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August – National Wellness MonthThe month of August is National Wellness Month. All during the month, the goal is to focus on self-care, managing stress and promoting healthy routines. What I would like to do is show you how you can create healthy habits in your lifestyle all month long and see how much better you can feel. Research has shown how much self-care really does help manage stress and promote happiness. I hope you will follow along with me, make a few small changes and impact your health in positive ways. Are you ready? Keep reading…HOW TO OBSERVEPost a picture of yourself on social media with the proclamation “I choose wellness.” Not everyone will want to do this, I get that but I love the idea! With any luck, it will catch on. Remember, it is National Wellness month! DISCOVERDiscover new wellness experiences you have wanted to try—reach for the experience. From a Pilates class, to learning how to play Pickle Ball, to an hour massage (YES!) or yoga and more. You can even stretch yourself, go outside, and exercise. Yes, August is typically the hottest month but sweat never hurt anyone if you are hydrated. There are psychological benefits to exercising outdoors in the green spaces. DRINK MORE WATERWater lubricates joints (especially important as we age!) and transports nutrients for energy and health. Some people (guilty as charged) simply do not drink enough water. I have learned to add a little orange juice to my water or even fruit chunks to make it more appealing. With that, I find I definitely consume more. In addition, I feel so much better! The water still has zero calories, sugar or artificial sweeteners. SIMPLIFY YOUR SNACKSKnow that eating between meals is OK and will not pack on extra pounds—if you do it right. Choose your snacks wisely. If you are eating ready-made smoothies and granola bars, change those for things like air-popped popcorn, celery or carrot sticks, and make your own smoothies using fresh or frozen fruit or veggies and plain yogurt or milk. Another easy way to have your snacks and eat them, too: Do not eat directly out of the bag or box. Take out a sensible portion, put it in a bowl, and then put the rest away. Out of sight, out of mind, right? PRACTICE DEEP BREATHINGOK so I have to admit, I have trouble with this one but I am planning to add it. Why – because stress has a way of hurting your health—and interfering with your breathing. You may not mean to do it, but when you are stressed, you hold your breath or take much shallower breaths. And then? Your whole body tenses, creating muscle tension and maybe even pain. There are so many ways to breathe, and the 4-4-8 technique is just one of the many. Here is how you do it. 1. Breathe in through your nose for a count of four, bringing the breath into your abdomen. 2. Hold your breath for a count of four. 3. Breathe out through your mouth with a whooshing sound for a count of eight. Ahhhhh.READ FOOD LABELSI have to admit, I love this one! This is an easy and effective way to check with yourself and your nutrition and stay accountable to your health. Sometimes those "hidden" details on food labels can be shocking, like how much sugar is in a slice of bread and how much salt is in the cereal you are eating. Here are a few tricks that will help you when looking at the food you are about to buy at the grocery store. 1st. Never believe the front of the box. The claims of "Low-fat!" "All natural!" or "Light!" are all relative. They are not health claims, but marketing pitches. Read the nutrition label and the ingredient list.2nd. Check the serving size and calories per serving. So many times the numbers represent a serving size that is much smaller than you would eat – never mind a very unrealistic portion.?3rd. Check the calories from fat. Look at the calorie count and then glance over to the "calories from fat" You have to do a little math here. Divide the number of calories from fat by the total calories. Example: If the serving is 150 calories, 50 of which are fat, then your product is 33% calories from fat. 4th. Check the sodium. Then look at the calories. Ideally, it should be a 1:1 ratio. So for 150 calories, the sodium should not exceed 150 mg.? There are some exceptions, with condiments like hot sauces, barbecue sauces and salsa. With these, there should be a minimum of 4 mg of sodium per calorie. 5th. Last suggestion, Sugar. The label might not say "sugar," but it still acts like sugar. You might see corn syrup, sorghum, rice and maple syrup, molasses, honey, malted barley, barley malt – or any term ending in "ol" (sorbitol or malititol) or "ose" (dextrose, glucose, fructose).? The trick is to limit it because it can play havoc on your body. Know that too much sugar primes your body for diabetes, hammers your heart, creates tense blood vessels, and promotes cholesterol chaos, can make you an energy-starved zombie and turn your smile upside down. I hope you find my wellness suggestions helpful and put them to practice throughout the month and continue them further. I truly believe that small, daily acts of self-care lead to a lifetime of wellness.Make it a great day.Tammy Cowden & Chance, too! ................
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