much that you just had to have it a.s.a.p.? The body is a well-programmed computer and rarely makes mistakes. A craving is a wake-up call that something is out of balance. It is a signal to improve your primary food so as to be more in sync with what you need.

If you’re curious as to whether your life is in sync, fill out the Wellness Wheel of Life and see whether or not you are in balance. Email me if it’s not and I can help you get it back on track.

Be Present, Be Purposeful, Be Well

To your wellness!

We are well into the New Year and I am refreshed and excited for what lies ahead. Typically I use this time to reflect on my previous year; did I meet my goals, what exciting things happened and did anything unexpectedly prevent me from moving forward. Last year I set several goals for myself and actually accomplished many of them. Two of the major highlights of 2011 for me were meeting my idol, Dr. Andrew Weil, father of Integrative Medicine, and becoming a guest-lecturer at Canyon Ranch in Tucson, AZ. This past year was also one of continued stable and good health for me.

For the coming year I have set several intentions and goals for myself. One of which is to complete a one-year course on becoming certified in Integrative Nutrition. I believe that will afford me a plethora of valuable knowledge to pass onto you. I also aim to continue being an ambassador for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society so as to help educate people about MS and what they can do to help create a world free of it. Also stay tuned for new programs and products from Appelbaum Wellness LLC. This year is going to be full of many exciting projects that will directly help you learn to be an active participant in your life, health and wellness.

What will 2012 look like for you? Have you set aside some quiet time to reflect and plan? In order to make the most out of your life, you need to set goals and intentions. By doing so, it’s kind of like having a roadmap for where you want to go over the next year. Of course you can always detour, but with a plan in place you won’t get lost along your journey. And, as one my 25 Insider Secrets Everyone Should Know for Optimal Wellness states, “Remember life is a journey, not a race to be won or lost.” We are meant to experience joy, sorrow, love, abundance, scarcity, positives, negatives, etc. to bring meaning and understanding to our existence. Cherish your life lessons, learn from them, teach others and live a present, purposeful and well life.

Happy, healthy New Year!

To Your Wellness!!

2011 Holiday Wishes

“As you consider the arrival of this New Year, I encourage you to find something worth caring about – something remarkable, special and precious enough to light a fire in your heart. Find your wings and give yourself permission to soar. With passion, trust the power of pursuit. Suspend your disbelief and 2012 will become the year in which you realize the dreams you have been actively seeking.”

May the holiday season bring you and your family

health, peace and blessings for the coming year.

Be Present – Be Purposeful – Be Well

The holidays are supposed to be about being grateful, taking time off from work and relaxing with family. The reality is that can be far from the truth. Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s you have more to do, increased year-end deadlines at work, people to see, places to go, etc. There’s a lot of pressure to get it all done in a short amount of time. And, you rarely find time for yourself.

Holiday stress typically stems from three main areas: relationships (family & friends), finances (spending too much money on entertaining and presents) as well as added demands such as attending parties, performing extra work at the office, shopping, etc. So how can you avoid overwhelm, weight gain, stress and actually find a way to enjoy the holiday season? Here are some tips:

1. Set intentions. By being intentional, you plan for what may occur and know how you want to respond.

2. Accept and acknowledge your feelings. If you stay realistic and don’t beat yourself up for not being “perfect” all will be a lot easier to handle.

3. Forgive. If someone or something upsets you, let it go. Remind yourself that no one is perfect and whatever happened, it wasn’t done with malice.

4. Be grateful. Remember how fortunate you are and count your blessings. There’s always someone else who has less.

5. Keep up your healthy habits. Remember to eat healthfully, exercise, get plenty of rest, and leave time for some meditation. All of this will help you stay happy, energetic and positive throughout the holiday season.

Enjoy a holiday season filled with blessings and good health!

Be Present, Be Purposeful, Be Well.

Do you behave as a victim? What makes you do that? Some of us are natural-born fighters. No matter what gets us down, we get back up. Some of us aren’t like that. We tend to wear our problems on our sleeves and feed off of other people’s sympathies. Without it, we can’t move forward. Yet, as a victim, do we ever move forward or do we just stay stuck? How would it feel to shift from catabolic or “victim” energy to anabolic or “winner” energy?

"Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you did not do than by the things you did do. So, throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

- Mark Twain

Yes, I am a Baby Boomer and among the thousands of Americans who’s worst fear is developing Alzheimer’s disease as I age. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer’s is a type of dementia (memory loss) that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior. Typically, symptoms develop slowly and get worse over time. Eventually they interfere with your daily life. Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease and is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. People with Alzheimer’s live an average of eight years after becoming symptomatic yet can live up to 20 years depending on their age and overall health. There is no cure at the moment but researchers are working hard to improve treatment options and find a cure.

Recently I read a report that suggests Alzheimer’s can be a form of diabetes of the brain. This discovery may lead to new disease-modifying treatments that could make a positive impact in the lives of those suffering from Alzheimer’s. It also leads me to wonder if what we eat can make an impact. Nutrition feeds our bodies and our brains so it only makes sense to do our best to eat right for life so as to hopefully stave off illnesses such as Alzheimer’s.

I also think that living in “fear” is not healthy. If you can be proactive by eating right, exercising and taking the best possible care of your body and brain, then you know you’ve done your best to hopefully avoid, or at least minimize, the impact of diseases like Alzheimer’s. So eat right for life, exercise daily (even if it’s as simple as taking a walk), meditate or pray daily and keep a positive attitude (that’s the most important).

Be Present, Be Purposeful, Be Well

Thanksgiving is tomorrow plus there are a multitude of holiday celebrations between now and the end of the year. It’s a time of celebration yet what many people don’t realize, it is also a time of challenge. You may find yourself challenged by a feeling of obligation to “have a good time” when you really are not. Or, you may find yourself tempted by all the delicious, fattening and unhealthy foods that keep appearing before you. The holidays are tough, I get that. So what can you do to ensure the holidays don’t get the best of you this year? Here are a few suggestions:

1. Participate only in those parties or activities that you want to. Stop doing things out of obligation unless you can find a way to be okay with it. Put yourself first. When you take care of yourself, you are better able to take care of others.
2. Focus on what is good in your life. Count your blessings and maybe even record them in a gratitude journal.
3. Eat a snack before going to a party. This will ensure you won’t arrive hungry and will make it easier not to over-indulge. And, I like to play a little trick with myself. I tell myself to “skip it now” and if I really want it tomorrow, I’ll go out and get it. Most of the time I don’t want it later therefore I saved unnecessary calories.
4. Choose drinks that are lower in calories like wine (fancy holiday drinks are loaded with sugar & calories) and drink a glass of water in between cocktails so you consume less alcohol. Not only will you save calories, you might save a life by not driving under the influence.

One more thought about this holiday season. If you want to be alone, do it. If you want to be surrounded by family and friends, seek them out. Remember to make this a time of choice and not necessity. You deserve to enjoy!

Be Present, Be Purposeful, Be Well.

With Thanksgiving only a week away, I’ve been noticing fewer random acts of kindness. Odd, isn’t it? You would think that people would be thinking about how grateful they are for what they have and yet few seem to be doing this. Lately I’ve noticed way too many people driving recklessly because they’re too involved in conversation on their hand-held cell phones, others getting impatient because they have to stand in line at a store cash register due to employee cutbacks, and the list can go on. Yes, I acknowledge that life has become more challenging during these tough economic times but does that translate in forgetting to be grateful for what you do have?

Being grateful is not only polite to others; it is a critical component of your wellness. By living a life of gratitude you live in positive or anabolic energy. You look at life from a perspective of abundance and joy versus lack and sadness. As you think about that, notice your immediate energetic response. Do you choose abundance and joy or lack and sadness?

If you choose abundance and joy (which I think many of you do), here are a couple of ways to express and/or notice your gratitude.

1. Keep a gratitude journal. Once a day write down 5 things for which you are grateful. They can be simple or complex, it’s up to you.
2. Offer someone a compliment each day. Be sure it is genuine or the value is not felt by you or the recipient.
3. Do one random act of kindness each day. It can be as simple as offering a stranger a smile, saying “thank you” or letting a car switch lanes in front of you.

As you do these or any other of your choosing, notice how it makes you as well as the recipient feel. Together we can create a holiday season filled with kindness and positively affect our wellness.

Be Present, Be Purposeful, Be Well.

To your wellness!

Many of you live a “sick” life. Namely, you react when you get sick. You have a medicine cabinet filled with over-the-counter medications to take for pain, coughs, colds, allergies, stomach upset, etc. When you don’t feel well, you respond by taking some sort of medication to relieve the symptoms. That’s normal but I challenge you to consider if it is healthy or not.

Living a “healthy” life is behaving in a preventative manner. Instead of waiting to not feel well and take medications, you live a balanced life with proper nutrition, sleep, exercise and positive mindset. You don’t wait to feel “sick,” instead you work to feel “well.”

What would it take for you to make a paradigm shift from reactive to preventative care? Imagine the difference between living a proactive life versus a reactive life, especially when it comes to your overall wellness. I know which I’d choose, how about you?

Be Present, Be Purposeful, Be Well